Pete's Walks- Hudnall, Ashridge, Dagnall (page 3 of 3)
Just before the bridleway ended at a road (the one through Little Gaddesden again, but a long way from where I crossed it earlier), I turned very sharply left, almost doubling back on myself. I went through a couple of metal gates and continued across a pasture, with Little Gaddesden church in view ahead. The path continued across a smaller grass field to reach the car park next to the church. I stopped and sat on a seat here to eat my lunch. I then went straight on here, along a drive passing the church on my left. When the drive turned left, I went straight on across a grassy field (half way across there was a nice view to the left). There was then a long section beside a tall hedge on my left, with a huge ploughed field stretching away on my right.
The start of the path to Little Gaddesden church
The path to Little Gaddesden church
The path to Little Gaddesden church
Little Gaddesden church
View left from the path from Little Gaddesden church to Hudnall
The path from Little Gaddesden church to Hudnall
I went straight on at a path crossroads, to reach some houses in Hudnall, on the edge of Hudnall Common. I could have simply turned right here to return to where I'd parked (following a private drive, crossing a road and continuing along St Margaret's Lane), but I stuck to the route I took in 2013. So instead I took a footpath starting almost opposite where the previous one ended (a bridleway started at the same point). This led through trees, but soon came out on a large open grass area. I crossed this, heading slightly left to reach a yellow-topped post on the far side. The path continued through bushes and trees, going gently downhill, before becoming almost a track as it reached the road through the common.
The path through Hudnall Common
Hudnall Common (the path exits this open area about a third from the left in this photo)
The path downhill through Hudnall Common
The path downhill through Hudnall Common
Previously when I've walked this route I've gone about a 100 yards down the road and taken a bridleway on the other side, that comes back up the common. For some reason I didn't fancy that today. I could just have turned right up the bridleway from where I was (hoof-prints showed lots of horse riders do this), but I didn't want to shorten the walk, so I turned left along the bridleway and when it ended at the road, I turned round and came back again. The bridleway continued back uphill through this wooded section of the common. When I reached another large open area I followed the route of the bridleway which was clearly visible in the grass. After passing immediately left of a solitary tree I came to a junction of paths in the grass, where I went half-right to go back to the car park where I'd started.
The start of the bridleway back uphill through Hudnall Common
The bridleway back uphill through Hudnall Common (this is from a point across the road from where the footpath had ended)
The bridleway back uphill through Hudnall Common
The bridleway back uphill through Hudnall Common
Looking back over Hudnall Common
This was a lovely day for a walk, though I was glad I'd wrapped up warm as there was a very chilly wind. It was a very pleasant walk, better than I remembered. All the sections through woodland were very charming, but the highlight was the long downhill section from Ward's Hurst Farm with views to the Downs ahead (which is why I much prefer to follow the route in this clockwise direction).