home exchange in Chesham

Will you have access to a car?

There's a lot to see within 60km (eg Waddesdob Manor, Cliveden, lots of old churches etc) but most are not easy to get to by public transport.

if you do have a car, the oldest wooden Church in England at Greensted near Ongar in Essex is an hour's drive although a bit outside your range.

http://www.greenstedchurch.org.uk/

It's very small, but very evocative

You're in easy reach of lots of nice small towns from Chesham. We've walked through quite a few of them, and I think most have what you are looking for tho I can't think of any I would recommend above the others. I would also check out Harrow-on-the-Hill, which is a very scenic little neighbourhood up on a hill with a very fancy boys' school- easy to get to on the Metropolitan line. For a somewhat hidden gem there's Bekonscot Model Village in nearby Beaconsfield- the first model village in the UK. If you like walking, you're within very easy reach of both the Ridgeway (which takes you through the Chilterns) and the Thames Path which go through some scenic villages. One I quite like is Marlow, along the Thames, and also recommend Henley.

Thanks! Those weren’t on my radar yet, so I’ve added them to the list.
Yes, we do have a car.
the oldest wooden Church in England at Greensted look lovely indeed.
Harrow-on-the-Hill, Henley ,.... also added. Bekonscot Model Village we will consider :-)

thank you!

I lived at the bottom of Harrow on the Hill for 25 years so if you want any advice on that visit just ask.
The church on the hill is really old with great views across the south east. The graveyard has has some interesting graves.

https://www.stmarysharrow.org.uk/

The Harrow school buildings surrounding the church are also very attractive.

You might also be interested in visiting here
https://headstonemanor.org/

The wider Harrow area is a very typical 1920/30s suburb, part of the area known as Metroland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-land

John Betjeman made a film about it in 1973 which is a lovely snap shot of a time, and my street appears very briefly in it.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5i3sp7

It’s easy to get to Harrow from Chesham on the tube and then it would be a short bus trip from the station to both.

thank you Emma, I will look into it :-)

Chesham is a 10-15 minute drive from Great Missenden which has a picturesque high street (and an old church?.). Marlow, about 30 minutes away, is well worth a visit.

As I recall, there are several pretty villages north of Tring.

You may find some interesting places to go here

https://boutique-retreats.co.uk/guides/2181/the-prettiest-places-to-visit-in-buckinghamshire.html

Apologies for multiple posts but you may find this link useful

https://www.buckschurches.uk/churches/places.php

Arguably, the best place in England for lots of old churches in a specific area is East Anglia in general and Norwich in particular (doubtless other contributors will have other views). Norwich is about 2.5 hours by car from Chesham and, as I recall, parking there was a nightmare so it’s not really practical as a day trip. But, if you were going to do any overnight stays, it might be worth considering. If you do go there try to fit in a visit to Lavenham on the way there or back.

thank you (been twice for a fortnight to Norfolk (2023 and earlier this year in March - still have to browse my own pictures for March :-( )
the boutique site i didn't know yet. Thank you
nor Buckchurches
a triple thank you!!
Michel

I am not a religious person but I do donate to this charity which does some amazing work.
It’s an easy site to search to see if any of their churches are near you.

https://friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/

Its work was discussed on the Rest of History podcast, and it’s a good fun listen.

https://therestishistory.supportingcast.fm/listen/the-rest-is-history/96-the-uk-s-best-churches

thank you again Emma, I had seen the Friends of .... on Facebook. But had not seen their website yet. The "Find Churches" will do fine! (I am not religous neither - just love the architecture)

Michel,

I imagine there is a similar site for churches in Hertfordshire - Chesham is close to the county boundary.

BTW - If you want to get the train into London and where you are staying is not within walking distance of Chesham Station, you may do better to drive to the station one stop down the line at Chalfont and Latimer. As I recall, Chesham station does not have a large car park, unlike C&L which does, and outside rush hours C&L gets 6 direct trains an hour from London (4 Metropolitan Line tube trains and 2 main line trains from Marylebone), whereas Chesham only gets 2 Met line trains. All the trains stop at Harrow-on-the-Hill.