Circular Walks in Three Rivers – The Croxley Green Loops

Distance, ratings, timing:	Brown – Easy loop 1.75km (1 mile) 25 minutes Red – Easy to moderate loop 3km (1.75 miles) 50 minutes Blue – Moderate loop 2km (1.25 miles) 40 minutes

Route description

Scotsbridge Mill

The mill’s history spans three centuries from a fulling mill (where cloth is cleaned, shrunk and pressed) to a restaurant. It has been a mill since at least 1692. Pollution is not just a modern problem – in 1885 the mill, then operating as a paper mill) was forced to close after the River Chess was polluted by chemicals.

Pollard Willows

Along the sports field edge you can see pollarded willows. Pollarding creates many shoots providing timber poles that can be used for basket making, hedging, pea sticks etc. The trees are cut high to reduce damage from livestock.

Watercress Beds

Cress requires mild climates and lasrge quantities of pure water and chalk streams with a controlled flow though gravel beds. The River Chess, running through the gentle hilly countryside of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire provides just these conditions. By the year 1820 Herts watercress was on sale in London markets and a local man, Charles H Sansom of Croxley Hall Farm, became a leading national authority on watercress.

Starting point and getting there

You can join the walks anywhere. The nearest train stations are Croxley and Rickmansworth. The area is served by a number of buses. If you need to come by car there are car parks in Scotsbridge playing fields, top of Baldwins Lane and off Barton Way at the rear of the library.

Rights of Way symbols you might see

	Yellow arrows indicate footpaths for pedestrian use only
	Blue arrows indicate bridleways for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrian use only
	Red arrows indicate Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles
	Black arrows indicate Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPP) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles

More about Rights of Way

Maps

This map is based on Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Hertfordshire County Council 100019606 2004.

The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this web-site is provided by Hertfordshire County Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfill its public function to provide information relating to its activities, services and plans. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to license Ordnance survey mapping for their own use.

See the Ordnance Survey site for more information.

This is is one of a series of walks through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) supported by the Chilterns Conference.

Please be considerate in the countryside - keep to footpaths, especially through crops, and leave farm gates as you find them.