Pete's Walks- Bledlow Ridge and Lacey Green (page 5 of 5)
A few yards to my left, and across the main road, a path started across a long thin empty pasture. Through a gate the path passed under a railway line. I then went slightly left for a few yards, before following the hedge on the right to another gate. Through this, the path continued beside a left-hand hedge in a field of stubble - I saw two people with a gun and a dog, and soon heard shots to confirm they were out shooting, After about a hundred yards, the path went left, through the hedge, and then bore right into an irregularly shaped sloping enclosure with a large patch of scrub in it. The path was soon rising gently through the scrub, with nice views over the Saunderton Valley on my right. I remembered this as being a nice path, though it's well over four years since I last walked it. There was now a brief shower, and the dark grey clouds indicated something worse wasn't too far away.
The pasture back across the A4010
The path in the field where someone was shooting
The path to Allnutt's Wood
The path to Allnutt's Wood
Looking north from the path to Allnutt's Wood
Approaching Allnutt's Wood
Towards the top of the slope the path entered Allnutt's Wood, and I followed it through the wood for some way to reach the drive to Nobles Farm (I'd arrived at this point from the opposite direction near the end of last Saturday's walk, this being where Walks 13 and 14 of the Chiltern Chain Walk intersect). I turned right, heading north, and followed the drive downhill to Slough Lane. Across this, a path led up Slough Hill, following the left edge of an arable field. Near the top of the hill, the path went a yard or two left and then continued over the top of Slough Hill, following a line of Yew trees.
The path continuing through Allnutt's Wood
Allnutt's Wood, approaching the drive to Nobles Farm
The drive from Nobles Farm descending to Slough Lane, with Slough Hill beyond
The path up Slough Hill
The path past the Yew trees on Slough Hill
The footpath on Slough Hill
The path then gently descended the northern end of Slough Hill, following a left-hand hedgerow through three rough pastures to reach a minor road. I turned left and followed the road down to a valley bottom. Here I turned right along a surfaced drive. I passed a couple of cottages on the left, then turned left immediately before the hedge surrounding a bungalow. It was now raining steadily, and I remembered getting wet here once before. The path crossed a large field of stubble, then climbed steeply up the left edge of an empty pasture. It continued uphill through the next pasture, before easing as it turned half right to reach the far corner. From there a path led between fences back to the road through Bledlow Ridge, where I turned left and retraced my steps the short distance to my car.
The path descending the north side of Slough Hill
The path descending the north side of Slough Hill, with Lodge Hill in view ahead
The private drive
The footpath back to Bledlow Ridge
The second pasture on the path back up to Bledlow Ridge
Approaching Bledlow Ridge (it was raining steadily now)
It was a slight shame about the rain at the end of the walk, but I was very lucky as it then poured heavily as I drove home. It was a good walk, although most of it was on paths that I've walked many times before - it was only the short section between Bradenham and Allnutt's Wood that I hadn't walked for several years. Some of the paths and bridleways were very muddy, but that's hardly surprising at this time of year. Walking over Lodge Hill was as pleasant as ever, with some really good views.