Pete's Walks - Bradenham and Lodge Hill (page 5 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 turned left along Smalldean Lane, but only as far as Small Dean Farm were a footpath went off on the right, headed to Bradenham. The path immediately turned right to pass between some outbuildings and followed a track to reach a huge field. Here the path turned left and followed a track along the edge of the field. Initially there was a fence and intermittent hedge to my left. Just before it would have reached Park Wood, the track turned right, but I followed a narrow path straight on and then turned right to follow a path beside Park Wood which ran in a long shallow curve. On reaching a corner of the wood, I went left along a track and then quickly left again. The track then turned right, but I went straight on along a path, still following the edge of the wood. The path was now rising steadily uphill, and I was puffing and panting a bit. The path and wood then turned right, and I immediately reached two unusually shaped benches, where I sat and ate my lunch admiring the view in front of me, across the Saunderton valley (around Saunderton) to Bledlow Ridge.
Smalldean Lane
The path from Small Dean Farm to Bradenham
The path from Small Dean Farm to Bradenham
The path from Small Dean Farm to Bradenham
The path from Small Dean Farm to Bradenham, where it forks left from a farm track
The path from Small Dean Farm to Bradenham, where it goes uphill along the edge of Park Wood
Unusual seats (where I stopped for lunch)
Lunch over, I continued along the path, now gradually descending towards Bradenham. At one point I went straight on over a crossing track - there was redundant stile here made of three steps. The path was now fairly level, with a large paddock over to my right (the other side of a wide field margin that a notice said had been left for wildlife). After several hundred yards I came to a gate on the right, through which the path went through a small meadow and along a short track to reach the road through Bradenham, opposite the church. I crossed over and walked along the edge of the green to return to the car park.
The path continuing towards Bradenham
The path continuing towards Bradenham
The path continuing towards Bradenham
A redundant stile
The path continuing towards Bradenham
The path continuing towards Bradenham
The path continuing towards Bradenham
Bradenham church
Path across the green to the car park
Bradenham
Having thoroughly enjoyed this walk on a glorious Autumn day in 2023, I enjoyed it just as much on this lovely Summer day! I think the temperature was just reaching 26C as I got back to Bradenham which is my limit really, so I wouldn't have wanted it any hotter. But it had been a fantastic walk, with nice views almost the whole way round. It's certainly a walk I'd very happily do again.