Tired of London? Let’s go Zone 9
I love London — but it’s full-on, it can be crazy expensive, and sometimes you just want to get away.
We’re not talking about entering central London, aka Zone 1 on the Tube map. We’re not even talking about Zones 2, 3 or 4.
You want to go as far as your Oyster card will take you:
Welcome to Zone 9.
There are a total of five stations in Transport for London’s Zone 9: Amersham, Brentwood, Chesham, Cuffley and Epsom.
Here’s a high-speed tour of all five:
Amersham, Bucks
After the First World War, London was overcrowded and polluted. Those who could afford to moved away from the capital, where bigger homes were surrounded by open fields and fresh air. They used the Metropolitan Line to commute into London every weekday morning, returning in the evening to their suburban homes in an area marketed as “Metro-land”.
A terminus of the Metropolitan Line, Amersham is arguably the last of the original Metro-land towns, protected from overdevelopment by the fact that it sits within the Chiltern Hills, an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Amersham is split into two distinct parts: Old Amersham and Amersham-on-the-Hill. The market town’s 19th Century landowner refused to allow the railway to pass through its High Street, resulting in its station being built a short distance away in what is now known as Amersham-on-the-Hill. It’s a pretty steep hill to be honest, but worth it so you can check out the brilliant Record Shop.
The High Street continues to thrive in Old Amersham, filled with pubs, shops, hotels and a celebrated Memorial Gardens. Visitors to the High Street describe it as “sweet” and “quaint”, but I’m not sure how well that goes down with residents.
One of Amersham’s highlights is a modernist “dream house” known as High and Over. Built in 1931, this Y-shaped building was designed to bathe in sunlight as it overlooks Misbourne valley. English Heritage describes this Grade II listed building as “of outstanding importance as the first truly convincing essay in the international style in England”.
Amersham in the news:
Chesham and Amersham was historically Conservative, but in 2021 the towns delivered a political shock by voting in Liberal Democrat Sarah Green as their MP, overturning a 16,000 Tory majority. Green had campaigned against Government planning reforms, which threatened further development of rural areas. The HS2 rail line, being built through the constituency, and the impact of Brexit and were also seen as factors in this turnaround.
Find out more about Amersham:
Brentwood, Essex
Brentwood was historically a busy stopping point for stagecoaches travelling between London and East Anglia. Despite the challenges posed by changing spending habits and the soaring cost of living across the UK, Brentwood still maintains a large number of pubs, some dating back to the 15th Century.
Now on the Elizabeth Line, Brentwood is surrounded by open countryside and woodland, including Thorndon and Weald Country Parks, plus numerous golf courses.
It has an active cultural life thanks to Brentwood Theatre and The Hermitage youth service, which runs its own live music venue The Hermit.
An annual highlight is the Brentwood Half Marathon, which seems to get the whole town out in support. The next one takes place on Sunday 24 March.
Brentwood in the news:
Brentwood featured heavily in early series of reality ITV show The Only Way is Essex, whose cast spent many nights in its bars and local club Sugar Hut before setting up their own businesses in the town. This was a mixed blessing for Brentwood — it led to an influx of TOWIE tourists but reinforced a flash Essex stereotype that many residents, and the county council, rejected.
“I think [TOWIE] gives Brentwood and Essex a bad name, as though we all drive nice cars, have our teeth done, plastic surgery and that.”
Dean, florist and Brentwood resident, speaking to EssexLive
Find out more about Brentwood:
www.visitessex.com/explore/destinations/brentwood
Chesham, Bucks
Like nearby Amersham, Chesham sits within the Chiltern Hills. At its heart is the River Chess, a chalk stream that flows through the market town.
A series of mills along the River Chess enabled manufacturing to thrive in 19th Century Chesham, which was known for its four Bs: boots, beer, brushes and Baptists. Those industries drained away and Chesham is now recognised as a commuter town, served both by the Metropolitan Line and the busy A416. While this road was a practical solution for drivers, it sadly separates the town’s High Street from its beautiful park (Lowndes Park).
As well as a mix of independent shops, cafes and chains, Chesham has a twice-weekly market and a busy theatre: The Elgiva. When I visited, queer movie All of Us Strangers was being screened shortly before provocative right-wing 80s comedian Jim Davidson was due to perform. Something for everyone I guess.
The Old Town area of Chesham includes 14th Century buildings alongside the Grade 1 listed Anglican church St Mary’s. An undisputed highlight is the swimming pool at Chesham Moor, a 100-year-old open air pool fed by spring water.
Chesham in the news:
Construction work linked to rail project HS2 has threatened the River Chess, prompting vociferous local opposition. This was one of the issues which helped unseat Conservative MP Peter Fleet in 2021, replacing longstanding Tory rule with Liberal Democrat Sarah Green.
Find out more about Chesham:
www.visitbuckinghamshire.org/article/chesham#
Cuffley, Herts
The only village in Zone 9, Cuffley is in the Welwyn Hatfield district of south-east Hertfordshire. A trip on the Great Northern line will get you there.
Cuffley’s main high street on Station Road has lively cafes, restaurants, shops — and a lot of traffic. Even at 10.30am on a Wednesday, it would have been surprisingly easy to get run over. Take the risk and dive over to Piyaz Bistro for a great lunch or coffee.
Former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy is one of Cuffley’s most notable residents, but that didn’t stop the supermarket chain facing fierce local opposition in 2007 when it proposed opening a Tesco Express in the village. The plan went ahead, and the Tesco is busy — which explains some of the traffic.
The extensive woodland around Cuffley is good news if you’re into camping. Cuffley Camp has been affectionately described as “a rite of passage for every Herts primary school kid for decades”.
Cuffley in the (old) news:
In 1916 during the First World War, a German airship heading for a raid on London was shot down, crashing into Cuffley. Originally thought to have been a Zeppelin, it was later identified as an army Schütte-Lanz airship. Nevertheless Cuffley Football Club continues to be nicknamed “the Zeps” in memory of the incident.
Find out more about Cuffley:
Epsom, Surrey
You’re probably already well aware of the Epsom Derby (a flat horse race at Epsom Downs Racecourse every summer) and Epsom salts — magnesium sulphate believed to relieve stress and muscle soreness, originating from a spring on Epsom Common.
But Epsom also has a thriving town centre with a vibrant mix of cafes, pubs, shops and places to eat. I was really impressed by Epsom Social, a food hall comprising an indoor courtyard surrounded by various food outlets plus a bar, live music space (complete with drum kit), a pool table and pinball machine. I’ve also heard great things about Epsom’s weekly markets on Thursday and Saturday.
Epsom is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt, which limits the town’s expansion but also gives us the nature reserves Epsom Common and Horton Country Park, plus the Epsom Downs conservation area.
Epsom in the news:
An activist from animal rights group Animal Rising ran onto the Epsom Derby racecourse in June 2023, shortly after the race began. Ben Newman was subsequently tackled and apprehended by police and security staff. Four months later he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment (suspended for 18 months) and ordered to pay £10,000 to the Jockey Club.
Find out more about Epsom:
- Thanks to everyone on Reddit who made suggestions on where to visit
