Pete's Walks- Amersham Old Town and Winchmore Hill (page 2 of 2)
I went a few yards left, then turned left and followed the edge of the large village green next to the wood, until I reached a pond. Here I crossed the road next to the green, and took a footpath that started down a gravel drive between a few properties. The footpath then went through some bushes and then went slightly right as it crossed a large ploughed field to reach a corner of a wood. The path continued through the wood, then crossed a smaller field before following a hedge (with allotments on the other side) to reach a road on the edge of Winchmore Hill.
The green at Pen Street
The pond at Penn Street
The path from Penn Street to Winchmore Hill, heading towards Priestland's Wood
The path to Winchmore Hill
The path to Winchmore Hill
The path to Winchmore Hill
I crossed the road and continued across some grass to a seat where I stopped to eat my lunch (it was now about 1.05pm). I then carried on beside a road, with a football pitch on the green to my right, then turned left at the next road junction. I followed this road as far as a chapel on the left, where I took a footpath on the right. This soon left the village, following a hedge on the right through a couple of fields to reach West Wood. Beyond the wood the path passed a small copse on the left as it went through a very muddy ploughed field. A little further on the path joined a concrete drive which led to a gravel drive that soon brought me to a street in Coleshill. I crossed this street and took an alley next to the church which soon brought me to a second street.
The path from Winchmore Hill to Coleshill
View left from the path from Winchmore Hill to Coleshill
Approaching Coleshill
Coleshill church
Originally I'd planned to continue straight on, continuing along the route of the Chiltern Way (which I'd been following since Winchmore Hill) as far as Bottom House Farm Lane, then take the very pleasant path from Upper Bottom House Farm back to Amersham Old Town. However, by now I was feeling slightly unwell (I've still not got my strength back after the virus I had early last year), so I turned left and followed the street through Coleshill. When the street turned right at a junction, I followed it right for a few yards then took a footpath on the left (along the right-most of two drives to Cherry Tree Farm). This passed some farm buildings then went through a small paddock before emerging in a field. Here I went right, following a hedgerow on my right and continuing along a similar hedgerow in the next field. When this came to an end in the middle of the field, I went sharp right to another hedgerow, and turned left.
The road through Coleshill
The path from Coleshill, near Cherry Tree Farm
The path from Coleshill to Amersham Old Town
The path from Coleshill to Amersham Old Town
The path now followed the course of a shallow valley, descending towards Amersham. When I reached a tarmac path, I followed it left and over the A413. I turned left when I reached a T-junction of paths, but when this path turned right I entered the overgrown meadow on my left. The footpath then goes along the backs of some gardens, before going left across the overgrown meadow to reach a gate (there is also a clear path straight through the meadow to the gate). I then turned left to reach a road, where I turned right and soon came back to the High Street in Amersham Old Town. I turned right to return to the car park where I'd started.
The path from Coleshill to Amersham Old Town
The path from Coleshill to Amersham Old Town
Approaching Amersham Old Town
This was a nice walk on a lovely sunny day - I hadn't been to this part of the Chilterns for a while and it was nice to see it again. It was a shame I had to cut the walk short though, as I'd been particularly looking forward to walking from Upper Bottom House Farm back to Old Amersham - the last section of the path as it slowly drops back towards the town is always a good way to finish a walk. I'll be very glad when I finally get back my health and can start enjoying longer walks again.