Pete's Walks - Bradenham and Lodge Hill (page 4 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.
Across the main road, a path continued along the right edge of another field. When it reached a drive going to Collin's Farm, it crossed it and ran through trees a very short distance to reach a track (very close to where it met a lane). I went left for a yard or two along the track, then left again back into the trees, following the path another short distance until it met the drive again, where I turned right. The drive was flat here, but gradually steepened as it started the climb out of the Saunderton valley to Loosley Row. It was steepest as it passed Collin's Farm on my left, where it became a concrete track. Immediately after this turned left, the path went right, going uphill a short further distance to reach a road in Loosley Row.
The path on the other side of the A4010 main road
The same path after crossing the drive to Collin's Farm
The drive to Collin's Farm
The end of the path, after it turns right from near Collin's Farm
I turned right along the road. After a short while I went straight on at a crossroads, along Lower Road. After a while I saw a green fingerpost on the left where paths went off on either side (I've walked those paths on another route). I continued along the road here, and then took the next footpath on the left (going to Smalldean Lane) which started where a lane came in on the right. This path left Loosley Row and followed a fence and intermittent hedge on my left, with a meadow of rough grass sloping down to my right. There were nice views here, over the Saunderton valley on my right and back towards the Vale of Aylesbury.
The road through Loosley Row
Lower Road, Loosley Row
The start of the path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane
The path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane
Over a stile, I had a choice of two parallel paths both going straight on. In November 2023 I'd followed a path through a very narrow tree belt, but today (despite the heat) I thought it would be far nicer to take the path to the right of the tree belt, with a meadow sloping down to my right and more views along the valley stretching ahead of me.
The path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane
View right, from the path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane (Lodge Hill is just right of centre)
The two paths came together again where a tree belt went off to the right. I went through a gate and continued along the left edge of another large field, with a nice view ahead of me looking along the valley as it headed towards West Wycombe. At the end of this large field I went through a gate, the path continuing gently downhill beside a tall and thick hedgerow on my left. After several hundred yards of easy descent, the hedge ended and the path turned left very briefly before going right to reach Smalldean Lane.
The path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane
The path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane
Looking left (through an open gateway) from the path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane
The path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane
The path from Loosley Row to Smalldean Lane
Approaching Smalldean Lane and Small Dean Farm