Chequers - Country Seat of our Chosen Leaders

In an age when politicians and world leaders live with the constant threat of terrorist attacks, it is perhaps a little surprising that you can take a country walk through the grounds of Chequers - the Prime Minister's official country seat near Princes Risborough. The Ridgeway cuts across its picturesque parkland, almost like a symbol of our democratic heritage, passing within sight of Chequers and offering superb views of the house and its glorious Chiltern setting.

But don't be fooled. When the Prime Minister chooses Chequers to host a summit or entertain the Russian President, you can be sure that the security forces will have it sealed like a drum. Surveillance is usually discreet and understated - there might not be armed guards and security barriers as far as the eye can see, but you know you are being watched.

Take a walk in the surrounding countryside and chances are you'll strike up a conversation with people who claim to have seen police combing the woods in search of terrorists or cranks. One couple I met locally told me they had seen two identical convoys of ministerial cars and Special Branch 4x4 vehicles leaving Chequers one winter's day - one presumably carrying the Prime Minister and his staff, the other a possible decoy. Fact or fiction, it all adds to the romance and mystery of Chequers and provides plenty of fodder for writers of political thrillers.

Built in 1565, the house was given to the nation in 1921 by Viscount Lee of Fareham. He wrote: '...the better the health of our rulers the more sanely they will rule, and the inducement to spend two days a week in the high and pure air of the Chiltern hills and woods will, it is hoped, benefit the nation as well as its chosen leaders'. Lady Mary Grey, sister of the ill-fated Lady Jane, was initially confined here in disgrace by Elizabeth I after marrying Thomas Keys without her consent. Civil War battles were fought in this part of the country and the house contains one of the finest collection of relics from that period, though sadly they are not seen by the public.

Not all Prime Ministers have been impressed by Chequers. Bonar Law disliked the country. Clement Attlee, on the other hand, loved it from the start and even bought a house in the area when he retired. Ramsay McDonald described it as 'this house of comforting and regenerating rest', but it was Churchill, typically, who summed it up best with these words. 'What distinguished guests it has sheltered, what momentous meetings it has witnessed, what fateful decisions have been taken under this roof'.

What to look for

If you take the spur to Great Kimble for lunch or a relaxing pint, pause to study the superb sign for St Nicholas Church, which depicts the patron saint of children. In this church, in 1637, John Hampden announced that he would not pay Ship Money and so took the country a step nearer to the Civil War. The tax had been imposed on ports before the Spanish Armada invasion threat but Charles I's intention to introduce the tax nationally led to an uprising.

Where to eat and drink

The Russell Arms at Butler's Cross is a traditional country inn offering a bar and restaurant. The Bernard Arms offers a good quality menu and relaxing surroundings where you can study photographs of several Prime Ministers. John Major and President Yeltsin are pictured with their wives outside the pub in the 1990s. Harold Wilson also called in for a pint on his last Sunday in office in 1976 and was photographed with his wife in the bar.

While you're there

Have a look at Ellesborough church. It may be locked but outside, above the porch, are figures indicating it is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. Look for St Peter's and St Paul's Cottages on the eastern side of the churchyard. There's been a church here for centuries but the present building is Victorian. Past Prime Ministers have worshipped here and even read the lesson.