CLOSE to the M25, Iver is a busy, yet unmistakably rural place, its best features are the timber-framed Swan Inn and St Peter's Church, which stand close together, as though defying so-called progress.

Both the church and the village police station were closed, so I suppose progress has come to Iver.

Soon I was in open country, with the well-signposted local right of way known as the Beeches Way taking me across the M25, traffic noise from which was so loud it drowned out the roar of the Jumbo climbing with pitiful slowness out of Heathrow.

Minutes later I was on the canal towpath, a reminder of slower, quieter days. This is the Slough Arm of the Grand Union, one of the last sections of canal to be completed. The towpath is lined by bushes, tall reeds, nettles and trees, growing wild and free where elsewhere roads and traffic predominate.

Further on, the arm meets the parent Grand Union Canal, work on which started in 1793 after royal approval was granted by King George III. It linked the River Thames to the Oxford canals, providing a short-cut between London and England's once-great manufacturing base, Birmingham. It was the first planned communication between the capital and the north since Roman times.

Canal traffic carried goods such as coal, grain, flour and even manure, and people. Its reign was short-lived, thanks to the railways. Today, the Grand Union is mainly a leisure facility, and it was a-bustle this morning, with boats chugging slowly by, while from others, moored by the towpath, came the mouthwatering smell of fried bacon.

It was torture for someone carrying only a sandwich and a packet of crisps. Taking into account the rural setting, you'd never dream the canals' original purpose was to serve the needs of industry.

Two miles on, the towpath led to Uxbridge Moor. I followed the road, re-crossing the M25, to the path for Iver Heath, an expanse of heathland criss-crossed by tracks and bridleways. King Edward III spent three weeks hunting on the heath in 1347, and in the 18th Century it was the haunt of highwaymen, including Dick Turpin. In the days when transport was by horseback or stagecoach, it is astonishing how many places, it is claimed, were frequented by our most infamous highwayman.

More rights of way and a quiet byroad led to the entrance to Black Park, a vast woodland with wide forest rides and a grand sense of freedom. Grey squirrels bounded across my path - but, sadly, no red - as it passed behind Pinewood Studios, scene of the making of many British films. Built in the 1930s, Pinewood was meant to rival Hollywood in stature. Whether it succeeded must be a matter of opinion. To me, the huge, gaunt buildings, set behind wire fencing and warning notices seemed more reminiscent of a Soviet gulag. I saw no sign of life as I passed by.

Black Park is a joy for visitors, whether walking or just lingering. I headed for the lake, passing many benches carrying memorial messages, including one that reads:

Stay a while

Take in the view

And listen to

Nature all around you

It's worth staying awhile in Black Park. Near the lake there's a cafe, a rare treat. After coffee, I left the park and crossed the busy A412 into Langley Country Park, which was designed by Capability Brown. I followed the Beeches Way between beautiful shrubs and exotic plants, on a myriad of paths so complicated that use of the compass was necessary to locate the car park further on. Without it, I might be there still.

"Head south" is the only advice I can give to anyone navigating their way through this maze of loveliness, else you will surely go around in circles until you end up lost or where you started.

Back in Iver, I tried the church door again to find it open, for minor repairs the minister explained. Two carvings have been stolen from the pulpit, and there has been vandalism. There's a monument in the church depicting a shrouded woman rising from her coffin and bearing the words "O grave, where is thy victory?". If only there could be victory over mindless morons.

Approximate distance: 8 miles

Start and Finish: St Peter's Church, Iver

Route

Iver, Grand Union Canal, Uxbridge, Uxbridge Moor, Iver Heath, Black Park, Langley Country Park, Love Green Iver

Abbreviations

l. = left. r. = right. n. s. e. w. = north, south, east, west. br. = bridge r.o.w. = right of way. PH = public house m. = mile s/post = signpost f/post fingerpost b/way = bridleway ch. = church f/p = footpath

Directions

South towards Fox & Pheasant PH, turn l Beeches Way, cross M25 to canal. Follow towpath to The Junction, Grand Union Canal. Take towpath n. 2 m. to Uxbridge Moor. Turn l. on A4007 for 0.5 m (re-crossing M25) to The White Cottage. Take r.o.w. to Iver Heath. At main rd, turn r to A412 which cross. Take f/p n. to rd, turn l for Langley Corner. Enter Black Park. Follow forest ride to lake & cafe. At A412 (CARE NEEDED) cross into Langley Country Park. Follow Beeches Way s. to car park, and straight on to forest rd, turn l. on Beeches way to Treall Farm and Love Green. Turn l past garage, r up lane for f/p to Iver

Pubs

Iver: Swan Inn and several others

Grand Union Canal: The Turning Point

Uxbridge Moor: The Lord Hill, Cowley Mill Road.

Cafe

In Black Park (near lake)

Reproduced from Limited Edition magazine, exclusive guides to living in Hertfordshire, Middlesex and the London Borough of Barnet (01923 216295).

For a printable map of the walk, please click the image below.