Many questions are asked about the Colne Valley Regional Park. This page aims to help you get straight to the answer you need. The Regional Park covers 43 square miles but only 1% of the land is owned and managed by us. The rest is in private, commercial or local authority hands, and we always try to work closely with those owners to the benefit of the Park.
This website has a wealth of information on the Colne Valley Regional park and the answers to most questions can be found here. If you still can’t find the information you need, we hope some of these links will help.
How do I find out more information about a particular location in the Colne Valley Regional Park, including who is responsible for managing it ?
Information can be found on the most popular locations in the Regional Park from the map on the home page of this website.
Simply click on a red balloon and a small window will pop up giving you a summary of information about the location; click again to get to a whole page of information, including details of who owns and manages the site.
There is a red balloon for the 26 most popular locations.
If you are interested in other less popular locations, then Google is your friend. Type in ‘Colne Valley Park’ followed by the location name to find out more.
Denham Country Park the Visitor Centre and Riverside Café
This section is all about Denham. Some visitors think that Denham Country Park is the entire Colne Valley Park, but as you will see, there’s much more to explore. See the next section for more general questions about the Park.
We’re planning to visit Denham Country Park, will the Visitor Centre and Café/toilets be open? What activities are there?
Visitor Centre – click here for everything you need to know.
Activities and Events – click here to find out what activities and events are planned across the regional park, including Denham.
Can we play football on the grass in Denham?
Yes : There are some large areas where you can play football – there is one opposite the hub by the café, or if you cross the bridge by the cafe and go through the woods you will find a few open fields to your left.
Just to clarify: there are no football pitches/formal football, this answer refers to children wanting to kick a football around.
Can I get some maps for short walks in the Colne valley?
Yes, you certainly can. You can find lots of walks here: Walks in the Colne Valley Regional Park
Our short circular walks are very popular and are a great way to start exploring. You can find them further down the walks page, or click here to get there directly: Short Circular Walks in the Colne Valley Regional Park.
Each one has a map that you can download and print out if you wish.
Is there disabled, (wheelchair) walking at your Denham Colne valley site please?
You will need to exercise your own judgement based on your own experience and degree of mobility: think about weather conditions, and how adventurous you are as a wheelchair user.
You can find some information on the Bucks Country Park website – Wheelchairs.
The Denham walk is accessible with a standard wheelchair, but there are kissing gates which larger wheelchairs might not get past and there is a steep slope immediately to the south of Denham Lock which you may need assistance to get up/down
From Spring to Summer there are cattle grazing in one of the meadows that the path passes through, and during these months they will prevent you accessing the full circle, so you would need to divert to the riverside path beside the field.
Please note though that whilst the trail is accessible it has not been built especially for wheelchairs and part of it is on the tow path so the surface is uneven. Nevertheless, we want as many people as possible to enjoy the Park, and many wheelchair users already visit the more accessible areas.
Can I hold my child’s birthday party at your Denham Café?
Yes you can. All the information you need can be found here: Birthday Parties – Celebrate a Special Day with Us.
Please decide what dates you’re interested in, fill in the booking form and send it to Natalie, [email protected]
We will then call you to discuss the details.
Is Denham Country Park dog friendly?
Well-behaved dogs are certainly welcome and the cafe even has a range of special dog treats.
As in all public spaces you need to be mindful of other people, so please keep your dog under control. You might also want to avoid the field where cows are grazing.
In the cafe itself there is an open kitchen, so please keep dogs outside.
I need more information about parking my vehicle in Denham Country Park
The car parks in Denham Country park are managed by Buckinghamshire Country Parks. You can find all the information regarding the car parks they manage on their website here Bucks Country Parks: Parking
If you need more specific information than is provided there, please contact them at Bucks Country Parks: Contact Us or [email protected] or by calling 01753 511060.
General Questions about the Regional Park
Can I get some maps for short walks in the Colne valley?
Yes you certainly can. You can find lots of walks here: Walks in the Colne Valley Regional Park
Our short circular walks are very popular and a good way of starting off exploring, you can find them further down the walks page or click here to get there directly: Short Circular Walks in the Colne Valley Regional Park.
