Walk 160: Chenies Loop

6.1 miles (9.9km) with 148m of total ascent

 

This is one of only two walks on this site which don't start in Hertfordshire. We've added this one because we wanted to explore further along the Chess Valley and extend an earlier walk, The Sarratt West Loop.

This walk starts in the Buckinghamshire village of Chenies then follows two long-distance paths, The Chiltern Heritage Trail and The Chess Valley Walk as it loops into Hertfordshire before returning along the River Chess. There are two pubs close to the start and finish point, The Red Lion and The Bedford Arms, both in Chenies, and another pub, The Cock Inn, in Sarratt, Hertfordshire, two-thirds of the way around.

Fly through preview of walk

If you want to check what sort of landscape you will be crossing before you set off on this walk you can view a short 3D video of the route below. It's created using the free version of Relive.

Directions

Map for Walk 160: Chenies Loop
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Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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There is an interactive map below these directions

Those with GPS devices can download GPX or KML files for this walk. We've added What3Words location references for those who use that system. If you print these walks you might want to use the green PrintFriendly icon at the bottom of these directions to delete elements such as photographs.

Chenies footpath 24 heading W off Latimer Road

1: With your back to The Red Lion pub turn left then head SE along Latimer Road looking out for a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/composers.mile.lawn). This is Chenies footpath 24, which you follow as it heads W for 580m crossing a lane and continuing until you reach Amersham Road (location - https://w3w.co/snaps.pitch.pound).

Rows of wildflowers alongside Chenies footpath 24

 

2: Turn right on Chenies footpath 34 then head NNW for 230m to a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/owners.cycles.preoccupied). Continue heading NNW, now on Chenies footpath 34, for 60m to another footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/zips.turns.purely).

Chenies footpath 48

3: Turn left on Chenies footpath 48 then head NW for 130m to a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/guitar.union.earth).

4: Turn left on Chenies bridleway 35, then head W for 810m until you reach Stoney Lane (location - https://w3w.co/saves.spits.urban).

5: Turn right just before Stoney Lane on a permissive path (which avoids walking on the lane) then head NW on the path for 90m until you cross Stoney Lane to reach a bridleway on the opposite side (location - https://w3w.co/farms.deep.canny).

Keep left on Chenies bridleway 35 and walk uphill through the woods

Take this bridleway, Chenies bridleway 35, then head W for 400m to a junction in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/rams.ruler.usage).

6: Turn right on Chenies footpath 44, then head NW for 170m to a junction in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/frogs.float.fade).

The footpath leaving the woodland down towards Latimer Road

7: Turn right on Chenies footpath 45, then head NNE for 40m until you reach Latimer Road (location - https://w3w.co/gender.thin.wool).

Chenies footpath 49 

Cross Latimer Road then take Chenies footpath 49 and head NE for 170m until you cross the River Chess (location - https://w3w.co/raves.intro.logic).

The two options at point 8

8: Once across the River Chess you have two options. Our route heads ENE up the lane, which is also Latimer footpath 27, for 260m before reaching a footpath on the right.

Latimer footpath 30 heading ESE with views over the Chess Valley

Take this path, Latimer footpath 30, then head ESE for 190m until you reach Stoney Lane (location - https://w3w.co/bars.radar.voice). This route gives excellent views over the Chess Valley and is worth the climb.

The River Chess at point 8

* The alternative route at point 8 is alongside the River Chess. This route can be soggy after rain. Take the first path on the right after the river Chess, Latimer footpath 25 (location - https://w3w.co/actor.toned.code), then head E then NE for 420m until you reach Stoney Lane.

9: Take the footpath on the opposite side of Stoney Lane. This is Chenies footpath 55 which is also The Chess Valley Walk and The Chiltern Heritage Trail along this stretch. Continue heading E for 510m until the path merges with Chenies bridleway 56 (location - https://w3w.co/post.almost.types).

10: Continue heading E, now on Chenies bridleway 56, for 680m until you reach Chenies Hill (location - https://w3w.co/movie.ports.spits).

11: Turn left on Chenies Hill, then head NE for 110m looking out for a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/wake.crew.manual). Take this path, Chenies footpath 60, then head ENE for 500m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/glue.worry.hero). At this point you leave Buckinghamshire and enter Hertfordshire.

Frogmore Meadows nature reserve

12: Continue heading E through woodland, now on Sarratt footpath 37, and continue heading E for 600m until you reach Holloway Lane (location - https://w3w.co/paint.neck.ledge). The path passes the Frogmore Meadows nature reserve.

13: Cross Holloway Lane and continue heading E on Sarratt footpath 37 for 440m until you reach Moor Lane (location - https://w3w.co/locate.garden.affair).

14: Turn right on Moor Lane then head SE for 230m until you reach Dawes Lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/nest.heave.panic). Turn left on Dawes Lane then heads NE for 65m looking for a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/thing.panels.stuff).

15: Turn right on Sarratt footpath 39 then follow it SE for 760m until you reach a gate leading into the churchyard of The Church of the Holy Cross (location - https://w3w.co/limp.spider.singer). Once in the churchyard follow Sarratt footpath 53 SE for 75m until you reach Moor Lane (location - https://w3w.co/earth.actor.flying).

* At this point you could turn left to visit The Cock Inn (location - https://w3w.co/fault.played.tasty).

Sarratt footpath 40 heading down to the Chess Valley

16: When you reach Moor Lane turn right then take Sarratt footpath 40 (location - https://w3w.co/builds.riches.latter) then head SW and downhill for 410m until you reach a gate leading to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/lanes.veal.zealous).

17: Turn right then head NW for 370m along Sarratt footpath 41, which at this point is also the Chess Valley Walk, until you reach a junction in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/rider.pump.feels). At this point you enter Buckinghamshire.

Chenies footpath 15 crossing the River Chess

18: Turn left on Chenies footpath 15, which at this point is also The Chiltern Way, then head WSW for 200m crossing the River Chess (location - https://w3w.co/given.dash.nodded) before reaching another junction in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/chat.undulation.castle).

19: Continue heading WSW, now on Chenies footpath 15 for 1.2km until you reach Latimer Road (location - https://w3w.co/cuts.dock.cowboy). Turn right on Latimer Road and return to the starting point.

* The Red Lion, Chenies is 180m further along Latimer Road (location - https://w3w.co/lanes.tame.blitz), and The Bedford Arms another 260m further on (location - https://w3w.co/successes.seated.report).

This walk was recommended by our occasional walking companions Sophie and Mike. Sophie took the picture of the autumn leaves in West Wood, Latimer, at the top of these directions.

Interactive map

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