McGresty
as it happens
Parsonage Wood
In the past I have walked a lot in a region and on the way there always passed by an area. I suppose that happens to many of us when we go somewhere often, our mind on the destination pay little attention to the parts we go by on the way. I live in the southeast part of London and head for the northwest corner town of Amersham proceeding a mile or so to get out into the countryside. The quickest way was to take a trail on the edge of a wood, then turn left out of it and go on my hikes.
The Parsonage Wood in Amerham had never been attended to in my hikes and so I decided to take a good look and see what it had to offer (see the maps at the end of this article). Turn left out of Amersham Station and continue until the road goes left, go under the bridge and cross the road (carefully, so you don't get run over) then carry on.
Walk down the road on the right hand side until you see this sign, then go into the wood where the trail broadens out.
It can get quite dark in summer so be careful of the many tree roots coming out of the ground across the trails. There had been some rain the past week and while not a sea of mud it was quite damp.
Turning left here is the route I used to take and did the same a couple of years ago during my search for a special valley.
Trails crisscrossed each each other as I ambled around for a while, then I san a narrow little one leading off one and went down it to see what it revealed. If you decide to have a wander around Parsonage Wood, just meander at your heart's content.
It wound all over the place for a long way until I arrived at another broad trail and saw it leading me out of the wood. As I began to walk down it I saw man sitting on a bench. My first thought was, "What is a bench doing here?"
I asked him what the buildings were in the distance and he replied that it is Amersham Old Town. The sounded good to me and it was a good mile before reaching the High Street.
Once on the High Street I headed down it to see Drew Burnet and we had a catch up chat. He had vacationed in Japan this summer and bought some new cameras because they are a third the price there. He also mentioned a nature reserve worth a visit. It would take a couple of days trip because it is a fair distance from where I am now.
From Google, oretty self explanatory. Follow the yellow line South and continue until you see the Footpath (what they call trails in England) Sign noted at the top of this article.
This is from what is called an Ordinance Survey Map (OSM), made between 1801-1824. It shows two trails (the big dotted lines), reality is a lot different because this OSM is over 200 years old and out of date. Instead of two trails there are about 20 now! Having said that, I had a very nice time wandering around.
The Parsonage Wood in Amerham had never been attended to in my hikes and so I decided to take a good look and see what it had to offer (see the maps at the end of this article). Turn left out of Amersham Station and continue until the road goes left, go under the bridge and cross the road (carefully, so you don't get run over) then carry on.
Walk down the road on the right hand side until you see this sign, then go into the wood where the trail broadens out.
It can get quite dark in summer so be careful of the many tree roots coming out of the ground across the trails. There had been some rain the past week and while not a sea of mud it was quite damp.
Turning left here is the route I used to take and did the same a couple of years ago during my search for a special valley.
Part of the wood as I carried on.
Trails crisscrossed each each other as I ambled around for a while, then I san a narrow little one leading off one and went down it to see what it revealed. If you decide to have a wander around Parsonage Wood, just meander at your heart's content.
It wound all over the place for a long way until I arrived at another broad trail and saw it leading me out of the wood. As I began to walk down it I saw man sitting on a bench. My first thought was, "What is a bench doing here?"
I asked him what the buildings were in the distance and he replied that it is Amersham Old Town. The sounded good to me and it was a good mile before reaching the High Street.
Notice in the center about half way down, on the left, there is a genuine Tudor building.
Once on the High Street I headed down it to see Drew Burnet and we had a catch up chat. He had vacationed in Japan this summer and bought some new cameras because they are a third the price there. He also mentioned a nature reserve worth a visit. It would take a couple of days trip because it is a fair distance from where I am now.
The maps
From Google, oretty self explanatory. Follow the yellow line South and continue until you see the Footpath (what they call trails in England) Sign noted at the top of this article.
This is from what is called an Ordinance Survey Map (OSM), made between 1801-1824. It shows two trails (the big dotted lines), reality is a lot different because this OSM is over 200 years old and out of date. Instead of two trails there are about 20 now! Having said that, I had a very nice time wandering around.
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
Nov 01, 2025
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