Pete's Walks- Kensworth, Roe End and Bison Hill (shortened version) (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.
Google map of the walk (this route uses Alternative 1 on the Google map)
I did this circular walk of about 10.6 miles on Saturday, May 27th, 2023. It was a shortened version of a walk I did in May 2020 (the 'shortcut' is shown as Alternative 1 on my Google map). One reason that I did this walk was because I wanted to spend some time looking for orchids on Studham Common and for butterflies at Bison Hill and the Whipsnade Downs.
I started walking about 9.55am, starting near where Hollicks Lane leaves Kensworth and heading off along the road to Whipsnade. There was a good verge on the right to begin with, and then when it ended there was a reasonable one on the left (though this was quite overgrown today). After about a quarter of a mile or so there was a metal farm-gate and a metal kissing- gate on the left. Through the latter, I crossed straight over a large hay meadow (it's a sheep pasture sometimes), heading just right of the remains of an old barn - there was only a faint path through the grass today, usually the path here is quite clear. The path then continued along the edge of a small meadow to reach Dovehouse Lane, where I turned right. When this ended at a junction with Buckwood Lane, I turned right and then after a few yards took a footpath on the left. Almost immediately I came to a path junction where I turned left, this path rising gently uphill between an old hedgerow and the gardens of some properties at Holywell on my right.
The road to Whipsnade as it leaves Kensworth
The first field along the path to Dovehouse Lane
The path past the second field on the path to Dovehouse Lane
Dovehouse Lane
The path beside some gardens on the edge of Holywell
The hedge to my left ended after a while, and the path levelled off. Shortly after a wood started on my left, I turned left onto a path that led through the wood, and then continued straight on across a very large arable field. After some distance the path continued with a wood on the left, after which it soon passed a solitary tree. On finally reaching the far side of the field, it continued down a short 'alley' to reach Byslips Road. Here I turned left for a short distance, then took a footpath on my right. This ran between Byslip Wood and, initially, a garden boundary on my right.
The path beside some gardens on the edge of Holywell, approaching the wood
The path from Holywell to Byslips Road, as it leaves the wood
The path from Holywell to Byslips Road
The path from Holywell to Byslips Road
The path on the other side of Byslips Road
On entering a field, I varied from the route I took in 2020 by turning right and entering a triangular copse, where I immediately turned left. On leaving the copse I turned left along Roe End Lane, a hedge-lined public highway. I followed this for about three-quarters of a mile. When it became an actual surfaced lane, I turned right (rejoining the route I took in 2020) along a drive or track that would take me towards Beechwood Home Farm. 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. On reaching a track crossroads, I turned right, soon passing some cottages and the farmyard of Beechwood Home Farm . The track then entered Gravelpit Wood, soon passing a pond on the left. On reaching a junction of tracks, the footpath continued straight on through what was now Great Bradwin's Wood. On the far side of this wood, I turned right and within a hundred yards or so reached a corner of Studham Common.
Roe End Lane
Roe End Lane
The drive towards Beechwood Home Farm
The drive towards Beechwood Home Farm
The drive towards Beechwood Home Farm
The path through Gravelpit Wood
The path continuing through Gravelpit Wood
The path continuing through Great Bradwin's Wood
The path continuing through Great Bradwin's Wood