The Chilterns and the Thames Valley do not correspond to the specific
boundaries of one county or region, old or new. Bedfordshire,
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire all have a
share.
Divided into six easily manageable sections, Bradt’s The Chilterns and
Thames Valley lifts the lid on what makes this area so distinctive.
Chalk grasslands, beech woods, streams and wooded valleys provide a
perfect landscape for walking and are easily accessible from London.
About half of the area has been designated as an Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty – the closest such area to London. Rare plants such as
fleawort and numerous orchid varieties, and birds including red kites,
lapwings and skylark flourish. The Thames Valley follows the route of
one of the world’s most famous rivers. You can find key sites of
monarchical and parliamentary power such as Windsor Castle and Chequers,
the location of Magna Carta’s sealing at Runnymede and the birthplaces
of men and women who have led dissent down the ages.
A host of
well-loved authors has lived and written here, depicting Paradise,
defining our childhoods and painting timeless images of England and its
people. Eminent chefs own restaurants with national and sometimes
international reputations.
In short, the Chilterns and the Thames Valley together represent a
wonderfully paradoxical mixture of world-famous tourist sites and
lesser-known attractions full of quirkiness and character, which will
repay the visitor’s interest and attention many times over. From Windsor
Castle to Whipsnade Zoo, Britain’s oldest road – The Ridgeway – to
National Trust properties such as Cliveden and Waddesdon Manor, the
Henley Regatta to the Grand Union Canal, Bradt’s The Chilterns and
Thames Valley is the perfect companion.
Chapter 1 Northern Chilterns
Chapter 2 Central Chilterns: Wendover to Jordans
Chapter 3 Central Chilterns: Stoke Poges to Hambleden
Chapter 4 Along The Thames: Runnymede to Marlow
Chapter 5 South Oxfordshire & East Berkshire
Chapter 6 The Vale of Aylesbury
