Pete's Walks - Cobblershill and Little Kingshill (page 2 of 4)
I turned left and followed the road to the north-western corner of the large village of Prestwood (this was the first of three times I'd visit parts of the village on this route). I then turned right along a lane for a couple of hundred yards, before turning left onto a footpath. This was initially a track through a small field of tall grass and flowers, then it followed a tall hedgerow of mature trees to the left of a couple of large meadows. On reaching Nanfan Wood, the path continued gently downhill just inside the left edge of the wood. On emerging from Nanfan Wood, I followed a drive right past the hamlet of Stony Green.
The name Prestwood is a corruption of Priest-Wood and dates back to Saxon times. Prestwood was originally a large common, spread over several different parishes, and the village only acquired parish status in the late 19th century. The village grew throughout the early 20th century, but the biggest expansion came in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee once lived in Prestwood, before moving to nearby Great Missenden.
The road into Prestwood
Start of the path to Nanfan Wood
The path to Nanfan Wood
The path to Nanfan Wood
The path through Nanfan Wood
The track from Nanfan Wood
I followed the road maybe a quarter of a mile to the left, then took a path on the left. This ran through a rather overgrown pasture (with three cows over to my right) to a corner where the path entered Meadsgarden Wood. I promptly remembered why I recommended doing this walk in the opposite direction, as I puffed and panted my way straight uphill beside a fence in the wood on my left - this is one of the steepest hills I've come across in the Chilterns, the path going straight up without any twist or turn before bearing right just before reaching the top.
Hampden Road, near Stony Green
The path to Meadsgarden Wood
The path through Meadsgarden Wood (my camera is lying, it's MUCH, MUCH steeper than this looks!)
A rather overgrown path then continued between Meadsgarden Wood and Lawrence Grove Wood - there were nice views south to the area around Hughenden. The path passed through the small Lawrence Grove Wood, then crossed a pasture in a small valley, before continuing between hedges that partly consisted of Rhododendrons to reach a road close to Prestwood Church.
The path from Meadsgarden Wood to Lawrence Grove Wood
Lawrence Grove Wood
The path just beyond Lawrence Grove Wood
Prestwood church
Opposite the church a track ran past some buildings on the right to reach Peterley Wood. On entering the wood I turned right along a bridleway that kept close to the western edge of the wood. I remembered this bridleway being a bit muddy at the best of times, and it lived up to my expectations! Still, it was no worse than many of the other woodland paths or bridleways I followed today, and I had put my gaiters on (gaiters required on 23rd July, that shows what a wet Spring and Summer it's been).
The track opposite the church, heading to Peterley Wood
The bridleway through Peterley Wood
The bridleway through Peterley Wood