Chiltern Walks: Denham Village and Country Park
Old Mill, Denham
Start & Finish: Denham Station, Denham, Uxbridge, UB9 5ES
Distance: 4.4 km (2.7 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 20m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): South Bucks Way
Other routes touched (cycle): none
Pubs / Cafes on route: Colne Valley Cafe at the Colne Valley Regional Park Visitors’ Centre, plus 3 pubs in Denham Village
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: River Misbourne, Denham, Denham Station, Denham Country Park, Denham Place
This trip was both part of our River Misbourne Circulars and our walks based around the rail and underground stations of the Chilterns. The River Misbourne runs from its source at Great Missenden, to Denham where it joins the Colne. Although it’s outside of the Chiltern Hills AONB, I’ve included it in my Chiltern Walks collection as it connects two of the Chiltern rivers. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
To start this walk, exit from the south side of Denham station and take The Phygtle to Denham Village. The path ends at the gates of Denham Place where we met a couple of staff about the meaning of Phygtle. We were told that it means pig-tail, which sounds great but he was probably making it up. The only other definition that I found for the name was that it’s an old English word for a small plot of land.
At the end of The Phygtle, turn right and follow Village Road until it meets Old Mill Road at the Misbourne. Take a left off the road and onto the South Bucks Way footpath. Follow this across the golf course, past the Colne Valley Park Visitors Centre, over Denham Court Drive and into Denham Country Park. From the car park take the north-eastern path that curves round to the north between the River Colne and the Grand Union Canal.
Although I’d been a regular visitor to the Country Park, I’d mainly used it as a base to explore the Grand Union. This was the first time that I’d walked through the interior of the park. It’s a lovely, quiet spot in an otherwise busy area. It was also extremely wet when we were there giving us an unexpected adventure of avoiding the puddle/lakes that had taken over much of the path.
Normally this route would curve round to the west on a path running parallel to the railway. A bridge over the Colne was closed at the time so we had to double back and take a diversion along the Grand Union instead (see below for details). The best ways to check the state of the bridge in advance are to either visit the Country Park website or to see if there’s a Footpath Closed sign at the other end of the path near Denham Station when you start the trip.
Diversion
Start & Finish: Denham Station, Denham, Uxbridge, UB9 5ES
Distance: 6.0 km (3.7 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 20m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): South Bucks Way, Grand Union Canal Towpath, Colne Valley Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 6, 61
Pubs / Cafes on route: Colne Valley Cafe at the Colne Valley Regional Park Visitors’ Centre, plus 3 pubs in Denham Village
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
With the River Colne footbridge closed, the best diversion is to leave the Country Park south of the bridge and walk north along the Grand Union Canal. This adds an extra 1.6 km / 1 mile to the overall trip length but no extra elevation. The main advantage of the diversion is that you get to see the old brick rail bridge as it crosses the canal. The main downside is that you also get to see the destruction of the HS2 works as it rips up the area a bit further along. When you reach the first road bridge, leave the canal onto Moorhall Road and head south-west back toward Denham. It’s a busy, unattractive road, especially with the HS2 works, but it’s safe enough with a pavement. Turn left onto Savay Lane then right onto the South Bucks Way and you’re back onto the Phygtle toward Denham Station.
