Pete's Walks - Circular walk from Ewelme (page 3 of 5)
A short distance down the hedge-lined track, a path went uphill on the right - this is the start of the small shortcut I've marked as Alternative 2 on the Google map (I've not walked it myself, but it simply follows a fence uphill). I carried on down the lane, which was soon running along the northern edge of a wood. At a junction where the track became a surfaced lane, I turned right and followed a public byway uphill through the wood (the map marks this as Oakingham Bottom, presumably that's the valley that was to my left).
English Lane
I didn't go this way, but this is the route of the shortcut I've marked as Alternative 1 on my Google map (from where it starts on English Lane)
English Lane
English Lane
Approaching the end of English Lane in Oakingham Bottom
The public byway going west at Oakingham Bottom
Beyond the wood the byway continued between hedges that largely obliterated any views there might have been. After a while, I passed a path going right - this was the other end of that Alternative 1 that I mentioned (it would save about three quarters of a mile of walking, not really missing out anything too interesting).
The public byway heading west from Oakingham Bottom
The public byway continuing west towards Oakingham House
This is the other end of Alternative 1, from the byway heading towards Oakingham House
The public byway continuing west towards Oakingham House
Further on the byway passed the imposing (but actually modern!) Oakingham House on my left, and joined its drive, continuing north-westwards. A little further on the drive became a lane (I could only tell this difference from the map), running onwards between stout hedges with occasional mature trees. At a crossroads, I went straight on along another lane (unnamed on the map, but heading towards Upper House Farm).
The drive from Oakingham House
The lane from Oakingham House
The lane from Oakingham House
The lane heading to Upper House Farm
The lane heading to Upper House Farm