Pete's Walks- Coombe Hill and the Hampdens (page 2 of 5)
It then continued up the opposite slope, heading southwest towards Little Hampden. After about half a mile of woods, it emerged opposite the Rising Sun pub, which sadly had a 'For Sale' sign outside and appeared to have been closed (Update 22/10/18: sadly this has now closed). I turned left along the lane here, spotting my first Goldilocks Buttercup of the year and then some Moschatel (also known as Town Hall Clock). I think I may have seen the latter flower here once before, but I've never seen it anywhere else.
The bridleway starting to climb the opposite side of the valley
The bridleway to Little Hampden
The bridleway to Little Hampden
The bridleway approaching Little Hampden
The lane in Little Hampden
After a quarter of a mile or so, I turned right along a track or driveway, which led to Warren Wood. I followed a path straight on to soon reach a path junction, where I went a few yards right to exit the wood. I then turned left and then right at a field corner (this is a permissive path, part of the Chiltern Way), before turning left through a narrow section of wood. On the other side, there was a lovely view ahead over the valley of Hampden Bottom (there is a log seat here that I usually use as my lunch stop when I do this walk in the opposite direction). The path went slightly right as it descended gently across two fields, before turning left along the middle of a tree belt called Coach Hedgerow (according to the Chiltern Way guide book). There are usually a good selection of wildflowers here during the Spring and Summer months, and today was no exception - I don't think I've ever seen so many Wood Anemones before, there were literally hundreds, plus several clumps of Primroses, and just before reaching the road at the bottom of the valley I saw some very pink Wood Sorrel.
The track from Little Hampden to Warren Wood
Warren Wood
Looking over the valley of Hampden Bottom
Coach Hedgerow
Coach Hedgerow
I crossed the road and continued along a path that went half-left across a huge arable field towards Lady Hampden's Wood (another name I got from the Chiltern Way guide book rather than the OS map). There was a nice view left along Hampden Bottom. The path then continued steadily through the wood, emerging to pass in front of Hampden House on my left.
The path to Lady Hampden's Wood
View along Hampden Bottom
The path through Lady Hampden's wood
Hampden House
Hampden House in Great Hampden is named after the Hampden family (later Earls of Buckingham), who owned the site from before the Norman Conquest until 1938. The present house dates in part to the 14th century, though most of the house is 17th century. The north and west ranges were remodelled by the architect Thomas Iremonger in 1750, clearly in the style known as Strawberry Hill Gothic although this style wasn’t ’invented’ until almost 20 years later by Horace Walpole! This architectural style made the house a favourite setting for Hammer horror films. Visitors to the house are thought to include Edward III, the Black Prince and Elizabeth I. The most famous resident was John Hampden, the leading Parliamentarian in the years leading up to the Civil War, who died from wounds received at the Battle of Chalgrove in 1643. He had earlier earned fame through his refusal to pay the hated tax called Ship Money to Charles I.