Pete's Walks - Chenies, Ley Hill, Chipperfield Common (page 5 of 5)
In the valley bottom I turned left onto a surfaced farm track. After a few hundred yards I reached a lane, New Road, where I turned right to cross the river Chess at Sarrattmill Bridge. I then took a path on the right, heading northwest back up the Chess valley. The path ran through a narrow pasture containing a handful of cows, then entered an area of rough grass or overgrown water meadows at Sarratt Bottom.
The track along the Chess Valley, approaching the lane (New Road) at Sarratmill Bridge
The river Chess at Sarratmill Bridge
The path going northwest from Sarrattmill Bridge
Looking across the Chess Valley at Sarratt Bottom - the horizontal lines on the hillside are the remains of lynchets, terraces built into the slope in past centuries for agricultural purposes
The path continuing through Sarratt Bottom
Sarratt Bottom
At a path crossroads, I went straight on. The path was now enclosed in trees, and soon I was walking through Mount Wood. The path followed the valley as it turned left, westwards. On reaching a corner of the wood, I went straight on along Holloway Lane - this was very pleasant, with lots of wildflowers along the tall hedges either side and numerous Meadow Brown butterflies. I then took a path on the left, going uphill through a large field to cut a corner off from the lane. The field contained a couple of horses away off to my right. As I approached the top corner of the field, I heard a noise behind me and on turning round I was rather disconcerted to see one of the horses just yards away galloping straight at me! I held my hand up towards it and said 'Whoa!' and fortunately it pulled up and proved to be quite friendly. I then rejoined Holloway Lane, and followed it the short distance back to Chenies, with the village centre just a few yards away to the left.
The path continuing northwest from Sarratt Bottom
The path in Mount Wood
The path in Mount Wood
Holloway Lane
Holloway Lane
The path going diagonally uphill through this large paddock or pasture cuts off a corner of Holloway Lane
Holloway Lane again, now approaching Chenies
I enjoyed this walk very much, although I could have done without some of the muddier sections. If the paths are this bad in the middle of July, what will they be like in the winter! I thought the walk was just as good in this direction as when I did it anti-clockwise, and I really don't have a preference as to which way I do it - I am sure I'll do it again sometime, anyway. I haven't really explored this area as much as I should have done, because it is on the edge of three OS maps which makes planning a route a little more awkward. The Chess valley was delightful as ever, and it was great to see so many butterflies making the most of this brief respite from the rains.