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At the end of the path, I reached a junction with hedge-lined track where I turned right - I was joining part of the Chiltern Way, with Gaddesden Row school a short distance to my left. I was soon crossing a snow-covered meadow with woods either side. Further on I came to Yewtree Spring, a small wood that rather curiously has various jumps and obstacles for horses laid out within it. I then followed Wood End Lane a short distance, before taking a path on the left that led down into a valley just west of Trowley Bottom (I could see Flamstead again, on top of the hill opposite me).
This path junction, where I joined a section of the Chiltern Way, was the closest I got to Gaddesden Row (about 200 yards northeast of the village school)
The Chiltern Way crosses this meadow diagonally, between Newland's Wood (left) and Abel's Grove
Interesting sky from the edge of Yewtree Spring
Footpath through Yewtree Spring
Wood End Lane
A close-up of Trowley Bottom, which was over to my right
I turned left along a bridleway along the valley bottom. It ended at a corner of a lane, where I stopped to eat my lunch seated on a large log (this is where I usually stop on my Kensworth-Redbourn walk, the route of which I'd now be following all the way home). I then turned right, following the lane uphill to a crossroads where I turned left into Friendless Lane. I took a path going half-left through Friendless Wood, and continued along the path, which ran parallel to the lane before rejoining it at Cheverell's Green, on the southwest tip of Markyate.
Friendless Lane
Path through Friendless Wood
The path parallel to Friendless Lane, heading towards Cheverell's Green
I continued on the familiar path to Roe End - in several places drifting snow had obliterated any other footprints, and I had to make fresh tracks through quite deep snow. I turned right along Roe End Lane, and took the 'public byway' that is its continuation. A Land-Rover had just been along the byway, so walking was easier here as I could just follow its tracks.
The path from Cheverell's Green to Roe End
The 'public byway' from Roe End - it is a continuation of Roe End Lane, and is called so on the map
The 'public byway' that is Roe End Lane
From the 'public byway', looking across towards Studham Common - the byway turns sharp left to run behind the hedge in the middle of the photo, but I would not be going that way today
Where the byway turned sharp left towards Studham Common, I continued ahead through the edge of Byslips Wood to Byslips Road, and continued on the lengthy path across a huge open field towards Holywell. I was worried that I'd be walking through deep snow here, but there was a clear well-walked track as far as the corner of a small wood, and then as I made fresh tracks across the larger section of the field the snow was only a couple of inches deep. It was then just a matter of walking along the edge of Holywell, and taking the very familiar route home via Dovehouse Lane and the Whipsnade Road.
Near the start of the path from Byslips Road to Holywell
From the edge of Holywell, looking north towards Kensworth
A snowy Dovehouse Lane - this section of the lane is like a green tunnel
Almost home - looking towards Kensworth from the path from Dovehouse Lane to the Whipsnade Road
I was a little surprised to discover that I'd walked just over 15 miles (according to Google Maps), but then the walk had taken almost six hours. I had really enjoyed it - I do like walking in these wintry conditions, as long as I'm wrapped up warm and don't have to plough through too much deep untrodden snow. I'd kept pleasantly warm today, but it was very noticeable how much colder it was in places exposed to the bitingly cold wind. It ended up being a new route for me today, although entirely on paths I've walked before (a short section near Upper Wood Farm I'd only waked once before).
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