Pete's Walks - Gaddesden Row and Piccotts End (page 2 of 6)
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 path left the wood at a gate, where I continued straight on into a large irregularly shaped field, with a view ahead of me over the Gade Valley around Great Gaddesden. At a telephone pole the path went left, almost parallel to a line of such poles but then going further left to the corner of another field - all the time there were fine views over the valley and especially down to Great Gaddesden. I was very lucky now, with what would prove to be the sunniest spell of the walk coinciding with what was the most scenic part of the route. The path followed the right edge of this next field (with the large house of Gaddesden Place coming into view ahead as I rose up a slight slope) as far as a gate (in the fence on my right). I turned half-right at the path junction here, re-entering the previous large field, and headed across a corner to a gate in another wire fence. The path continued in roughly the same direction across another field, with sheep in, to a gate in another fence. In the next field (another large sheep pasture) the path aimed for a small group of trees, just beyond which it went through another gate in another fence. It then continued steadily downhill, to join the road through Water End via two gates just in front of a cottage garden (I had to be careful, the second gate is right on the road with tall hedges blocking the view).
View across the Gade Valley, just after leaving Marsh Wood
The path continuing to Water End (it turns slightly left to reach the corner of the sunlit green field on the left)
Another view over the Gade Valley
Great Gaddesden, in the Gade Valley
The path continuing to Water End
The path continuing to Water End, after I turned right near Gaddesden Place
Looking right, along the Gade Valley
The path continuing to Water End
The path continuing to Water End
The path descending to Water End (it goes through two gates just left of the cottage whose gable-end can be seen in the photo)
Across the road and a few yards to the right, a path went down an alley between houses and through a gate into a water meadow. I followed a path close to the boundary on the right here, to reach a footbridge over the river Gade. On the other side of the bridge I turned left, the path gradually moving further away from the river and heading towards a telephone pole. From there it continued to the fence along the other side of the water meadow, and then followed the edge of the water meadow for several hundred yards to reach a gate in the far corner. Here I went a short way right along Nettleden Road, before taking a path on the left that rose gently uphill across a field to reach Heizdin's Wood. When I did this walk the other way round in April 2017 I had sat on the ground here to eat my packed lunch and admire the views, so I was delighted to see that the Chiltern Society have now installed a seat here.
The bridge in the water meadow at Water End
Looking left along the river Gade from the bridge in the water meadow at Water End - I continued along the far side of the river to the telephone pole and then alongside the fence
The path continuing along the edge of the water meadow
The footpath going left from Nettleden Road, going to Heizdin's Wood
Looking back from the edge of Heizdin's Wood - Gaddesden Place is the grand white house on the right
The path turned half-right and continued gently uphill through the wood (another path went right at one point). On leaving the wood the path turned right, crossing a large field towards a couple of trees - there was now a nice view on my right towards Nettlebed, a favourite view of mine since I first walked the Chiltern Way in 2005. From the trees the path continued to a waymark post at the end of a hedge, turning left along the near side of the hedge and then following a gravel driveway to reach a road at Potten End.
The path continuing through Heizdin's Wood
The path continuing from Heizdin's Wood
View right, towards Nettlebed
The path continues to this waymark post, turning left along the near side of the hedge