Market Reading Wood

This board is located by a model of the Metropolitan No.1 steam locomotive at Oakfield Corner. It has the following wording: Welcome to our replica of the Metropolitan No.1 steam locomotive. Top left Photo: Metropolitan Locomotive No.1 (c) Peter Boor Collection This locomotive was a mainstay of the Metropolitan Railway to Aylesbury for twenty years. It needed a crew of two to operate it: the driver, who was in control of the steam, and the fireman who shovelled coal into the firebox to generate the steam. Our model is half the size of the original locomotive. It was called an E class locomotive and was designed by the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Metropolitan Railway, Mr T. F. Clark. Built in 1898, it was the last engine to be built at the Neasden works. Originally numbered 79, it was numbered No.1 as a replacement for the original A class locomotive No.1 that was scrapped after an accident. Earlier locomotives were predominantly olive green. In 1885, the colour was changed to a deep red and this remained the standard colour until the Metropolitan Railway became part of London Transport in 1933. Photo: Offside view of 0-4-4 Metropolitan E-class locomotive No.1 (c) Tfl from the London Transport Museum Collection. A similar colour is still used on the Metropolitan line today and on the iconic Tube map. On 30 June 1904, decorated with flags, bunting and flowers, Met No.1 headed the first passenger train from Baker Street at the ceremonial opening of the new Uxbridge branch of the Metropolitan Railway. The service opened to the public on 4 July. From 1 November 1906 trains were electrically worked from Baker Street to Wembley Park where steam took over. From 19 July 1908 the changeover took place at Harrow-on-the-Hill. Some trains worked right through to Verney Junction. Metropolitan No.1 (renumbered L44 by this time) was given the honour of working the last steam-hauled train on the Metropolitan line on 9 September 1961. The locomotive was saved from being broken up for scrap by the endeavours of Jim Stringer, a 19-year-old London Transport Mechanical Engineering Apprentice who started the Met Tank Appeal Fund in 1962. In 1965, it was bought by the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre in Quainton and is the only survivor of the seven E class engines. Lower left Coal is burned in the firebox to boil water and create steam. The coal is stored in a bunker behind the cab, with water held in two long rectangular tanks situated on both sides of the locomotive. The firebox is at the front end of the cab. There are many tubes linking the firebox to the smokebox which is located at the front of the engine. The tubes pass through the boiler, which is full of water. Hot air and smoke are drawn through the tubes which heats the water to create steam. This steam is piped from the large brass dome in the centre of the boiler to the cylinders that are housed between the front driving wheels. The steam pushes the pistons backwards and forwards in the cylinders. This power turns a crank which drives the wheels. The smoke box has a door on the front that allows ash to be cleaned out to ensure that the hot air keeps flowing. Some of the exhaust steam from the cylinders is blown up the funnel which helps to draw more hot air through the boiler. Our sincere thanks to the brilliant leaders of the 1st Chesham Bois Scout Group for designing and creating this exceptional replica steam train. Top right A total of seven E class locomotives were built between 1896 and 1901 for the Metropolitan Railway. Four were built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with the other three being built by the Metropolitan Railway at their Neasden works. The E class is described as a 0-4-4 steam locomotive - no supporting wheels at the front, four driving wheels, and four smaller supporting wheels at the back. These engines were an improvement to the fleet of A class locomotives on the Metropolitan Railway. The E class locomotives were originally built with condensing apparatus to reduce the smoke and steam that was released into the tunnels. The first E class engine was scrapped in 1935: two more were lost before the rest were renumbered by London Transport. The Metropolitan No.1 became L44. Photo: Metropolitan Railway locomotive No.L44 at Neasden in January 1947 (c) Tfl from the London Transport Museum Collection Lower right We are lucky that Metropolitan No.1 was saved by some forward-thinking pioneers of preservation. Otherwise, this wonderful piece of transport history would have been lost. For several years, Metropolitan No.1 was maintained to the standard required of British Rail mainline running so that it could be used for special 'Steam on the Met' rail tours organised by London Underground. The engine appeared at Amersham in September 2013 as part of London Underground's 150th anniversary celebrations. Photo: Metropolitan No. 1 at Amersham Station on 9 September 2017 (c) Neil Fraser Foot of board from left to right Amersham Town Council, Flint Barn Court, Church Street, Amersham, HP7 0DB. Link 01494 434000

Direction south east, this path provides a direct route between Codmore Wood and the village of Latimer.

A view across a dry valley from the footpath to the east of Hill Farm.

