The Chess Valley Walk is a walk of 11 miles along the valley of the River Chess, between Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, close to where the Chess meets the River Colne, and Chesham in Buckinghamshire, just below close to the source of the river.
This is a pleasant, gentle walk taking in some of the green delights which may pass unnoticed in the crowded south-west of Hertfordshire, but that crowdedness does provide the access points: the route runs between the railway stations in those two towns. Chesham and Rickmansworth are linked by the Metropolitan Line, which also follows the Chess Valley, though without imposing too much on the walk.
Although the Chess is a small river, barely ankle deep in parts even in its lower reaches, it has carved a deep, wide valley through this part of the Chilterns, concealing it from the bustle of road and town.
The route
Maps
The route might be done with standard Landranger maps, though the additional detail of an Explorer map is very helpful.
In the Explorer, 1:50 000 series:
- Ordnance Survey Explorer 172 (Chiltern Hills East)
- Ordnance Survey Explorer 181 (Chiltern Hills North)
Links
- Chess Valley Walk leaflet, from the Chiltern Society