Pete's Walks - Kensworth and everywhere (page 2 of 3)
There was then a very long stretch along the base of the downs, passing the London Gliding Club on my right. As so often, the position of the sun made photographing the path ahead difficult here, so my best shots were all taken looking back. Eventually I took a path following a sunken lane or drovers way up Bison Hill. At the top I admired the views back over the Vale of Aylesbury and westwards to Ivinghoe Beacon.
Looking back to Orange Hill from the path along the foot of Dunstable Downs
The path along the foot of Dunstable Downs, looking towards Ivinghoe Beacon
Looking back from near the top of the path up Bison Hill
From near the car park on Bison Hill I took a path along a track that led to Whipsnade - there was the traditional Bank Holiday queue of traffic for Whipsnade Zoo, but it only went back as far as the start of the old lane to Holywell (on a 'good' day it can reach back to Kensworth and even on down to the A5!). I crossed the road and followed the curving edge of part of the irregularly shaped common here and on down to the old lane. Here I turned right (I think I sometimes go on and turn right through the churchyard) and followed the lane for about half a mile, before taking a path on the right that followed the tall zoo fence.
The path from Bison Hill to Whipsnade
Part of the common at Whipsnade
Looking back along the path beside Whipsnade Zoo
At a path junction where the Zoo fence went right, I continued ahead on a field path following a hedgerow on my right. After some distance the path entered a wood, and a little further on I turned left at a path crossroads, crossing an empty pasture and then going through a large new metal kissing gate to pass through the graveyard around Studham church. I followed Church Lane to its junction with Valley Road, where I turned right. At the bottom of a valley I turned left, a path following the valley bottom to reach Studham school on my left and then the first section of Studham Common. The common is divided into three by two minor roads, this first section being mainly wooded or scrub (the other two sections are mostly grass, having been reclaimed for agricultural use during World War II). I soon took a path going half-right to reach the edge of the common. Across the first minor road, I stopped on a bench for my lunch (I was running late, I usually reach the bench on the next part of the common for lunch!)
Approaching Studham Church
The path between Valley Road and Studham Common
The wooded first third of Studham Common
Studham, from my lunch spot on the central third of Studham Common
Lunch over, I continued along the top of the common to the far corner, where I turned right to reach the edge of Great Bradwin's Wood. A path soon entered the wood on my left, and led on very pleasantly through the wood. Further on a well-surfaced track led on through Gravelpit Wood until I reached Beechwood Home Farm.
From the same spot, looking towards Dedmansey Wood
The final, eastern third of Studham Common
The path through Great Bradwin's Wood
The path through Great Bradwin's Wood
The path through Gravelpit Wood