Discover Denham: countryside, trails and film history

Denham brings together trails through Denham Country Park with village history, countryside and architecture. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Denham, these different themes can shape your trip planning: a walk along the canal, a hike between the park and village, or a look at the area’s architectural and film history. The options described here offer practical starting points for your plans.

Trails and activities in Denham Country Park

There are several ways to experience the countryside in Denham Country Park. The Adventure Zone is suitable for children up to and including 12 years old. The park is also connected to local footpaths, bridleways and the South Bucks Long Distance Route. For a walk of a clearly defined length, the accessible landscape trail is an option: it is 1.3 miles (2 km) long and passes through a wet meadow and woodland, as well as by two rivers and the Grand Union Canal. Describing it as accessible is a point of guidance in its own right and should not be taken to mean that the trail is fully wheelchair accessible.

Cycling is also possible in the park: visitors can cycle through Denham Country Park and join the Colne Valley Trail by the Grand Union Canal. Those interested in a shorter stay by the water can find a gently sloping access point to the Misbourne Chalk Stream outside the café, suitable for paddling. Another specific point of interest in the park is the Brass-Rubbing Trail, with ten stations. These activities offer different options, from a longer route to individual stations and access to the stream.

Countryside and architectural history

The parish of Denham is part of the Colne Valley Regional Park. Its landscape includes farmland, woodland, lakes and rivers. In the village itself, Village Road forms part of a conservation area; the village centre has changed remarkably little since the last century. The Falcon Inn dates from the 16th century and adds to the area’s historical character.

Denham Place brings together several layers of architecture and garden design. The country house was built between 1688 and 1701 for Sir Roger Hill, probably to a design by William Stanton. It is surrounded by a landscaped park dating from the 1760s and 1770s, possibly designed by Lancelot Brown. The site also includes the remains of a formal garden from the late 17th century. This allows visitors to distinguish the house, the later landscaping and the older garden remains as different periods at one location.

You can find further architectural details at Hills House and The Old Bakery. Hills House is an altered late-17th-century red-brick house. It has three storeys, a tiled roof and four alternating stepped gables. The Old Bakery contains a medieval hall with a base-cruck tie beam. The two buildings therefore represent different architectural features that can be appreciated as distinct details while exploring historic Denham.

Denham’s film history

Denham Film Studios were founded by Alexander Korda and operated from 1936 to 1952. Walter Gropius and Maxwell Fry designed the studio building for Korda in 1936. Well-known films shot there include “The Thief of Baghdad”, “Brief Encounter”, “Great Expectations” and “Hamlet”. The dates clearly place the studios within Denham’s history, while the films give this chapter specific titles. Together with the surviving architectural and garden details, the film history reveals another facet of the area, alongside its village and countryside.

Walking routes and orientation

The Denham Circular Walk passes through Denham Country Park and historic Denham Village. The Denham Woodlands Walk runs through ancient woodland and the Misbourne Valley. These two routes have different focuses: one links the park and village, the other the woodland and valley. Three walking options are described in connection with Denham Station: routes through the Country Park, the route through historic Denham Village and the wider Denham Woodlands Route. Denham Golf Club Station is recommended as the starting point for the Denham Woodlands Route.

Other features along the routes include the grave of Sir John Mills CBE, which one walking route passes, and the Roman Well. One route includes a stop to view the mosaic beside the Roman Well. These details can help you choose a themed walk without implying that every route follows the same course.

The Colne Valley Park Visitor Centre in Denham Country Park is the main information point for the wider Regional Park. As it has been noted as temporarily closed, check its visitor status before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Fulmer, Slough, Mursley, High Wycombe, Loudwater, Chilton, Easington, Burnham.

For the wider travel overview: Buckinghamshire.