The Prettiest Villages in the Chilterns
Ask most people to name England’s prettiest village and chances are they’ll mention Castle Combe, Bibury or one of the picture-perfect villages of the Cotswolds. And it’s easy to see the appeal: honey-coloured stone cottages, babbling streams and flower-filled gardens that seem almost too perfect to be real.
But look beyond the Cotswolds and there’s another corner of England that can rival them for beauty, without the crowds. The Chilterns are dotted with charming villages of brick and flint cottages, winding country lanes, ancient churches and traditional pubs, all set against a backdrop of rolling green hills and beech woodland.
There are so many beautiful and relatively unspoiled villages to discover here that narrowing the list down to just 12 was no easy task. But after exploring the Chilterns from end to end, these are my picks for the prettiest villages in the Chilterns, in no particular order.
The Lee
For me this is the quintessential English village with rows of higgledy-piggledy red brick cottages, their gardens overflowing with traditional cottage garden flowers, surrounding a rectangular green. The scene is completed by a stone war memorial in one corner and the village pub, The Cock and Rabbit. The first thing you’ll notice here is how quiet and peaceful it is, as the village is only accessible by narrow winding lanes, with no main roads for miles around. Visitors approaching up Kings Lane are often surprised to be greeted around a bend by a large ship’s figurehead. This was originally the figurehead of the Royal Navy warship, HMS Howe, which was launched in 1850. It was later installed here by the Liberty family who owned the surrounding estate and also founded the famous London department store, Liberty’s.
Another interesting feature not to be missed in The Lee is the Old Church. To the north of the green you’ll find the Victorian St. John the Baptist Church but if you walk to the very back of the churchyard there is a tiny medieval church dating from the 13th century. Although not often open to the public, it is one of the best-preserved examples of a medieval parish church in the Chilterns, containing traces of medieval wall paintings and also a unique stained-glass window depicting Oliver Cromwell and John Hampden.
Aldbury
Appearing in the Doomsday Book nearly 1000 years ago, Aldbury remains sheltered at the base of the steep Chiltern escarpment, seemingly protected from the outside world. Ducks splash around in the small village pond, disturbing the reflections of the wonky half-timbered brick cottages. The 17th wooden stocks still stand beside the pond, a reminder of the reality of rural life in the past. Aldbury is almost entirely surrounded by the National Trust’s vast Ashridge Estate, making it an ideal base to explore the rolling hills and woods nearby. Visitors may also recognise the village as it has appeared in several films and TV series including Midsomer Murders and Killing Eve.
Little Missenden
Situated snugly in the Misbourne Valley, Little Missenden features some of the most picturesque cottage in the Chilterns, as well as a fascinating Saxon church and a rare chalk stream. One of the best views of the village is from the hill above towards Mop End, where you can see the church tower and clay-tiled rooves surrounded by rolling fields and woods. The River Misbourne flows through the village centre, but is best enjoyed by walking downstream towards Shardeloes Lake. From these fields, you’ll be able to appreciate just how special chalk streams are. This rare habitat is unique due to the purity of the mineral-rich water which has filtered through layers of chalk and remains an almost constant temperature year-round. The crystal-clear stream is home to a wide range of wildlife including brown trout, dragonflies and mayflies, and plants such as water crowfoot.
St. John the Baptist Church is also a hidden gem. It has Anglo-Saxon origins, but it is remarkable for the extensive medieval wall paintings which are still in the process of being conserved and restored.
Whitchurch on Thames
Standing on Whitchurch Bridge looking across the crystal-clear river towards the sleepy village dominated by the church spire, it’s hard to believe this is the same River Thames that winds its way sluggishly through London. This is also one of the last-remaining privately-owned toll bridges in England, connecting Whitchurch with Pangbourne on the southern bank. Whitchurch hasn’t always been this peaceful, in fact, in the Medieval period it was a busy inland port where goods were transferred from larger vessels to smaller boats which could travel further upriver. There are tranquil riverside walks on the Pangbourne side of the Thames, but on the Whitchurch side most of the riverside land is private and the Thames Path detours uphill, before rejoining the river at Hartslock Nature Reserve.
Turville
If you took away the modern cars and telegraph poles from Turville, it would seem as if time has stood still for 300 years. It’s no wonder that this picturesque village has been chosen as the setting for numerous films and TV shows, most famously as the fictional Dibley in the BBC Sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. Rows of crooked half-timbered cottages squat in the valley bottom, enclosed by the steep surrounding hills and watched over by a windmill high above. The Bull and Butcher pub and St. Mary the Virgin Church are also recognisable filming locations. Turville is situated in a dry valley criss-crossed by footpaths which makes it popular walking country. My favourite route is a circular walk which takes in Turville and the nearby pretty villages of Skirmett and Fingest, as well as offering stunning views over the rolling hills and woods.
Hambleden
Further down the valley from Turville, Hambleden is another village which looks like a film set. There’s evidence of settlement on this site as far back as neolithic times and remains of Roman villas have also been found here. The current village mostly dates from the 17th and 18th centuries although the church dates back to the 12th century. The church contains some fascinating features, including a carved wooden panel thought to be part of Cardinal Wolsey’s bedstead and a munitions chest which belonged to Lord Cardigan.