Each one has a map that you can download and print out if you wish.
We want to film on location in the Colne Valley Regional Park. How can we apply for permission?
This will depend on who owns the land where you wish to film.
For example, if the location is Rickmansworth Aquadrome, you should apply to Three Rivers District Council. Here is a link to its contact details.
Information can be found on the most popular locations in the Regional Park from the map on the home page of this website.
Simply click on a red balloon and a small window will pop up giving you a summary of information about the location; click again to get to a whole page of information, including details of who owns and manages the site.
If the location is one of the canals or towpaths in the Colne Valley Regional Park these are all owned by the Canals and Rivers Trust
Can I bring some children on an educational visit to the Colne Valley?
We offer guided educational visits to Iver Environment Centre and for study of the rivers at Denham Country Park. Please contact: Iver Environment Centre for more information on education sessions that we run at Iver and Denham [email protected] 01895 270730.
Educational establishments can also visit Denham Country Park for their own self-led visit, but they need to register this with Bucks Country Parks at [email protected] and copy us in.
You can find more details here: Education in the Colne Valley Park.
We want to hold an outdoor barbecue. Do you hire space?
No. There is widespread concern about the fire risk posed by the use of barbecues in public areas. However, there are plenty of sites across the park that are suitable for conventional picnics.
Can I go swimming in the Colne Valley Park?
There are only two locations where wild swimming is permitted:
Denham water ski club and
Liquid Leisure
Both must be booked and paid for in advance – please get in touch directly with the operators.
Wild swimming is not permitted anywhere else in the Colne Valley Regional Park due to serious safety and health considerations (eg drowning and sickness). See here for more info.
We have become increasingly concerned about the level of raw sewage being discharged into our waterways, and are urging people to stay out of the water for the time being. You can read more about it here: River pollution: a serious problem we must not ignore.
In the meantime, you might wish to consider the outside pool in Uxbridge, part of Hillingdon SLC which is now heated.
What Events and Activities are the Coming Up in the Colne Valley Park?
There are always plenty of events and activities going on.
Click here to see what’s coming up: Activities and Events
I was walking on a footpath recently and noticed a problem. Who should I report it to ?
We would be very grateful if you would report problems such as a damaged stile or overgrown vegetation blocking a public footpath directly to the relevant council, since local authorities have responsibility for public rights of way.
For example, you can report problems in Buckinghamshire to
Buckinghamshire Council here Report a rights of way issue | Buckinghamshire Council (buckscc.gov.uk)
Report Rights of Way problems in Hertfordshire here Problems in Three Rivers, for example in Rickmansworth, should be reported to them
Report Rights of Way problems in Surrey here
Report Rights of Way problems in Hillingdon here
Report Rights of Way problems in Slough here
Report Rights of Way problems in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead here
Can I paddle a kayak on any of the lakes and rivers?
Canoeing and Kayaking are allowed on the canal but not on the rivers in the Colne Valley unless you have specific permission from the landowner.
Alternatively you can get in touch with or join one of the local canoe/kayaking clubs. These are most easily found via Google.
The rivers of the Colne Valley are not navigable. Canoe users can get a one off or yearly license from the Canal and Rivers Trust, which will allow them to explore the canals which offer a fascinating view of the Colne Valley.
I would like to volunteer with you, how do I go about it?
It is excellent to hear that you would like to volunteer with us. A good way to start off would be to look here: Activities and Events – What’s Happening in the Colne Valley
as it shows all our volunteer tasks that are coming up, so you can pick one that is convenient for you to get to.
Please also have a look at our River Rangers as signing up with them would also get you information on their volunteer tasks, you can find that information here
Another option is to become a Cattle Checker, this operates from Spring to Autumn, the cattle are taken inside in the Winter months, but you can always sign up for the following year. More information about that can be found here.
Lastly, if you are passionate about the Colne valley perhaps you would consider joining as a friend and additionally following us on social media. More information can be found here.
Hope you manage to find something to suit amongst the above suggestions.
