Pete's Walks - Hambleden, Frieth, Bovingdon Green (page 1 of 4)
Google map of the walkDownload GPX file of the walk
NOTE: You now have to pay to use the car park in Hambleden. I usually manage to park along the village street to the west of the church (looking at the church from the village centre, take the street on the left and follow it round to the right).
I did this 12.7 mile circular walk on Saturday, 26th May 2012. Click here to see a rough map of the walk (but only if you have already read my disclaimer and notes regarding maps). It was the reverse of a walk I did in February 2010 - this time I did it clockwise, varying the route slightly just east of Moor Wood (I've marked this variation as Alternative 1 on the map).
The weather forecast promised a very warm day, with largely clear skies. I managed to leave Kensworth thirty minutes earlier than usual, and so started walking from the car park at Hambleden (grid reference SU 785866) about 9.45am. I turned left from the car park entrance, crossed through the square in front of the church, then continued along a street that soon turned right to pass another side of the churchyard. A little further on a footpath sign (and a Chiltern Way sign) indicated the start of a path on the right, going north through the picturesque Hambleden Valley. This crossed through two empty pastures and then a meadow with two horses to reach the hamlet of Pheasant's Hill. I have often admired the topiary 'Mr Men' figure in the corner of a hedge here - today the soles of a pair of Wellington boots were in its mouth, as if it was devouring a previous passer-by!
Hambleden
The start of the path going north from Hambleden through the Hambleden Valley
Approaching Pheasant's Hill
This hedge has obviously turned carnivorous since I was last here!
After running between garden fences and hedges, the path continued northwards through the valley from Pheasant's Hill, first through a meadow then switching to the right of a hedge through a field of stubble. I then passed through a large empty paddock, passing Colstrope Farm and reaching the hamlet of the same name (only the farm is named on the OS map). After a few yards along a lane through the hamlet, the path carried on northwards, again with a hedge on the left and occasionally distant views ahead towards Cobstone Mill, on top of a hill at the end of the valley. I crossed another lane and continued on through meadows, where I saw several Small Heath butterflies. I passed just east of Arizona Farm, progressing through more meadows to reach Skirmett.
The path continuing north from Pheasant's Hill
Approaching Colstrope Farm
The path passing Colstrope Farm
The path north of Colstrope
The path approaching Arizona Farm (the white dot on the skyline is Cobstone Mill)
Approaching Skirmett
I turned right along a lane on the southern edge of Skirmett, then took a path on the left that followed the left edge of a huge meadow, immediately east of the village. After a few hundred yards I turned right (the fence that used to then be on my left has gone, making an already large field enormous). The path next continued through a smaller meadow, then joined a bridleway on a track heading uphill into Adam's Wood. It was a bit of a struggle on such a warm morning, and I was soon puffing and panting my way up through the trees. When I came to a path junction, I followed the bridleway as it went right (I normally follow the Chiltern Way straight on here). It soon left Adam's Wood and continued more gently uphill along the right edge of a meadow. On reaching a track on the far side, I turned left to reach Moussell's Wood.
The path on the eastern edge of Skirmett
The path from Skirmett to Adam's Wood
The bridleway through Adam's Wood
The bridleway now going east out of Adam's Wood
The bridleway just beyond Adam's Wood
The track going north to Moussells Wood