Pete's Walks- Kensworth, Roe End and Bison Hill (page 2 of 5)
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.
On entering Markyate, I took a footpath that started immediately before the first house on the right, that led gently uphill. After 100 yards or so I went straight on where a path forked right - these two paths form a reverse 'D', I usually take the shorter, straight path, but today fancied the longer curving path as I'd not walked it for many years. The path continued uphill between a tall mature hedge with gardens beyond and a large corn field on my right. After about a third of a mile the two paths rejoined in a field corner, where I went through a metal-kissing gate and followed a hedgerow on my left to reach Roe End Lane. I turned right to follow the lane through Roe End. Where the lane ended, with a hedge-lined byway continuing ahead, I turned left along a drive that would take me to Beechwood Home Farm (I had to stop to let a Police Land Rover come by, I can't remember ever seeing one of those in the Chilterns before). The drive dropped down into a valley and rose up the other side, now with a wood on the right. Beyond the wood it levelled out and continued between hedgerows.
The path to Roe End, shortly after I went straight on where another path forked right
The path to Roe End
The path to Roe End
Approaching Roe End (after the two paths merge at a metal Kissing-gate)
Roe End Lane
The drive to Beechwood Home Farm
The drive to Beechwood Home Farm
The drive to Beechwood Home Farm
On reaching a track crossroads, I turned right, soon passing some cottages and the farmyard of Beechwood Home Farm (a Goldfinch posed to have its photo taken here). The track then entered Gravelpit Wood, soon passing a pond on the left (I was disappointed not to see any dragonflies here). On reaching a junction of tracks I took a footpath going straight on through what was now Great Bradwin's Wood (who was Bradwin and what was so great about him?). On the far side of this wood, I turned right and within a hundred yards or so reached a corner of Studham Common.
The drive after I turned right, near Beechwood Home Farm
The path continuing through Gravelpit Wood
Greater Stitchwort
The path continuing through Gravelpit Wood - it goes straight on through the wood at the junction of tracks
The path continuing through Great Bradwin's Wood
The path continuing through Great Bradwin's Wood
The path after I turned right on leaving Great Bradwin's Wood