Free Family Discovery Day on Chesham Moor

Living Magazines Chess Valley Discovery

Families and nature enthusiasts are invited to a River Chess Discovery Day, celebrating the new and improved Chess Valley Walk.

  • Come along for a free, fun-filled afternoon on Saturday 27 May 2023, at Chesham Moor, 1-4pm.
  • Discover amazing wildlife through a variety of activities and crafts, learn about our rare chalk streams and experience parts of the new and improved walk for yourself.
  • Download the walk leaflet and find out more about the route at  www.chilternsaonb.org/chessvalleywalk

Families and adults who love nature and rivers are invited to Chesham Moor to celebrate the new and improved Chess Valley Walk. The most popular walk in the Chilterns, this ten-mile route has recently been revamped with new signage, improved footpaths,and ten brand new information boards, telling you all about the local wildlife and the history of the area.

At the celebration, lots of exciting nature-based activities and talks will be on offer:

  • There will be chances to try river dipping, where children can get up close and discover some of the amazing wildlife beneath the surface of the river.
  • Inspire little ones with magical story time talks.
  • Get crafty with lots of interactive activities.
  • Find out all about Chalk Streams and why they are so important .
  • Pick up the new walk leaflet and walk your own self-guided route.
  • Treat yourselves to an ice-cream or coffee or bring a blanket and a picnic and enjoy the beauty of the area for yourself.

The event is hosted by the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project, a partnership which protects and enhances the nine, ecologically important chalk stream habitats of the Chilterns, also improving access and enjoyment.

The Chess Valley Walk follows the River Chess from Rickmansworth to Chesham. Served by the London Underground Metropolitan Line,the walk passes through the beautiful scenery of the Chess Valley and the sparkling River Chess which is one of the nine chalk streams in the Chilterns. Chalk Streams were recently called ‘one of the rarest habitats on Earth’ by David Attenborough, and they are one of our most threatened habitats in the UK. The walk takes in attractive villages, and historical buildings such as the 13th-century Chenies Manor, whose watercress beds were visited by Elizabeth I.

The improvements to the walk were funded by the Chalk Streams and Wetlands Meadow project, a partnership project between the Chilterns Conservation Board and the Chiltern Society, funded by the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The funding enabled visitor and route surveys, which helped pinpoint issues with accessibility, sections of the path that were muddy and boggy, and places where waymarkers weren’t clear enough. As a result, the footpaths between Cannon Mill Meadow and Meades Water Gardens have been restored. A new logo for the Chess Valley Walk has also been created to mark its improved status, and the new information boards draw on knowledge from a range of experts, equipped with QR codes for those who want to find out more. New signage has increased the walk’s accessibility, allowing visitors to follow a clearer route.