Pete's Walks- Barton and Deacon Hill (page 3 of 3)
When the path eventually went through a second gate (or stile, I can't quite remember), I continued alongside a fence or hedge on my right. After a few yards there was gate with a seat a few yards beyond - I stopped here for lunch, enjoying the wonderful view down Barn Hole and out to the plain beyond (I'd timed my walk well, as I'd wanted to stop here and it was now almost 1pm, the usual time for my lunch break). I then returned to the path, and followed it as it ran along the edge of a grassy meadow with Barn Hole over the hedge on my right. There were more flowers here, including Common Centaury and Pyramidal Orchids, as well as Marbled White butterflies (amongst others). The path then continued gradually and pleasantly downhill, with views across Barn Hole back to Deacon Hill. Towards the bottom of the slope the path continued ahead across a large area of long grass as Barn Hole veered away to the right, finally reaching a road at Pegsdon.
The view from my lunch stop, looking down Barn Hole and out to the flat land beyond
Near the start of the path down beside Barn Hole
The path going down down beside Barn Hole
The path going down down beside Barn Hole
Looking right to Deacon Hill, with evidence of lynchets (field terraces, probably mediaeval)
The path descending to Pegsdon
I crossed over the road and went over a wide verge to continue down an old bit of road, to a junction where I turned left (well, more or less straight on). After a few hundred yards I turned left along a track that ran between a few cottages, continuing along a bridleway that followed the left edge of a large field. At a bridleway junction, I turned left and soon passed a former mill. I continued ahead along Mill Lane, the surfaced drive from the mill, for over half a mile. It took me into the next village, Hexton.
The road from Pegsdon
The path from Pegsdon
The path from Pegsdon, approaching the former mill
The drive from the mill, heading to Hexton
Hexton
Here I turned right at a junction by a pub, passing a cricket ground on my left and then taking a footpath that went half-left to cross a cornfield diagonally. The path continued pleasantly alongside a left-hand hedge-row, through more arable fields. Although this section was flat, there were still nice views over the countryside to the right (northwards) and occasionally to the escarpment a short distance to the left. After some while the path turned left for a few yards then turned right to follow another hedgerow, now on the right. After some distance it turned left in a field corner on the edge of Barton, soon becoming a surfaced path that bore right to run as an alley for a few yards before reaching a residential street. I turned left, soon passing the village school, and followed the street to its end. Across a road (the one to Hitchin, which I'd crossed at Pegsdon earlier), I continued down Church Road as far as the church, where I turned right to retrace my steps along an alley and across a playing field back to my car.
The path from Hexton
The path from Hexton
The path from Hexton
The path approaching Barton
Barton church
Any walk would appear at its best on such a glorious Summer day, with plenty of flowers and butterflies to add to the attractions. But I'm confident that this would be a superb walk anyway - the Lilley-Barton walk that I do is one of my real favourites, quite possibly the best walk I do anywhere in the Chilterns, and this shortened version was only inferior in terms of its length. The stretch from Deacon Hill along the escarpment and then down to Pegsdon is wonderful, as enjoyable as any section I know of in the Chilterns, and the section over Barton Hills is also very good, with impressive views both near and far. I enjoyed following the section of the Icknield Way, mainly a green lane between hedgerows though the best bit of it was the grassy climb up Telegraph Hill. The final section of field paths from Pegsdon to Barton was a slight anti-climax, but ordinarily I would considered it very pleasant, it only suffered in comparison to the high quality of the other sections of the route.