National Geographic Traveller UK - 01 e 02.2022

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Head to the Buckinghamshire town for

waterside walks and Michelin-starred dining

MARLOW

STAY AT HOME

Why go

Life in Marlow has always revolved around

the Thames: boaters navigate 14th-century

Marlow Lock, kayakers push out from

town-centre jetties, and riverside pubs and

restaurants serve Michelin-starred fare.

Set on the southern edge of the Chilterns,

Marlow also offers an ideal springboard

for day trips in and around its green and

pleasant surroundings, whether it’s hiking

across the Chilterns Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty, exploring grand mansions,

biking the Chilterns Cycleway or swimming

in wild reservoirs. chilternsaonb.org

visitbuckinghamshire.org

What to do

Strike out on the six-mile Marlow Circular

Walk, which begins in Higginson Park in the

town centre and leads across locks and past

stately homes and churches before heading

into Rassler Wood and the Chilterns. The

Thames Path also passes through Marlow;

join the path in town and head south

west (upstream) to Henley-on-Thames, or

downstream towards bustling Maidenhead.

Alternatively, follow in the footsteps of

ancient Britons along the scenic, 87-mile-long

Ridgeway National Rail — widely regarded as

the country’s oldest road. The closest stretch

to Marlow is the 15-mile route from Streatley

to Watlington, passing over chalk hills and

through pretty villages. nationaltrail.co.uk

Where to eat

Chef Tom Kerridge’s flagship restaurant,

The Hand & Flowers, is the UK’s only two-

Michelin-star pub. Reinvented British and

European cuisine take centre stage: book

well ahead for pub classics like steak and

chips (sirloin of 30-day, dry-aged Dovecote

beef, no less), or Lyonnaise-style fish poached

in red wine. thehandandflowers.co.uk

Where to stay

The Macdonald Compleat Angler is an

elegant, 400-year-old country house just

a few minutes’ walk from the high street.

The luxurious rooms are classic in style,

with dark-wood furniture and damask

furnishings. Choose a Deluxe room for

views of the river before settling down to

dinner at Indian-inspired Sindhu, helmed by

renowned chef Atul Kochhar. Doubles from

£149. macdonaldhotels.co.uk

Don’t miss

Cliveden House was built in the mid-17th

century and today is a five-star hotel;

however, its grounds are in the care of the

National Trust. The nearly 400 acres include

a Japanese water garden, a maze and an

Italianate garden, but the real highlight here

is the enormous parterre garden. Head to

the riverside, from where you can hire small

boats for an hour or more. clivedenhouse.co.uk

nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden NORA WALLAYA

WE LIKE

An afternoon browsing

Marlow High Street,

home to boutique

fashion outlets, second-

hand clothing stores and

homeware shops. You

can’t miss the bridge, on

whose design Budapest’s

imposing Széchenyi

Chain Bridge was based

All Saints Church

overlooking the River Thames

BOTTOM: Signpost on

Marlow’s High Street

Jan/Feb 2022 47

SMART TRAVELLER