Chiltern Hills

The Chilterns are a range of chalk hills, mainly in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, rising to heights of up to 850ft/260km. Unlike similar hills elsewhere in England, they are well wooded, with some of the finest stands of beeches in the country, and offer excellent walking. The abundant supplies of good timber led to the establishment of the furniture making industry in this area.

Although they are no great height, the Chilterns were in earlier centuries a considerable barrier to communications between London and the northwest. A road ran along the northern fringes of the hills, but on the south side much of the traffic was carried by the Thames. The main traffic routes followed (and still follow) the valleys. One of the earliest roads from London led by way of Watford into the hills and then continued by Berkhamsted and Tring to Aylesbury, situated at the lowest point in the hills.

A second road ran from Amersham into the pretty Misbourne valley, by way of Little and Great Missenden, still charming villages.

The third cut across the hills and followed the Wye valley from Bradenham by way of Princes Risbourough to Bledlow and Whiteleaf. At Bledlow and Whiteleaf are crosses of unknown origin carved in the chalk crags.

A seventh century manuscript bewails the solitude and desolation of the Chiltern Hills. The ease of modern travel has brought considerable change since then, fueled by the continuing expansion of London and the desire of wealthy Londoners for a house in the country: but there are still parts of the Chilterns which show little change, and many charming little towns and villages.