IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Grassingham End, GERRARDS CROSS, SL9 0BP

Two roads leave the A413 at this point climbing up the valley side to the north and east respectively.

Carved stone post by the A413, in parish of Chalfont St Peter (Chiltern District), Gravel Hill; 50m South of junction with Copthall Lane, beside drive to Azania, within an ivy covered bank under ragged hedge, behind footpath, on East side of road. Amersham limestone square, erected by the Wendover & Oak Lane turnpike trust in the 18th century. Inscription reads:- LONDON 21 CHALFONT ST PETER Buckinghamshire HER. HER Number: 1420300000 https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MBC32751&resourceID=1024 Milestone Society National ID: BU_LC21

This footbridge over the River Misbourne is dedicated to the memory of Vic Wotton (1916-2000), a vice-president of the Chiltern Society, who campaigned from the 1970s for the restoration of the River Misbourne from the low flow conditions from which it had suffered in the 20th century. The Misbourne is a classic chalk stream rising in the Chilterns and even without any human activity would be prone to drying up occasionally as ground water levels dropped and rose with rainfall amounts. The problems initially arose when a mill leat upstream was allowed to deteriorate in the 19th century once the mill was converted to steam power, causing a loss of river water through the leat banks. Then, with the growth of the population of places such as Chalfont St Peter in the 20th century and consequent greater demands for water, abstraction from the ground aquifers was made with a series of boreholes, thus generally reducing the groundwater level. Finally a sewage treatment works was built, but the unreliability of the water supply meant that there was an inadequate supply of it to dilute the treated sewage and the works was closed. Large holding tanks were then built to contain the sewage until it could be transported for treatment elsewhere. Eventually this operation was by-passed and the tanks demolished. In so doing it would appear that further damage to the river banks occurred and there was a further loss of water through them. For a comprehensive history of the situation and for the remedial plans please see the Chiltern Society's pamphlet here http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/dloads/SavingTheMisbourneProposal.pdf I am pleased to say that on the day the photograph was taken the River Misbourne was flowing with just the right amount of flow that Vic Wotton would have envisaged.

Looking south west towards the roundabout on the A413.

According to the Highway Code the road sign on the left warns of a "Level crossing with barrier or gate ahead", and given its juxtaposition on the page with the sign with a steam engine on it warning of a "Level crossing without barrier or gate ahead" the implication is that we are coming up to a railway here. You would have to walk an awful long distance along the South Bucks Way from here to find the next railway level crossing! Anyway the sign is on the minor road between the River Misbourne on the right and Chalfont St Peter Football Club's ground on the left.