Chess Valley Walk
Summer in London. The days are longer and warmer; the nights are fleeting. It was the middle of June and I was on annual leave. I just came back from the weekend away on the Isle of Wight with friends ( a separate post will be made) and I still had a week left. I had nothing else planned really. So I half-hazard decided to go out on a hike. I didn’t want to go too far away, and so I decided to do the Chess Valley Walk, which was mentioned to me by a friend.
Getting There.
The walk starts off basically at the end of the Metropolitan line so it’s easy to go to. So, I took the Metropolitan line and got off at Rickmansworth, a town at the southwestern end of Hertfordshire, less than 20 miles from central London.
Upon arriving at the townI decided to go to the town high street and get some basic supplies to bring with me such as water and some snacks. As this particular expedition was on a whim, I arrived midday already. The sun was high and hot, but I still needed my Black Americano to fuel me! After getting my fill I headed off to start my journey.
The Hike
The walk officially starts at a park not to far from the train station and a Waitrose shop. You will pass through some shaded, meandering narrow path before you get a glimpse of a trickling stream. There are sign posts along the path to keep you from getting lost, however some of them are either old or covered by vegetation. As you continue on you’ll pass through a variety of terrain from people’s backyards, overgrown thicket, to vast open fields.
The entire hike was said to take four hours but it took me six hours mainly because I‘d stop and take time at a single spot to take pictures and of course have some rest. The sun was high and hot that day, so if you’re going in summer you must bring water for hydration. Have good shoes and maybe leave the shorts at home because there will be stinging nettle along the way! I ended my hike at Chesham, where again I caught the Metropolitan line back to central London. My feet were sore, but my heart and memory cards filled!
