Pete's Walks - Southwest from Stoke Row (page 4 of 4)
I went right for a few yards along the lane, then turned left along the drive towards a cottage. Just before the garden gate the path turned into the hedge on the left and soon entered yet another wood. After a short distance I went left, going steeply downhill through the trees (this is marked Berins Hill on the map, the wood may be part of Berinshill Wood). The path continued downhill through an empty pasture of long grass, then followed a right-hand hedge to reach a lane. Here I left the Chiltern Way and again entered new territory. The map shows a path starting a little way to the right along the lane, but in fact it started opposite, following what seemed like a tree-covered embankment parallel to the lane for a hundred yards or so, before turning left and running between a wooden fence and a right-hand hedge to reach the small settlement of Well Place.
Berins Hill
View over Well Place towards Hailey
Approaching Well Place
I turned right on what is shown as a public byway on the map. This was hard-surfaced for maybe half a mile, becoming a track after passing a farm. There were tall mature hedgerows either side, as the byway followed a valley bottom, very gradually gaining height as it headed eastwards. I saw a lot of Nettle-leaved Bellflower here, the most I've ever seen and the first I've seen for a couple of years or so. The byway continued for over a mile, eventually reaching the woods of Ipsden Heath and terminating at a minor road.
Near the start of the byway heading east from Well Place
The byway from Well Place
The byway from Well Place
The byway from Well Place
The byway from Well Place
The byway from Well Place
The byway from Well Place, shortly before reaching the minor road
I went a little distance left along the road, then turned right onto a track called Cox's Lane. Here I joined another section of my Chiltern Chain Walk, the final part of Walk 18. There were a large number of skips parked by this track initially (a lorry came by driving one of them away), but beyond a cottage it became a regular bridleway between hedgerows. After about a mile, the track became a surfaced lane as I reached Stokerow Farm, and it then soon led me back to Stoke Row.
The start of Cox's Lane
Cox's Lane
Cox's Lane
Cox's Lane
Cox's Lane, near Stokerow Farm
Stoke Row (looking west from the start of Cox's Lane)
This was a pleasant walk, although a little less varied than most of my walks as a very large part of it was through woodland. The paths were surprisingly muddy after recent rain, and I wished I'd worn my gaiters. I was glad I'd finally made the effort to revisit Stoke Row, and now I know I can get there in about 70 minutes I'm sure I'll be back to do more walks in this area.