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I did this 11.8 mile circular walk on Saturday, 17th April 2010. Click here to see a map of the walk (but only if you have already read my disclaimer and notes regarding maps). It was a basically a variation of my 'Four Hills walk', but done in the opposite direction (Clockwise) and with three variations that I have shown on the map.
This was another beautiful Spring day, without a cloud in the sky. For the first time this year I wore my lightweight summer gear rather than the excellent Paramo gear that I wear for walking during the winter months. It was still a bit chilly, 7C, as I set off from the car park on Coombe Hill at about 9.30am - I did wonder about putting on my windstopper jacket, but didn't bother and in the event I was soon warm enough anyway. I followed the main path to the monument on top of Coombe Hill, passing some ponies and cows (including a Belted Galloway) that are used to graze the grass here. Instead of taking the path and bridleway to Dunsmore, I started my first variation of the day by following the Ridgeway towards Bacombe Hill and Wendover. As usual, there were some great views from Coombe Hill and from the path descending over Bacombe Hill, although they weren't at their best today as there appeared to be some mist or smog about - I wondered if it was anything to do with the volcanic ash from Iceland that closed all the airports for several days.
The start of the path from the car park at Coombe Hill
Approaching the monument on Coombe Hill
The Ridgeway path on Coombe Hill, looking towards Wendover Woods
The Ridgeway path on Bacombe Hill
The Ridgeway path on Bacombe Hill
After a very pleasant stroll gently downhill for over a mile, I doubled back on myself, following a bridleway gradually going back up Bacombe Hill. But after only quarter of a mile or so, I took a path on the left that went downhill across a large meadow to reach a lane by a row of houses (I could have reached the meadow quicker by simply following the bridleway down from Coombe Hill, but the views are much better the way I went). I went left for about a hundred yards, then took a bridleway on the right. This was soon running between fences with meadows either side, and I spotted some Cowslips here (the first I've seen on my walks this year). The bridleway turned right after the meadows, but I followed a footpath straight on, first across the corner of a pasture and then following tractor tracks slowly rising across a large ploughed field.
The meadow I crossed to reach the lane or drive just outside Wendover
Near the start of the path to Dunsmore
The path to Dunsmore
The path then entered Coxgrove Wood, where I saw large numbers of both Wood Anemones and Lesser Celandine. I continued to go gently uphill through the trees, soon keeping right at a fork in the path and eventually reaching a bridleway on the far side of the wood. I followed this to the right, still rising gently - here I saw my first Wood Sorrel of the year. Near the top of the hill, the bridleway left the wood and ran between fences again with meadows or pastures either side. Again I had another 'first' of the year, a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. The bridleway then joined the bridleway I usually take from Coombe Hill, just as it reached the small village of Dunsmore.
Start of the path through Coxgrove Wood
The path through Coxgrove Wood
The bridleway through Coxgrove Wood
Approaching Dunsmore
Back on my usual route, I walked through Dunsmore and took a path that went across a number of small pastures, gradually dropping down into a valley near Dunsmore Old Farm. In the valley bottom I followed a track from the farm for a short distance, before taking a bridleway that ran uphill through another wood, going southwest for about half a mile to reach the end of the lane that runs through Little Hampden, opposite the Rising Sun pub.
Duck pond in Dunsmore
The path from Dunsmore to Little Hampden
The bridleway to Little Hampden
The bridleway to Little Hampden
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