Baker's Wood

This beacon at the west end of Leyhill Common was erected to commemorate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee in 2002. The village sign which includes an owl perched on a branch, is suspended from the beacon.

This photo shows the display board at the West end of Leyhill Common and has the following wording on it: Welcome to Ley Hill Common Ley Hill Common, formerly owned by Lord Chesham and registered in 1899, covers some 32.4ha, is now the responsibility of Chiltern District Council. It is one of 200 commons in the Chilterns. Designated a "County Wildlife Site", the common is a wonderful mix of ancient grassland and recent deciduous woodland abundant with bluebells in spring and with varied native wild plants, flowers and fungi throughout the year. "Ley Hulle" meaning a fallow or unploughed hill, was first recorded in the 1337 Calendar Close Rolls. Early settlers extracted chalk and clay for pottery, tile and brick making, and used the land for grazing. Ley Hill grew up around its Common with the oldest recorded building dating from Tudor times (The Swan public house c.1520). The village Post Office and general store was to the right of The Crown, the local blacksmiths to the left of The Swan and, directly across the Common, is the "Old School House" where local children were educated until 1927. In Victorian times, Lord Chesham first gave permission for cricket to be played on the Common and subsequently golf and these are still played to the present day. It is amazing to think that if you had stood on this spot 100 years ago there would have been barely a tree in sight. Without the devotion of the cricket and golf enthusiasts and local volunteers, this area would not be as pretty as it is today. The pictures on the left are from top to bottom: Gatekeeper butterfly, Bluebells, Fly Agaric mushroom and Tormentil perennial plant. In the middle is a picture of the beacon that was erected to commemorate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee in 2002. To the right is a photo of a horse and trap taxi service from The Swan to Boxmoor Station, early 20th century. A bus service to the village started in 1925, so before that it was walk or go by trap. The bottom picture is a view of the pubs and blacksmiths forge c.1910. Incidentally, 32.4ha (or hectares) mentioned in the description above, corresponds to 80 acres.

Situated in Ley Hill, this Primitive Methodist chapel dates from 1887. It is one of several churches in the West Hertfordshire & Borders Methodist Circuit and the only one in Buckinghamshire. Services are held here each Sunday at 11.00am and 6.00pm, with activities taking place during the week. For SatNav purposes, the postcode of this chapel is HP5 3QR.

Located in the centre of Whelpley Hill, this telephone kiosk has a payphone which still seems to be in use, although it no longer accepts cash. It remains to be seen how long it will remain there, as some other similar kiosks have since been removed in recent years from our streets. For SatNav purposes, its postcode is HP5 3RS. Update: this telephone kiosk has since been removed from this location.

Situated at the junction of the B4505 Rushmere Lane and Jasons Hill HP5 3QW, this kiosk is surrounded by shrubbery and is quite likely to be removed in the near future. One can just read the wording "Coins not accepted here" at the top of this kiosk. Update: the telephone kiosk has since been removed from this location at Orchard Leigh.

This photo shows the inside of this telephone kiosk with a BT removal notice, and the payphone equipment having been taken out. It is quite likely that the kiosk itself will be removed in the near future having seen better days in the past. Update: the telephone kiosk has since been removed from this location at Orchard Leigh.

The Green by Ley Hill School

Ley Hill Cricket Club Pavilion on Leyhill Common

Chiltern Heritage Trail heading to the B4505

Chiltern Heritage Trail heading towards Moors Farm

The crossroads in the centre of the village of Flaunden, in west Hertfordshire.

The Bricklayers Arms is an 18th Century pub in Flaunden, west Hertfordshire. The building is Grade II listed. The pub is clad with ivy, which turns red in the autumn. This image was taken in late September. Compare the colour of the ivy with these images, taken earlier the same month TL0101 : A colourful-looking Bricklayers Arms at Flaunden (2), and in Spring of the same year TL0101 : Bricklayer’s Arms.