Pete's Walks - Hambleden, Frieth, Bovingdon Green (page 2 of 4)
I continued through a gate into Moussells Wood, and followed a bridleway that soon turned right, close to the southern edge of the wood. At a path crossroads, the bridleway turned left but I continued straight on along what was now a footpath. A little further on I ignored paths on the left and then on the right. On reaching the eastern end of the wood, the path turned right (another path went left here), soon leaving the wood and joining a track that led past some houses in Frieth. The track ended at a bend in a lane, where I carried straight on to reach the minor road through Frieth.
The bridleway through Moussells Wood
The path through Moussells Wood
Going south along the path from the southeast corner of Moussells Wood to Frieth
The lane into Frieth
Across the road and just a few yards to the left, a footpath set of across a large paddock containing a couple of horses. The path then continued beside a wood on my left. Beyond a gate, I went a few yards left along a tarmac drive, then at a bend took a short path on the right that led through a small bit of woodland to the minor road at Moor End. Across this road, I went past some cottages on my right and entered Moorend Common. The path went through an open grassy area, where I spotted a Southern Marsh Orchid (I had to have it identified for me later on the WildAboutBritain web site). On reaching a wooded area the path turned left and soon crossed a small plank bridge over a tiny stream (a rarity in the Chilterns). The path continued through the wooded area towards Moor Common for almost another half mile, before I turned right at a path junction (this turn is a little indistinct, you need to look for a path that seems to go to a dead end at a wall).
The path from Frieth going towards Moorend Wood
The path from Frieth going towards Moorend Wood
Moorend Common
The small bridge over a tiny stream, Moorend Common
The path from Moorend Common to Moor Common
The path from Moorend Common to Moor Common
The path soon followed a wall on the left and left the wood to enter a huge meadow. Two tractors and trailers were collecting up the last of the mown hay, and I counted over 50 Red Kites and at least one Buzzard here, either on the ground or flying low overhead - a spectacular sight! I wasn't too surprised, as I've seen these birds attracted to freshly mown meadows before. I continued straight on across the meadow, then passed the ruins of an old chapel on my left (nothing to see here really). The path continued beside a hedgerow on the right, but switched to the right of the hedge after a couple of hundred yards or so before I reached Bottom Wood (I spotted a Common Blue butterfly just before I reached the wood).
Hay meadow at Moor Common, where I saw over 50 Red Kites
The path southeast from Moor Common heading towards Bottom Wood
The path southeast from Moor Common heading towards Bottom Wood
The path continued southeast-wards along a good track through Bottom Wood (without noticing, I kept left at a path fork shown on the OS map near the start of the wood). On leaving Bottom Wood, the path crossed a grassy meadow and entered Moor Wood, again on a clear track.
Bottom Wood
Moor Wood
Moor Wood