Pete's Walks - Maidensgrove Common, Watlington Hill, Northend (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.
On reaching the road through Cookley Green, I crossed over and started along a path along the right edge of the village green. At the end of the green, I turned right along Coates Lane. This soon left the village, went through a small wood and then passed Coates Farm on my left. I continued along the lane to its end at a T-junction with another lane. Here I went straight on along a bridleway that followed the drive to Woods Farm. Immediately after passing a property on the right, the bridleway turned right from the drive and began a long gradual descent that would take it to to Dame Alice Farm. The bridleway generally followed a 'hollow way' with banks either side.
Cookley Green
Coates Lane, Cookley Green
Coates Lane, Cookley Green
Approaching Coates Farm, Cookley Green
Coates Lane, Cookley Green
The drive to Woods Farm
The bridleway to Dame Alice Farm
The bridleway to Dame Alice Farm
The bridleway to Dame Alice Farm
The bridleway to Dame Alice Farm
After about half a mile, shortly before I would have reached Dame Alice Farm, I turned right onto a footpath (that would take me to a property named Dumbledore on Howe Road). This ran between hedgerows, with only occasional views out, though I did get a nice view of Watlington Hill at one point. On reaching Howe Road, I turned left and followed it for about a quarter of a mile, before turning right along a drive (pedestrian gate beside a gate). After passing a property on the left, I turned left and followed a path towards the foot of Watlington Hill. The path ran between hedges either side. After a while there was a gap in the hedges (so the fields either side were connected) where I went straight on through two gates.
The start of the footpath to Dumbledore
View of Watlington Hill, from the footpath to Dumbledore
The footpath to Dumbledore
The footpath to Dumbledore
The footpath to Dumbledore
Howe Road
The path to Watlington Hill, where it goes left from the initial drive
The path up Watlington Hill
The path up Watlington Hill, after going through two gates in quick succession