Pete's Walks - Kensworth-The Downs-Whipsnade (part 2)
The path at the top of Bison Hill, close to the car park (out of shot to the right).
I stopped for a break near the car park on Bison Hill, to eat an Alpen bar and drink some coffee. I then took the bridleway from the car park towards Whipsnade, but soon took a path on the left. This followed the boundaries of two fields and took me to a private drive near the Sallowsprings Nature Reserve.
The bridleway from Bison Hill to Whipsnade
The entrance to the Sallowsprings Nature Reserve
I followed the path through the tiny reserve (just two small meadows), briefly rejoining the drive before turning right and following a path next to Whipsnade Tree Cathedral.
The larger of the two small meadows that make up the reserve.
The private drive, beyond the nature reserve
Whipsnade Tree Cathedral is a 9.5 acre garden planted with trees in the shape of a Cathedral, with grassy avenues representing the nave, chancel, transepts, etc. It was created by Edmund Kell Byth as an act of ‘Faith, Hope and Reconciliation’ in remembrance of two of his friends, Arthur Bailey and John Bennett, who were killed in World War I. Work started in 1932 and continued in stages, the first religious service being held in 1953. In 1960 it was donated to the National Trust. Religious services continue to be held occasionally, by several different denominations. There are three houses in Whipsnade named after Blyth and his two friends.
The footpath next to Whipsnade Tree Cathedral (to the right)
A section of Whipsnade Tree Cathedral
The path ended by the entrance to the Tree Cathedral, from where I crossed the large village green and headed to Whipsnade Church. I took the path through the churchyard, which continued through a meadow (where it seemed strange to see large round bales of hay covered in snow) and then switched to the left side of the hedgerow in a larger field. In the second field, I saw a Wren in the hedge, but as always I completely failed in my attempts to photograph it. Across the Studham Road, the path continued alongside a wood on my left, where some Redwings teased me by continuously perching just ahead of me and then flying off just as I focussed my camera on them.
Looking across the green at Whipsnade towards the village church, from near the entrance to the Tree Cathedral
The path from Whipsnade Church towards Holywell - this is at the beginning of the second field, when the path switches to the left of the hedgerow. The path runs parallel to the old lane between Whipsnade and Holywell, used on many of my walks, which is on the far side of the field to my right.
The path to Holywell beyond the road
The path then ran down a short alley between garden fences as I entered Holywell. I followed a residential street for a couple of hundred yards to my left, then turned left onto a footpath again. This soon turned right, to run between Buckwood Lane on my left and some garden fences of more Holywell properties on my right. Just past a path junction I joined the road for a few yards, before turning left into a very snowy Dovehouse Lane.
A residential road through Holywell
The path running alongside Buckwood Lane, with the properties of Holywell to my right.
Dovehouse Lane, heading towards Kensworth
Just as I was about to turn left by Shortgrove Manor Farm, I saw two male Bullfinches. I crossed two fields to reach the Whipsnade Road, from where my home was a short distance to the right. I got home about 12.40pm.
The start of the path from Dovehouse Lane to the Whipsnade road
More rather unusual metal farm gates as the end of the path, either side of the Whipsnade road
The Whipsnade road entering Kensworth
It was enjoyable walking in the crisp snow (it was only about an inch deep!), it made a change and was preferable to walking through mud. It was a shame that it became so foggy - perhaps I'll add another account of this walk to the web site when I do it on a sunny day.