Chorleywood House Estate - winner of Green Flag 2009
An excellent location for self guided walks, visiting formal gardens, strolling through wild flower meadows, taking a picnic and much more.
Chorleywood House Estate offers three contrasting circular walks:
PARK WALK (1km/0.6miles)
Take a step back in time with a gentle stroll around the formal parkland surrounding Chorleywood House. The current Victorian house replaced a much older Georgian mansion and is now private apartments. Please respect the tenants’ right to privacy. Discover the extensive formal gardens, lawns and fine specimen trees such as holm oak and laburnum and admire the restored Sunken Garden and Wisteria Circle.
WOOD WALK (1.2km/0.7miles)
Head for the quiet seclusion of the woods, dominated by oak, cherry, beech and ash trees. In spring time the floor is bright with bluebells, wood anemone and wild daffodils and also supports the nationally rare coralroot bittercress. Along the walk the canopy opens up to reveal panoramic views across the Chess Valley.
The route also passes the Dell Nature Reserve, an area of chalk grassland. Look out for cowslips, violets and the bright blue speedwell.
VALLEY WALK (1.5km/0.9miles)
In late spring the pink blossoms of the Chestnut Avenue fall to form an inspiring carpet walkway. Steeper paths lead further down to the picturesque banks of the River Chess, a popular summer picnicking area. This chalk stream is an important habitat supporting many kinds of plants and animals including brown trout, water voles and kingfishers. More adventurous walkers could join the Chess Valley Walk a 10 mile route which heads towards Chesham to the north and Rickmansworth to the south.
To get to the Chorleywood House Estate drive via the A404, approximately ½ mile west from J18 of the M25. Free parking is available. You can also take the tube to the Chorleywood tube station and then take a 1 mile walk across the common. For information on buses from Watford, Rickmansworth, Chesham and Amersham contact the Traveline on 0871 200 2233. You can download the Chorleywood House Estate leaflet or find information on other Three Rivers’ Local Nature Reserves from the Three Rivers main website.