Pete's Walks- Hudnall, Ashridge, Dagnall (page 2 of 3)
Beyond the sheep pastures the path continued along the left edge of a field for a few yards to reach the drive from Hog Hall. I turned right and followed the drive steadily downhill for a considerable distance, with views ahead to the Dunstable and Whipsnade Downs. At the end of the drive I turned right to enter Dagnall - there was a village sign with a bench seat all round it, which made a convenient point for me to stop and eat my sandwiches (as it was now about 1pm).
The path from Ward's Hurst Farm to Dagnall, shortly before reaching Hog Hall
The drive from Hog Hall
The drive from Hog Hall
Entering Dagnall
I followed the road through the village, going straight on at a roundabout and then taking a footpath on the right, running along the edge of a field next to a large farm yard on the left (this path was also redirected a few years ago to avoid the farmyard). The path turned left to follow a hedgerow along another side of the farm, continuing on and then crossing a couple of ploughed fields to join a hedgerow on the right. As I followed the hedgerow I spotted four or five Wheatears, either on the hedge or on the ploughed field to my left.
The path around the edge of Cross Keys Farm (the footpath was re-routed to avoid the farmyard a few years ago).
The path from Cross Keys Farm
The path from Cross Keys Farm
The path, now a bridleway, from Cross Keys Farm - I saw some Wheatears along this hedge and in the ploughed field
The path had now merged with a bridleway, which next turned right along a drive for about a hundred yards, before going left and running alongside another hedge on the right. It soon crossed a ploughed field and entered a very large grassy enclosure containing several horse jumps - today it also contained about 30 Fallow deer, away to my right (there are deer here more often than not).
The bridleway follows the drive to Well Farm a short way, before turning left
The bridleway continuing towards Little Gaddesden, with Hoo Wood in view ahead
There were about 30 Fallow Deer in this large field
The bridleway approaching Hoo Wood
The bridleway then entered Hoo Wood and rose uphill quite steeply, but only for a short distance. I spotted about six more Fallow deer moving through the trees, and also a white one on its own - this really stood out, I spotted it about three hundred yards away through the trees. There were also more primroses in the wood. Beyond Hoo Wood, the path ran between garden boundaries on the right and a wire fence on the left - there were several large white cattle with long horns in the field beyond the fence, including a bull.
The bridleway in Hoo Wood
The bridleway in Hoo Wood
View left from the bridleway as it leaves Hoo Wood
I was rather glad there was a fence between me and this chap!