Easy hikes and walks around Taplow

Enjoy a break sitting on the Bench at this spot.

Clivden is a gem. A glorious stately home converted to a hotel and many an event.

I believe this is on the grounds of a National Trust site and therefore is not free to the general public.

We've done several walks on this estate, but this walk took some of the 'paths less trod', and as a result we found many new things that we didn't expect. Great walk and a decent workout!

The Sounding Chamber In 2012, we began the five-year, £6 million restoration project on the South Terrace and below Sounding Chamber, one of the only elements of the 17th century house to have survived two devastating fires. The complex nature of the work meant the Chamber's doors were closed to the public whilst the conservation project was undertaken. Now the extensive work is complete, we're inviting you to step through the gilded gates and discover the secrets of Cliveden's Sounding Chamber. A Conservation Project A bat abode Before the first hi-vis could even be put on, work on the project had to come to a halt. The Sounding Chamber is a cave like structure, which is the ideal habitat for bats. In England all bat species, their breeding sites and resting places are fully protected by law, therefore any work on the Chamber had to be posponed whenever the bats decided to cosy up in the Terrace Ferneries. Gilded Gates and Grilles return In 1895 William Waldorf Astor commissioned Singers of Frome to produce lavish gold gates and grilles to adorn his show-piece South Terrace. Originally made from ironwork and then covered in 23¾ carat gold leaf, the gates and grilles sadly were not kept up to their intended splendour. In the many years following their installation they were simply painted over using gold imitation paint. Specialist blacksmiths discovered years of rust and corrosion had seriously damaged the design of the pieces and extensive repairs were needed. They repaired and reforged missing elements to match the original design and restored them to their original colour by re-applying 23¾ carat gold leaf. The gates and grilles can now be seen for miles around as they sit glimmering right at the heart of the house. Ornamental floor An extensive survey of the floor’s condition showed a large number of the floors stones had suffered cracking, sinking and dampness leading to instability and fragmentation, making costly repairs critical. The Cliveden Conservation Workshop began the process began by investigating the materials and condition of each and every stone – no simple task given its elaborate design. Though comprised of varying types of stone pavers arranged in different decorative patterns, the main material was identified as Devonian limestone – traditionally known as ‘marble’, although this isn’t strictly true in geological terms. The impressive central compass feature within the inner chamber appears to have been cut from a piece of ‘marble’ known as Red Ogwell, surrounded by a ring of black Pooil Vaaish from the Plymouth area. The work needed to conserve these pieces included: taking up and re-setting broken stones, filling losses with fine lime mortar, re-pointing over 40 linear metres of stone, and replacing two square metres of stone in the middle chamber, which have been missing since electricity was installed in the mid 20th century. Now the floor has been repaired and relayed, visitors can once again walk in the steps of the past. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden/features/the-chamber-of-secrets-at-cliveden-is-now-open

Prince Albert in Highland Dress by William Theed the Younger.

Built on a 200ft (61m) chalk cliff with a dene or valley running below, the estate was originally named Clief-dene. We’ve owned the house and gardens since 1942, but have let the house as a hotel since the late 1980’s. There are clear views of Cliveden House and the famous Parterre from the Duke of Sutherland’s statue.

Wood carvings Discover the elephant, bear and tiger wood carvings as well as the famous Cliveden snails ornately crafted by local woodcarver Nick Garnett. These wooden snails, carved using a chainsaw, depict the tiny ‘papillifera papillaris’ snail living in the Borghese Balustrade. The snails were ‘imported’ from Rome in 1896, with the 100ft (30m) marble balustrade that now runs along the top of the Parterre. Common around the Mediterranean, these snails are one of the only sightings of this species in the UK.