Pete's Walks - Bradenham and Lodge 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.
A path continued across Haw Lane, following a hedge on my right and heading in a straight line northwest (or northnorthwest) towards the wooded Lodge Hill, over a distance of about a mile. The hedgerow was at the top of a slight ridge linking Slough Hill and Lodge Hill - from either hill this ridge is not really obvious, but walking along it I could see how it sloped down to lower ground either side. A few hundred yards before reaching Lodge Hill, at a gap in the hedge where another path crossed, I switched to the other side of the hedge. Just before reaching Lodge Hill, I managed to photograph a Painted Lady butterfly (it's been a tremendous year for them, I've never seen anywhere near so many before).
The path from Haw Lane to Lodge Hill
The path from Haw Lane to Lodge Hill
The path from Haw Lane to Lodge Hill
The path from Haw Lane to Lodge Hill
At the end of the path, instead of taking the shortest route up Lodge Hill (which would have meant retracing some of my steps along the top of the hill) I turned left along a bridleway and dropped quite steeply downhill. At the bottom of the slope I turned right along a bridleway that runs to the west of Lodge Hill for almost three quarters of a mile. I remembered that this had been absolutely delightful when I walked this route in November 2023 because of the wonderful colours of the tree leaves. It wasn't so nice today, the 'green tunnel' of overhanging trees preventing any views to either side.
The bridleway after I turned left at the foot of Lodge Hill
The bridleway to the west of Lodge Hill, after I turned right
The bridleway to the west of Lodge Hill
The bridleway to the west of Lodge Hill
Eventually the bridleway left the 'green tunnel' and continued across a stubble field. Shortly before it reached the far hedgerow, I turned right onto a crossing footpath (part of the Ridgeway national trail). When it left the field at a metal kissing gate, it turned right and was soon making its way up the wooded northwest slope of Lodge Hill. This was neither too steep, nor too long, and I fairly soon reached the top.
The same bridleway continuing across a field of stubble
The footpath after I turned right in that same field
The same path as it starts to go up Lodge Hill
The path continuing up Lodge Hill
The path over the top of Lodge Hill is always delightful (it's one of my favourite places in the Chilterns) and today was no exception. There were good views in most directions, especially north to the Vale of Aylesbury and east over the Saunderton Valley towards Loosley Row (where I was headed next). The path passed through a small grove of beech trees at one point, and then reached a more open area of scrubland.
The path continuing along the top of Lodge Hill
The path along the top of Lodge Hill
View from Lodge Hill, looking northeast across the Saunderton Valley towards Whiteleaf Hill
The path along the top of Lodge Hill
View from Lodge Hill, looking north to the Vale of Aylesbury
View from Lodge Hill, looking east across the Saunderton Valley towards Loosley Row
View from Lodge Hill, looking south to Slough Hill and Allnutt's Wood