Outside London Not yet field-walked
Marlow to Hambleden
A train-out Thames walk for river meadows, two locks, a proper village pub and the satisfying simplicity of walking back the way you came.
Start Marlow rail station
Not yet field-walked · verify live details
Chesham to Rickmansworth, Following the Chalk Water
A full Met-line day for a rare clear river, valley villages and one proper pub pause before the long ride home.
Good to know.
- Read the current flood/diversion notice on the official Chess Valley Walk page before leaving London.
- Wear waterproof walking shoes or boots after rain; the flooded Latimer–Chenies Bottom section may require the higher diversion.
- There are stiles and no dependable food or toilet stops between stations.
- The Bedford Arms is an intentional detour and may need a booking; carry food so its availability does not decide the day.
- This route has been desk-checked, not personally field-checked end to end.
Desk-checked note.
Desk-checked or awaiting another field walk – details not yet reconfirmed.
Desk-checked from Chilterns National Landscape, TfL planning information and the pub’s current site in July 2026. The published route currently carries a flooding notice between Latimer and Chenies Bottom, so this is a prototype to check against live conditions – not a promise of dry feet.
No field notes from readers yet — share one if you walk it.
Start with the train, not a car.
Both ends are on the Metropolitan line. Journey time depends on where you begin in London and whether a service requires a change; use TfL’s live planner before leaving and again before the return.
Start without guessing.
Suggested arrival
Chesham Underground station – Leave the station.
Set your first pin
Meades Water Gardens, Chesham
Open detailed route (opens in a new tab)
Prototype route: follow the waymarked Chess Valley Walk from Chesham to Rickmansworth, not an invented GPX. The official route currently flags a flooding issue between Latimer and Chenies Bottom; check the latest diversion and do not cross flooded ground.
We never ask for your location.
The rare kind of route where the Tube takes you out, then the water does the quiet work of the day.
Ride the furthest-out end of the Metropolitan line and start with the small, ordinary edge of Chesham. Then the River Chess begins to pull the day into shape: green water, meadows, manor country and quiet village lanes. The pub in Chenies is the one grown-up pause. From there, return to the water, keep walking east and let Rickmansworth arrive as the cleanest possible finish.
Who it suits, and who it does not.
- A pair who want a proper walking day without National Rail logistics
- A solo reset with one clear navigation line
- Anyone who likes villages more than destination restaurants
Not ideal for
- Wet weeks or flood warnings
- A first outing in brand-new shoes
- Anyone who needs cafés and public toilets every hour
Not a sealed, always-dry promenade or a spontaneous pub crawl. This is a real footpath day with live conditions to respect.
On a date, with friends, or alone
On a date
Good for a second or third date when both people genuinely want to walk. It has easy conversation space, but wet boots and a long return are not inherently romantic.
With friends
Best for two to four people who agree on the flood diversion and pub timing before the first train. A large group will slow markedly at gates and stiles.
Alone
A strong solo route if you can read a waymarked trail and make sensible condition calls. Download the official leaflet while still on Wi-Fi.
The route.
Chesham station → Meades Water Gardens
Chesham Underground station, Station Approach, HP5 1EB
From the start From the station, use the live walking route to Meades Water Gardens and find the Chess Valley Walk’s egret waymarkers heading out of Chesham.
Do the unromantic things first: water, a snack, station toilets. Then look for the river rather than trying to make Chesham into an opening act it does not need to be.
Walk here from the station to Chesham station → Meades Water Gardens (opens in a new tab)Official information for Chesham station → Meades Water Gardens (opens in a new tab)
Latimer and the first Chess meadows
Latimer, near Chesham HP5
From the previous stop Stay on the waymarked Chess Valley Walk. At Latimer, check the official diversion notice before continuing towards Chenies Bottom; take the higher route if water has made the valley floor unsafe.
This is where the route turns from ‘outside London’ into actual valley walking: chalk water, fields and a slower kind of landscape. Do not rush this section just to make lunch on an arbitrary clock.
Walk from the previous stop to Latimer and the first Chess meadows (opens in a new tab)
Chenies and The Bedford Arms
The Bedford Arms, Chenies, Rickmansworth WD3 6EQ
From the previous stop Follow the signed route or official diversion towards Chenies, then take the live walking route into the village. The pub is a deliberate detour; do not shortcut across private land to save a few minutes.
