쓰리 리버스 최고의 워킹 & 하이킹 경로

Views are stunning at all times of the year

About 1922, the land between the River Colne and the canal was taken over by Rickmansworth Gravel Company. Building in the capital was booming and gravel was in demand. Extraction at the site began and the resulting pit became Stocker's Lake. The original Wembley stadium was built at around this time and many have since speculated on the possibility of a Wembley Connection? Dredging and gravel extraction continued until the 1940s. In 1947 Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Company purchased Stocker's Lake (an area of 93.7 acres) for £5000 as the dredging agreement had expired. This was to protect the aquifer and pumping sources at Stocker's and Springwell. The company became Rickmansworth Water Company in 1985 and later part of Three Valleys Water Company, eventually Affinity Water, the present owners. In the 1970s Stocker’s Lake became a nature reserve and day to day management was assigned by the water company to Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.

The land on which Stocker's Lake now stands was once part of Stocker's Farm which is still there today. Records from 1427 show that the farm already existed and was owned by John Stockere or Stocker. In 1861, Stocker's House was built for the Corporation of London to house the Collector of Coal Dues on the Grand Union Canal. Stocker's House cost £850 to build and the first tenant was Mr. Charles Browton. The dues he collected were, for example, 4 shillings per ton of wine and 12 pence a ton of coal. However with the railways becoming increasingly popular it was decided to sell the house and in 1869 Lord Ebury offered £300

Chenies Manor and church

The path is quite muddy

Frogmore Meadows nature reserve is an 11 acre SSSI next to the River Chess. The marshy, grassland habitat are home to water voles, and plants such as meadow foxtail and Yorkshire fog, with some marsh marigold and marsh bedstraw. Lots of butterflies are also resident here. The Chess Valley long distance walking path comes through the nature reserve and there are watercress beds to the east.

Such a great place

Be aware that most of the side roads (including New Park Road, which is the recommended start point) are residents' parking only, but we found it easy to park on the main Rickmansworth Road on a Sunday. Jack's Mill café was closed on Sunday. Lovely walk anyway!