Pete's Walks- Maidensgrove Common and College Wood (page 2 of 4)
If you are considering walking this route yourself, please see my disclaimer. You may also like to see these notes about the maps and GPX files.
The track switched to the right of a hedgerow just before a path crossed the track -from this point on I was back in familiar territory. After a few hundred yards the track switched to the right of the hedgerow, continuing along a valley bottom and after half a mile or so passing Turville Park Farm. Shortly afterwards the bridleway turned left to head through some woods (the bridleway eventually goes through Fire Wood to reach Christmas Common, but I wasn't going that far today). There were lots of colourful wildflowers here, including Yellow Archangel, Woodruff, Greater Stitchwort, Herb Robert and Yellow Pimpernel.
The bridleway going north to Turville Park Farm
The bridleway going north to Turville Park Farm
The bridleway approaching Turville Park Farm
The bridleway continuing just beyond Turville Park Farm, and about to turn left
The bridleway continuing through the woods
The bridleway continuing through the woods
After walking through the woods for about half a mile I came to a path crossroads, where I turned left (joining the route of the Chiltern Way, which I'd be following on and off for about the next three miles). The path soon went steeply uphill a short way and left the wood, continuing uphill through a field of young green corn. The path flattened out, and beyond the field it crossed Hollandridge Lane, close to Hollandridge Farm. It continued along the left edge of a meadow to reach College Wood.
This is where I turned off the bridleway, going left along a section of the Chiltern Way
The path continuing towards Hollandridge Lane
The path continuing towards Hollandridge Lane
Having crossed Hollandridge Lane, the path continues towards College Wood
Just inside the wood, the Oxfordshire Way forked left towards Pishill, but I went straight on along the Chiltern Way, which dropped steadily downhill through the wood. In the valley bottom I got a bit confused - a clear track went straight on, but the path actually went a few yards left of this. The path continued southwest-wards through the wood, where again I saw lots of Yellow Pimpernel.
The path continuing through College Wood
The path continuing through College Wood
College Wood, shortly after the first valley bottom
College Wood
College Wood
College Wood