Pete's Walks - Ashridge, Frithsden, Ward's Hurst Farm (page 1 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.
I did this circular walk of about 10.8 miles on Saturday, 20th May 2023. It was a repeat of a walk I did in August 2022, and much of this report is 'cut and paste' from my report for that walk.
I parked in the small car park off the B4506 just south of Ringshall (Grid Reference SP983137) and started walking about 9.30am. Across the road a permissive path led eastwards through a narrow belt of trees, between gardens on the left and part of the Ashridge golf course on the right. This path is on the route of the Ashridge Estate Boundary Trail, which I would follow for the first few miles of this walk and at the end of the walk (it is indicated by green waymarks with a white footprint on them). After a few hundred yards I went straight on at a path crossroads, initially with more garden boundaries on my left but then with woodland either side.
The permissive path going past Ashridge golf course (part of the Ashridge Estate Boundary Trail)
The permissive path continuing from Ashridge golf course
The permissive path continuing from Ashridge golf course
The permissive path continuing from Ashridge golf course
On reaching a drive to Ashridge House, I crossed over and continued along the permissive path as it followed the drive to the right for a short way and then curved left into Golden Valley. Here the valley was a swathe of short grass with woodland on the upper slopes either side (this landscape was designed by the renowned Lancelot 'Capability' Brown). I followed the bottom of the valley for several hundred yards. On reaching a crossing fence I went over a stile. The wood receded on my right here, and as I continued along the valley in a large empty cattle pasture, I passed the end of the wood on my left. somewhere along this path I spotted some tiny Dovesfoot Cranesbill.
The permissive path approaching Golden Valley
Golden Valley
Golden Valley
Golden Valley
Golden Valley
Golden Valley
Golden Valley
On eventually reaching another crossing fence (with an intermittent hedge), I turned right and followed the fence uphill. At the top of the slope the fence turned left, and I also turned left, gradually moving slightly away from the fence as I headed towards a small wood named Webb's Copse. I went over another stile and continued through the wood.
The permissive path going up the side of Golden Valley after turning right
The permissive path after it turns left, heading to Webb's Copse