Pete's Walks - Watlington Hill and Russell's Water (page 2 of 5)
After continuing through the trees for a while, the path went over a stile into the corner of a huge grassy area dotted with a few trees, the parkland surrounding the grand Swyncombe Hose, somewhere downhill on my right. The path follows the top of this area, with further woods on my left, and again there were views out right towards Swyncombe Downs and the Oxfordshire Plain. These views are quite splendid on a clear sunny day, but nowhere near so impressive today unfortunately.
The path just before reaching the parkland above Swyncombe House
The start of the area of parkland above Swyncombe House
The path along the edge of the parkland
Another view out towards the Oxfordshire Plain - Swyncombe Downs are on the right
Looking towards Swyncombe Downs - the views here were one reason I'd chosen this route, so it was a little disappointing that what had been a sunny morning when I left Kensworth was now grey and overcast
After maybe half a mile I reached the end of the parkland, and went over a stile and turned left. I was now on the Ridgeway again, and I followed it the short distance to Ewelme Park. The Ridgeway turned left in the farmyard here, then I turned left again along a drive leading away from the farm here. Just past some white cottages on the left I turned right onto a footpath (I was pleased to see a waymark here, the start of the path wasn't signposted at all before) which ran along just inside a wood. It then turned left, soon passing through a tree-ringed meadow and then continuing along a farm track between a wood and an arable field on my right. There was the sound of people shooting nearby (I was safe, it's the pheasant shooting season at the moment - the peasant shooting season isn't for another couple of months!). I soon saw a startled Muntjac deer hurtle out of the wood. I then turned right, going slightly downhill with a small plantation on my right.
The Ridgeway again, now en route to Ewelme Park
Approaching the farmyard at Ewelme Park
Near the start of the path from Ewelme Park towards Park Corner
The path from Ewelme Park towards Park Corner
The path from Ewelme Park towards Park Corner
The path from Ewelme Park towards Park Corner
At the bottom of the slope a belt of trees concealed a muddy bridleway (part of the southern extension of the Chiltern Way) - a party of lady walkers were here, looking for the Ridgeway (which crosses the bridleway about half a mile from here). I went the opposite way to them, heading left towards Park Corner. But when the trees were about to end, I turned right on a path marked Digberry Lane on the map. This is part of Walk 18 of my Chiltern Chain Walk but when, just past some cottages, I reached a proper lane, I was entering new territory. Within a few yards the lane turned sharply left, but another short lane (with moss and grass running up the middle) went straight on for a short distance to reach the Watlington-Nettlebed road, just outside Park Corner.
Bridleway heading to Park Corner
Digberry Lane
The short lane near Park Corner