Pete's Walks - Studham, Briden's Camp, Flamstead (page 2 of 3)
At the top of the slope the path continued along the edges of more large arable fields of young green corn. After a good while I turned right along another hedge, which soon turned left to continue up the next slope. At the top of this smaller hillside I again turned right, along another hedge, before soon turning left again. The ground ahead was fairly flat now, and I could see the next mile or so of my route stretching out in front of me as far as Hay Wood.
The path from Briden's Camp - it follows all along the hedges seen here
Looking ahead to Hay Wood, on the skyline top left
I crossed Cupid Green Lane and started down a track opposite - I'd been hearing some shooting for a while and soon came across the site where some clay pigeons had been meeting a cruel and untimely end. At the next path junction I went left, only to very quickly turn right, alongside Hay Wood on my left. Almost immediately I spotted my first Greater Stitchwort of the year, one of my favourite flowers which I'd been looking forward to seeing again. At the end of the wood, I turned left on a path through a belt of trees (lots of Lesser Celandine here, as in many other places today), soon joining a track that led to a lane (another Speckled Wood here).
Approaching Hay Wood
The path beside Hay Wood
The path beyond Hay Wood, through a mass of Lesser Celandine
I carefully went right, around a couple of sharp bends, then took a lane on the left. I had to follow this for three quarters of a mile, but it was pleasant enough walking and very quiet - only one car passed me, and a couple of cyclists. There were more butterflies and wild flowers to attract my attention too, including the only Wood Anemone I saw today, some more Greater Stitchwort and some Barren Strawberry. I stayed on the lane where I normally turn right for Redbourn, cutting the walk short by about two and a half miles. I stopped for a slightly early lunch at about 12.40pm, sitting on a concrete block at a sharp left turn in the lane where the long path from Flamsteadbury comes in on the right.
Near the start of the lengthy lane walk
The lane walk
Approaching the corner where I left the lane and stopped for lunch
I continued ahead on a good track between hedges, then turned left on a pleasant field path that was soon taking me into an attractive valley with Flamstead on top of the opposite slope (hard to credit that this valley is infested with alligators, but a little boy once led me to believe that it is so! :)). I followed the path as it turned left to Trowley Bottom, where I continued through the hamlet and on to a bridleway. I saw two or three more Small Tortoiseshell butterflies here, one repeatedly flying up from my feet only to land a few yards further down the bridleway.
The path beyond the lane walk
The path to Flamstead
I always like this view towards Flamstead
The bridleway from Trowley Bottom