Pete's Walks - Whiteleaf Hill and Loosley Row (page 3 of 3)
I crossed over and turned left along the footpath beside the road (soon spotting more Coltsfoot), heading towards Princes Risborough which I could soon see ahead. Shortly before reaching the edge of the town, a path went half-right across a corner of a field of green corn. I then turned right, along a chalky public byway on the edge of the town. I spotted several Dunnocks along here. I passed a school on the left, and then crossed a road (with a view to the town centre to my left). The byway continued with the town to the left, but after maybe a quarter of a mile I turned right, following a hedgerow towards the wooded lower slopes of Brush Hill. To my left I had a view of Whiteleaf Cross, a large chalk figure etched out of the slopes of Whiteleaf Hill.
A4010 approaching Princes Risborough
The path from the A410 to the edge of Princes Risborough
The public byway on the south-eastern edge of Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough from the road crossing
The public byway on the south-eastern edge of Princes Risborough
Whiteleaf Cross on Whiteleaf Hill, from where the Ridgeway turns right from the byway
The Ridgeway, approaching Brush Hill
Beyond a green corn field, the path went through a small area of scrub enclosed by hedges, then started more steeply up through the woods of Brush Hill (that name is not shown on the map, but it's the name of the nature reserve at the top of the hill). I went straight on where paths went off either side, so I was always heading uphill. There were steps in places, to make the going a little easier. Emerging from the woods I reached an area of open grass where the slope gradually eased. On the far side of the grass I turned left alongside another wood to reach a viewpoint and a bench. It was then just a few yards through the trees to reach the road up Whiteleaf Hill, and the car park on the far side.
The path up Brush Hill
The path near the top of Brush Hill
The path near the top of Brush Hill
The top of Brush Hill
View from the top of Brush Hill
View from the top of Brush Hill
Approaching the road and car park on Whiteleaf Hill
The walk had taken me about 2 hours and 20 minutes (so I'd averaged exactly 3mph for the seven miles). It had been a very pleasant shorter walk on a beautiful Spring Day, unseasonably warm with clear blue skies. There had been a good mix of woodland and field walking, but relatively flat with just one real descent and one ascent (right at the end!). It's certainly a walk I'd happily do again.
This walk can be combined with a 6-mile walk from Whiteleaf Hill to Little Hampden and back, forming a very pleasant 13-mile route.