Old Amersham: a great getaway from London

Last Updated on 07/03/2023 by Clotilde Passalacqua

If you are looking for a short day trip from London, Old Amersham is the perfect destination for a great day out to feel like you’re in the finest English country side, while you are only 30 mins from central London.

It is a small village in Buckinghamshire. An old market town just outside London but still included in the London underground network being in zone 9. (I don’t think I ever took the Tube to zone 9)

Old Amersham will make you feel catapulted into an old English postcard village. There are many super picturesque corners and you will come home with tons of photos no-one will believe are taken just at the end of the tube line.

So let’s clarify that I am not suggesting to those who come for a weekend in London for the first time to include Amersham in their itinerary. But, if you live in London or you are here for a longer London break it is definitely a stop to consider.

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OLD AMERSHAM: A CHEAP DAY OUT FROM LONDON

How to get there

Amersham can be reached from London very easily:

• you can take the Metropolitan line to the terminus (Amersham in fact) or
  
  
• get on one of the regional Chiltern trains from Marylebone to Amersham. In about half an hour you will be at your destination. Trains to Amersham from London run quite frequently, usually at least 2 every hour
  
  

Amersham tube station and Amersham train station share the same platform, so be careful if you have a preference. The ticket price is the same either if you buy a ticket at the station or use your oyster/contactless card.

When you leave Amersham station don’t get confused: you have to follow the signs for Old Amersham or you will probably end up in the new part of Amersham. Nothing wrong with that, it is a nice commercial high street, but you certainly don’t come here to see a smaller nicer version of Finchley road.

An outline of how to get to Old Amersham from the station:

• leaving Amersham station turn to the left going downhill. As soon as you pass under the bridge then turn right onto a small footpath between some houses and the railway.
  
  
• You will come out in a very pleasant tree-lined area, the start of a small wood. Obviously the terrain becomes rougher, but even with a stroller you can still proceed safely.
  
  
• Following the path to the left among the trees you will walk parallel to the road going downhill, until after about 10/15 minutes you will come out on the side of a wheat field that in summer is the perfect background for all Instagram fanatics.
  
  
• Continuing along the field you arrive at a T-junction
  
  
• Turn to the left and follow the small river on the right that runs along the St. Mary’s Church, but which is actually the river Misbourne.
  
  
• At this point you will arrive back on the road, and on the left you start to see Old Amersham.
  

THINGS TO DO IN OLD AMERSHAM

After the walk which, on a beautiful sunny day, is very pleasant in itself and entertains children with discoveries in nature, you can immerse yourself in a completely different reality from the one you are used to in London.

St. Mary’s Church

Upon arriving you will have been captivated by the beauty of medieval St. Mary’s Church. The Church from 1200 (but altered during the 1890 renovation) stands out solemnly near the Misbourne river, and is surrounded by monumental tombs which nevertheless make the space inviting for a relaxing break.

Old Amersham market

Following our directions, arriving on the high street, you will immediately find on the right the historic Old Amersham market hall. After changing use designation many times over the years it is still in use nowadays and you will find relatively few but pretty stalls selling antiquities.

Old Amersham museum

Shortly afterwards you come across the Amersham museum, re-opened in 2017 in the original 15th century house. The museum hosts a very interesting exhibition to get an idea of ​​how Amersham has developed over time.

Old Amersham shops

Continuing on the high street you can see the decidedly well-off level of the shops. Mostly fashion stores and not just chains, but independent shops where, if your partner will entertain the children, you can enter for a little niche shopping.

Old Amersham Servicemen garden

Also on the high street when you are ready for a break, just enter the garden dedicated to Amersham’s Servicemen. Flowerbeds full of flowers and benches to relax are arranged all around and children here have plenty of room to run around safely.

OLD AMERSHAM RESTAURANTS

Old Amersham Pubs

Mark initially attracted me here mentioning the presence of country pubs that I really like. Well there is definitely no shortage of options.

Being summer I definitely wanted a place with outdoor space. The place that captured me was the Elephant and Castle pub. You enter a normal well-kept pub, but at the back there is a large sunny garden where you can eat with your feet on the grass.

This detail is what made me prefer it to, for example, the perhaps more fashionable Kings Arms hotel pub, which only seems to have outside space in the internal courtyard beside the car park. In winter, of course, I wouldn’t miss the afternoon tea at the Kings Arms!


The food was good, but I can’t comment too much, because due to the imminent change of menu, many dishes were not available, We’ll have to go back to try the new menu!


The atmosphere is enchanting, a real country pub, with simple wooden benches and tables, but really inviting for an outdoor lunch during good weather.

Other options

If you prefer something lighter, the nearby Green Grocer cafe seemed to have very inviting salads and sandwiches.

Next time, instead, I may be tempted by one of the really posh restaurants in the space of a few metres: The Artichoke, now with a Michelin Star, where you can try modern European cuisine, or the Hawkyns where you can taste Indian cuisine from an ex Michelin star chef.

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OLD AMERSHAM HOTELS

If Amersham is on your itinerary during a road trip (and it definitely should be) stop for the night, it will really give you the chance to savor the English life you could never see in London.

While walking on the high street you will certainly have admired the facade of the half-timbered King’s Arms hotel beautiful Tudor building used as a location for 4 Weddings and a Funeral. If you want to stay in a four-poster bed this place is definitely for you, you can check here the price.



However if you want to see where the interior scenes of the same film were shot you need to walk a few metres down the road to the Crown hotel.

WALKING AROUND THE CHILTERN HILLS

If your children are used to walking, another very beautiful thing to do in the summer is one of the many walks between the countryside and the woods.

There are many of various difficulties and all of them usually offer stops along the way where you can eat and drink something.
Next time I will definitely try the route n. 2 suggested in this leaflet.

Visiting this old town in England is one of the many things to do in Buckinghamshire and one of the best day trip from London. If you had any doubts I hope I helped you to settle them