Lord Cardigan, of Crimean War fame, was born here in Hambleden Manor and is commemorated by a blue plaque on the manor’s gateway. The whole estate was later purchased by W.H. Smith, founder of the newsagent chain.
From Hambleden village, a serene walk down the valley will lead you to the Thames at Mill End, one of the prettiest stretches of the river where narrow walkways lead you across the weir and the lock to the south bank.
Tylers Green
If you stand by the large village pond in Tylers Green, you are surrounded not by one, but by two villages. The pond marks the boundary between Penn and Tylers Green but nowadays the villages have merged into one and both are often referred to as Penn. While Penn consists of a fascinating 11th century church and lots of large and grand country houses, Tylers Green was historically where the poorer inhabitants lived. Many of the cottages on the front and back commons now command prices over £1 million, but originally they were built illegally on the common land by poor labourers and known as ‘mud houses’ due to the primitive construction methods. However, the result is a wide range of picturesque and unique cottages crafted from locally-available materials such as brick, flint and clay tiles. In fact, the name Tylers Green is derived from the local clay tile industry, which in medieval times produced decorative floor tiles for buildings all over southern England, some of which still survive in places such as Windsor Castle. A walk around the commons is always a delight, discovering winding paths and narrow tracks leading to hidden cottages.
Fingest
Just up the valley from Turville but far less well-known, Fingest is an unspoilt hidden gem. To really appreciate how well-preserved it is, walk up the hill to the south and you can look down at the cluster of red-tiled rooves in the valley below, with the church tower peeping over the trees. This is one of the most unusual church towers I’ve ever seen, and in fact, it is one of only two in Britain with a twin saddleback roof. The tower and the narrow nave date back to the 12th century and it feels ancient and atmospheric inside. Local legends tell of the ghost of Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln in the 14th Century, haunting the village. Apparently he enclosed common land to create a deer park so his ghost haunts the estate in penance for taking the land from the commoners.
South Stoke
A much quieter and more peaceful cousin of Goring, just up the River Thames lies South Stoke. Separated from the river by lush meadows, the village consists of a cluster of red brick and timber cottages surrounding the flint-clad church of St. Andrew. There has been a settlement here since at least Anglo-Saxon times and on the footpath towards Little Stoke you can see the remains of medieval fishponds. For railway enthusiasts, just north of the village is Moulsford Railway Bridge, built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1839-40 to carry the Great Western Railway across the Thames. The Ridgeway National Trail also passes through the village so it is a great place to explore if you’re a walker passing by, and there is even a seasonal foot ferry across the river to Moulsford.
10. Ewelme
In the far south of the Chilterns, the hills are less dramatic, descending gently towards the Thames. In these undulating foothills is found the charming village of Ewelme. The famed almshouses and school date back to the 15th century, and the school is the oldest state primary school building in continuous use. Both were built by the 1st Duke of Suffolk (1396-1450), who married Alice Chaucer, a granddaughter of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Alice's alabaster tomb inside St. Mary's Church is considered a particularly fine example of medieval craftsmanship. The author Jerome K. Jerome is also buried in the churchyard, although in a much more humble grave. The large tree-lined pond in the village is the source of Ewelme Brook, a small chalk stream that flows into the Thames near Benson. This stream feeds into some large watercress beds, which was a thriving industry here until 1988. Since closure, the beds are now a nature reserve brimming with wildlife. There was once a grand medieval moated manor house here and Henry VIII and Elizabeth I are both thought to have visited numerous times. Sadly it fell into disrepair and was demolished in the 17th century, making it even more remarkable that the church, school and almshouses have all survived intact.
11. West Wycombe
West Wycombe must be one of the most eccentric villages in England, much of it shaped by its former owner Sir Francis Dashwood (1708-1781). He rebuilt St. Lawrence Church in the Italianate style, finishing it off with an 8ft diameter golden ball on top of the tower, a notable landmark that can be seen for miles around. West Wycombe Park is still the home of his descendants, although now owned by the National Trust and open to the public for a fee. The beautifully landscaped grounds include several follies and temples and a tranquil lake which is another popular filming location. Dug into the hill above the village are Hellfire Caves, excavated by Dashwood to produce chalk for the local roads and employment at a time of agricultural depression, and these are also open to the public for a fee.
However, the main attraction of West Wycombe is the village itself with its well-preserved high street, much of it dating from the medieval period, and now home to independent shops and cafes. There are also stunning views to be had from walking up the hill to the church and the Dashwood family's Mausoleum.
12. Chalfont St. Giles
Down the River Misbourne from Amersham, Chalfont St. Giles features a picture-perfect village green and duck pond fed by the river. However, the village is famous due to one former resident, the 17th century poet John Milton. In 1665, Milton fled London to escape the Great Plague and stayed at a brick and timber cottage which has now become known as Milton’s Cottage. It was here that he wrote Paradise Lost and began working on Paradise Regained. The cottage is now grade 1 listed and open to the public as a museum.
Just outside the village on The Vache Estate stands a monument to Captain James Cook, the 18th century explorer. It was built by Admiral Sir Hugh Pallister who owned the estate and was a great admirer of Captain Cook. The monument itself is inside a small brick and flint crenellated structure, surrounded by a circular moat so it almost looks like a tiny castle. Hardly anyone seems to know about it so it’s a lovely peaceful place to visit.
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