The right middle: a 15th-century village-pub setting with enough food and a garden to make lunch feel like a pause rather than a concession. Book if a table matters, and carry a picnic anyway.
Walk from the previous stop to Chenies and The Bedford Arms (opens in a new tab)Official information for Chenies and The Bedford Arms (opens in a new tab)
Sarratt Bottom and the watercress meadows
Sarratt Bottom, Hertfordshire WD4
From the previous stop Return to the waymarked Chess Valley Walk and continue east through the valley. Keep the official leaflet available; wet ground can make the obvious-looking line the wrong one.
The quieter final middle: watercress beds, low meadows and the feeling that the day has gone further away from London than it actually has. Keep the pace steady; the station is still a real walk away.
Walk from the previous stop to Sarratt Bottom and the watercress meadows (opens in a new tab)
Rickmansworth station and the long Met ride home
Rickmansworth Underground station, Station Approach, WD3 1QY
From the previous stop Follow the final Chess Valley Walk waymarkers to Rickmansworth, then use the live walking map for the last approach to the station rather than cutting through unfamiliar roads as daylight fades.
Stop here. The Tube is the closing scene, not a failure to find a better final drink. Check the next service, sit down and let the long ride back be part of the route.
Walk from the previous stop to Rickmansworth station and the long Met ride home (opens in a new tab)Official information for Rickmansworth station and the long Met ride home (opens in a new tab)
Read this before the platform.
Terrain
A waymarked chalk-stream valley route with field paths, woodland and some slopes. There are stiles, and sections can be muddy or flooded after rain.
Mud and drainage
Important: the Chilterns National Landscape currently warns that high groundwater can flood the section between Latimer and Chenies Bottom. Check its diversion note before setting off and wear waterproof boots after wet weather.
Exposed sections
Water meadows and field crossings are open to wind; woodland portions can be cooler and slower to dry.
Road sections
Mostly paths and lanes, with a small number of road crossings. Do not treat the walk as traffic-free; use care where the signed route meets roads.
Stiles
There are stiles on the full Chess Valley Walk. This is not the right route for a stile-free day.
Food and water
Carry water and a picnic backup. Chenies is the planned pub pause, but there are no shops to depend on through the valley.
Toilets
Use the toilets at Chesham or Rickmansworth station; do not expect public facilities between them.
Mobile signal
Usually usable, but do not make a route decision in a field on the assumption that signal will be perfect.
Pub timing
The Bedford Arms lists lunch from 12–5pm and takes bookings. Check current kitchen hours and reserve if food is central to the day.
Shortening
For the shorter version, leave the valley around Chalfont & Latimer and walk about a mile to the station. Check the live map before deciding: the route is not designed as a frequent-bus walk.
Finish and easy exit.
Rickmansworth Underground station
Nearest practical station: Rickmansworth Underground station
The trail finishes at Rickmansworth. Use the station toilets if needed, check live Metropolitan line service and let the Tube be the deliberate end rather than adding another venue by force.
Earlier exit: Chalfont & Latimer Underground station – It is roughly a mile from the trail around Latimer. Use a live walking map for the exact access and check the Metropolitan line before abandoning the main route.
Before you go.
Best time
A dry spring, summer or early-autumn day
Food and drink
The Bedford Arms is the only planned sit-down food stop; its listed lunch service is not a substitute for carrying water and a snack.
How the day can change.
Short valley version
Walk from Chesham into the Latimer stretch, then exit via Chalfont & Latimer if weather or energy says the full valley is no longer the generous choice.
Full Chess Valley + Chenies lunch
The full 16 km station-to-station version: chalk stream, one proper pub pause and a Metropolitan line return from Rickmansworth.
If it rains
If the official page flags flooding, use the higher diversion only with proper footwear and confidence. Otherwise take a shorter local route or postpone – this is not the day to negotiate with waterlogged fields.
If it goes well
Keep the last Rickmansworth section simple and go straight to the station. The long Tube ride is a complete ending; save a second venue for another day.
If you want to leave early
Around Latimer, leave the trail for Chalfont & Latimer station if you need to stop. It is about a mile away, so confirm the walking route and live service before committing.
A chalk stream, a proper lunch and the Metropolitan line all the way home.
Help keep it useful
What changed?
Closed gates, changed hours and the point where you bailed are more useful than polite applause.