Pete's Walks - Watlington Hill, Southend, Maidensgrove (page 2 of 5)
The bridleway was now parallel to Holloway Lane, just a short way to my right. I was confused here at one point, wondering if I might have missed a junction, before realising that it didn't matter as I'd changed my mind about turning off there anyway. In fact the junction was a couple of hundred yards further on (N.B. the first 'alternative' I've marked on the map would start here, going right, crossing Holloway Lane and then a field, before turning left along a wonderful contouring path through Idlecombe and Churchfield Woods (I'd recommend that rather than the route I actually took, which I only tried because I'd not walked it before). I stayed on the bridleway for some distance through the wood in a valley bottom, until I reached another lane. Here I went a few yards right to reach its junction with Holloway Lane, where a footpath continued across a grassy meadow where I saw my first Meadow Brown butterfly of the year. There were some nice views here, towards the steep hillside below Cobstone Mill and back towards Ibstone. The path continued more steeply uphill through Churchfield Wood to reach the contouring path I mentioned earlier, where I turned left (this junction is the end of the first 'alternative').
The bridleway continuing southeast, parallel to Holloway Lane
The bridleway in Turville Wood, continuing south of east parallel to Holloway Lane
The meadow after crossing Holloway Lane
Close-up shot from the meadow, looking east towards Cobstone Mill
Looking back towards Ibstone from the meadow
The path up through Churchfield Wood
I followed the contouring path through the wood for a few hundred yards (here it was bearing southwest around a small side valley, and was in tall trees so it lacked the good views the earlier section on the alternative route had). After a few hundred yards the path joined a track where I turned left. I ignored a bridleway going immediately left, and then a second path on the left (the second 'alternative' on the map goes that way - I only recommend it if you wish to visit Turville), continuing straight on along the track to reach Turville Court. I was again on what was new ground for me, as I then took a bridleway going left. This initially ran along a track, with a paddock on my left, and then followed a tall hedge on the right through a meadow, where I occasionally had glimpses towards Cobstone Mill across the valley on my left. The path then continued through a large empty pasture, initially following the hedge on the left and then dropping steeply downhill. This was a very pleasant section, and certainly a path I'd like to walk again, as there were really good views ahead towards the area around Skirmett and the northern end of the Hambleden valley.
The traversing path in Churchfield Wood
Start of the the bridleway going east from Turville Court
The bridleway going east from Turville Court
The bridleway going east from Turville Court - Fingest is hidden behind the trees in the centre of the photo
Almost at the end of he bridleway going east from Turville Court, looking towards Skirmett and the northern end of the Hambleden Valley
At the bottom of the pasture I went through a gate and turned right along the hedgerow (alternative two rejoins the route at this point). I was now back on familiar territory, this path being part of the Chiltern Way, which I would now be following for a couple of miles or so as far as Stonor. The path followed the hedgerow for several hundred yards, crossed a lane, and then headed quite steeply uphill to pass through a small wood. It then flattened out as it ran between paddocks to reach Southend Farm. The lane from the farm to the hamlet of the same name seemed twice as long as I remembered (probably because I'd struggled a bit up that last hill!), but I finally reached the grassy green at Southend, surrounded by a few cottages.
A close-up shot towards Cobstone Mill above Turville
The path from Turville to Southend, part of the Chiltern Way
Approaching Southend Farm
The green at Southend (Southend and Northend get their names from their respective positions in the parish of Turville)