Page 87 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - Great Britain

DRIVE 7: Through the Chilterns 85

1 Chalfont St Giles 3 Amersham
Bucks; HP8 4JH Bucks; HP6 5AH
With a village green, duck pond, old There’s no stand-out attraction in Old
inns and beamed cottages, this has Amersham (www.amersham.org.uk), the
been hailed as “Britain’s most perfect heart of the town, it’s just very pretty.
village”. Follow a sign just outside See its almshouses, coaching inns,
the village to Milton’s Cottage (open half-timbered cottages and Market
Apr–Oct, closed Mon & Tue; www. Hall, topped off with a clocktower
miltonscottage.org), the 16th-century and holding the original town jail, and
home of poet John Milton. After maybe enjoy a nice lunch. Dominating
fleeing London in 1665, he wrote Broadway (the main street) is the flint
his masterwork, Paradise Lost, here. Church of St Mary, built in the12th
The cottage contains, among other century with 14th- and 15th-century
GREAT treasures, first editions of Areopagitica, additions. The Memorial Gardens and Above Milton’s Cottage, the poet’s
MISSENDEN Chesham Milton’s essay on free speech, and tiny River Misbourne are just nearby. 16th-century home, Chalfont St Giles
Prestwood Eikonoklastes, his riposte to Charles II’s ª Continue up High Street to A413.
Speen Flaunden defence of the Divine Right of Kings. Go right, then left at roundabouts, VISITING CHALFONT ST GILES
Little Chesham
Kingshill Drive towards Seer Green and turn following signs to Great Missenden.
North Bois Chenies Parking
Radnage Dean Little left at the sign for the Quaker Meeting Use main car park on right in Link Road. From A413, head down Pheasant Hill
Missenden
Green
Cottage and at Quaker Meeting House.
Stokenchurch Deanfield Naphill HUGHENDEN Holmer Penn AMERSHAM House. Enter the village of Jordan’s but 4 Great Missenden into Deanway. Free parking at Milton’s
bypass the right turn to the centre
MANOR
Chorleywood
WEST Street marked “Jordan’s village”. On the left is Bucks; HP16 0AL
WYCOMBE Hughenden Coleshill Rickmansworth WHERE TO STAY
a sign for Jordan’s Quaker Meeting Another appealing small town, at the
Piddington CHILTERN OPEN House (open Apr–Oct, closed Mon; www. head of the Misbourne Valley, its main
Ibstone Penn CHALFONT ST GILES
High Wycombe CHALFONT AIR MUSEUM
Bolter ST GILES jordansquakercentre.org), one of street is lined with lovely half-timbered The White Hart Inn inexpensive
North End End Dilham Colne England’s first and dating back to 1688. and Georgian buildings. For 36 years, This inn has 11 comfortable rooms with
Turville Seer Jordans en-suite bathrooms in a purpose-built
Lane End Green The meeting room, with oak panelling the children’s author Roald Dahl (1916–
Fingest Loudwater Chalfont West block. It has a good restaurant, too.
Frieth Beaconsfield St Peter Hyde and leaded windows, remains intact 90) lived and worked in Gt Missenden
Pishill Skirmett B UCKINGHAMSHIRE despite a fire in 2005. William Penn, and the “flushbunkingly gloriumptious” Three Households, HP8 4LP; 01494 872
441; www.oldenglishinns.co.uk
Little Gerrards the founder of Pennyslvania, who died Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
Stonor Cross
Marlow Wooburn in 1718, is buried in the graveyard. is a major attraction (closed Mon; www. AMERSHAM
Nettlebed Marlow Hedgerley ª Head up High Street and Pheasant roalddahl.com/museum). Here, visitors The Crown Inn moderate
Fawley Hambleden Thames Cookham Hedsor This Elizabethan coaching inn has a
Bix Dean Farnham Hill; go over double roundabout onto learn about Dahl, man and boy, see cool yet traditional style and featured
Medmenham Royal Vache Lane, then right down Gorelands where he wrote and admire artwork, in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Highmoor Remenham Cookham Lane. Follow signs to museum. photographs, correspondence and
Cross 16 High Street, HP7 0DH; 01494 721
Dilham manuscripts in progress. With plenty 541; www.thecrownamersham.com
HENLEY- 2 Chiltern Open Air Museum to fire everyone’s imagination, a truly
ON-THAMES KEY EAT AND DRINK
Newland Park, Gorelands Lane, Chalfont whizzpopping time is guaranteed.
Warren Row Drive route
Harpsden St Giles, Bucks; HP8 4AB ª Follow A4128 towards Prestwood. CHALFONT ST GILES
Knowl Hill In an ambitious initiative, 30 vernacular Continue on this road towards High The Ivy House moderate
Wargrave buildings of past generations, typical Wycombe, then take a right, following Traditional inn offering classic dishes,
of this region, have been rescued signs to Hughenden Manor (last one is such as pie and mash, alongside signa-
and rebuilt here in a natural setting after a blind bend and easy to miss). ture dishes, such as pressed belly of pork.
London Road, HP8 4RS; 01494 872 184;
(open Apr–Oct; 01494 871 117; www. www.ivyhousechalfontstgiles.co.uk
coam.org.uk). Explore a 19th-century
farm with animals; wander through a AMERSHAM
village with a green, cottages, forge Gilbey’s moderate
and chapel; find out what a 16th- This bar and restaurant with a garden
serves modern British food such as
century wood-framed hall house is shoulder of Cornish lamb, and belly
really like inside, and peer into the of Suffolk pork. A three-course set
tiny Henton Mission Room, a “tin menu is served Mon–Thu.
tabernacle” made after the invention 1 Market Square, HP7 0DF; 01494 727
of corrugated, galvanized iron in 1882. 242; www.gilbeygroup.com
And, of course, pet the resident shire GREAT MISSENDEN
horse. Other buildings include a 1940s Nags Head moderate
prefabricated bungalow and cast- A 15th-century pub (with rooms)
iron public convenience from1906. aiming high and sourcing organic
ª Return to A413, turn right at produce. Try the rib of beef with an ale
jus; or veal kidneys flambéed in brandy.
roundabout and drive on to Amersham. Above Fountain in the Memorial Gardens, beside London Road, HP16 0DG; 01494 862
Follow signs for old town. Park on street. the Church of St Mary, Amersham 200; www.nagsheadbucks.com
Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under £25; moderate, £25–£50; expensive, over £50
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