This information board is on the Chess Valley Walk near Latimer Road in Waterside. It has the following wording: Cannon Mill Mentioned in the Domesday Book, Cannon Mill was named after the Canons of Missenden Abbey, its 13th century owners. Originally a corn mill, it was later converted to produce animal feed. It ceased working in 1936 and was demolished c.1960. The brick foundations, weir and mill race can still be seen. Left column The diverted river The river once flowed along the valley bottom through what is now the Moor Recreation Ground. When the mill was built, the river was diverted into an artificial channel known as a leat, to create a head of water to drive the mill wheel. A small channel, which bypassed the mill, can still be seen flowing parallel to the leat. This channel was used to take excess water around the mill. Photo of Alfred Gee (left) and some of his mill workers. Sheep dipping Sheep dipping was an interesting sight at Cannon Mill in the early 20th century. Alfred Gee, who was miller from the 1870s to 1936, would board up a section of the bypass stream to form a trough, into which the sheep dip was poured and the sheep were taken in. Image of Greater willowherb Middle Column Photo: Cannon Mill was disused from the 1930s Brown trout Brown trout live in this part of the Chess and you may be lucky to see them darting between the ripples. Trout need oxygen-rich, fast-flowing water and a clean gravel bed to spawn. In the winter months, you may spot a redd; a small depression in the gravel bed that the female excavates to lay her eggs in. Cannon Mill was one of 13 mills along the Chess, each having its own system of weirs and sluices. These structures prevent fish from moving up or downstream, making populations vulnerable to dying out if there is drought or pollution. To rectify this, in 2008 small pipes were removed which had linked the bypass to the main river, and were replaced with an open channel. This means fish can now move freely around the old mill weir. Riverflies Riverflies thrive in clean, fast-flowing chalk streams like the Chess. They play a vital role in maintaining the habitat, helping to break down organic matter such as leaves and branches, and provide a food source for fish, birds and mammals. Many are sensitive to pollution and so can be monitored to assess the health of rivers. Photo of Mayfly (baetis) There are 51 species of mayfly found in the UK. They are herbivores, feeding on algae that they scrape from gravel and river weed. Photo of Stonefly Stonefly nymphs are poor swimmers preferring to cling to the weed or undersides of rocks in fast-flowing water. Photo of Cased caddifly Cased caddisfly larvae live with a protective case that they construct from materials such as and, gravel and vegetation. From left to right Mayfly (baetis) length Stonefly length Caddisfly length 12mm approx 10mm approx 25mm approx Right column Image of Grey heron Fish facts! Photo of Brown trout • Brown trout can live for up to 20 years, but most die before they are a year old. • Brown trout are predators, eating insects, fish and even small mammals. • Trout have teeth, even on the roofs of their mouths. • Trout can change colour to match their mood! Map of the Chess Valley Walk from Chesham to Rickmansworth Foot of the board from left to right QR Code, chilternstreams.org, Chiltern Chalk Streams Project, Chiltern Society, Chilterns Conservation Board. This board was produced as part of the Chalk Streams and Wetland Meadows Project a partnership between the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project, Chiltern Society and the Chilterns Conservation Board. It was funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, Chesham Town Council and the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project. Design: Amanda Carroll studiobeam.co.uk Green Recovery Challenge Fund: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Environment Agency, Natural England Meadows 12mm approx

This leads to White End farm and was closed some time after 2008. The grass triangle was also replaced by the flat one here.

Situated outside 75 Latimer Road HP5 1QQ, this telephone kiosk has a BT notice above the payphone indicating that it will shortly be removed due to lack of usage. This kiosk certainly seems to have seen better days in the past with graffiti being painted in white by the BT notice. A No Smoking notice can be seen at the base of this kiosk. Update: this telephone kiosk has since been removed.

The date 1896 is on one of the cottages.

This weir and broken brickwork indicate the location of the former Cannon Mill, that is said to have been demolished in the 1960s. The flat body of water above the weir would have been the mill leat, and the water would have driven a mill wheel positioned in the brick recess below. There is a descriptive notice board nearby that describes it as Canon's Mill, but all the old Ordnance Survey mapping from 1878 onwards describes it as Cannon Mill, so the photographer has opted for the latter. Incidentally the pink item above the weir that looks like a suspended animal carcase is in fact a children's play swing...

A few years ago I read a book by Mark Mason "Walking the lines" in which he walked the route of the London Underground lines, overground. I will repeat this visiting all 272 stations (some more than once). My route tries to follow the line of the railway as closely as possible, using footpaths and roads, deviations are made to make the walk more "interesting".

A few years ago I read a book by Mark Mason "Walking the lines" in which he walked the route of the London Underground lines, overground. I will repeat this visiting all 272 stations (some more than once). My route tries to follow the line of the railway as closely as possible, using footpaths and roads, deviations are made to make the walk more "interesting".