Pete's Walks - Buckland Common and The Lee (part 3)
The lane ended at a minor road (which I'd driven along earlier to reach Buckland Common), where I went left for a few yards and then turned right. The path here was initially along a drive but soon ran between a hedge and a wire fence that separated the path from an empty pasture. A bit further on the hedge receded, and I followed the fence through a small area of long grass, where I briefly spotted a Fox. I continued through a small area of woodland, then followed a hedgerow through a couple of paddocks to reach a lane.
The path next to the pasture, near St Leonards
The path next to the pasture, near St Leonards
Almost opposite was a bridleway on a good track, running along the county boundary between Hertfordshire (on my left) and Buckinghamshire. There were pleasant views across the fields on my right to a large pond with woods beyond. After some distance I passed some dwellings on my right and then came to another lane. A few yards to the left, I took a path on the far side, following a hedge on my right. In the field corner, I went through a gap and turned right to where a long belt of trees headed off along another section of Grim's Ditch.
The track along the county boundary
The track along the county boundary
The path along a section of Grim's Ditch
I had intended to follow part of the Chiltern Way the short distance back to Buckland Common from here, but it seemed too early to finish the walk just yet (Note: Alternative 1 on the Google map shows this shorter route back to Buckland Common from here, following part of the Chiltern Way). So I turned left and followed the path through the tree belt, which was mainly beech and holly. At the end I turned right onto a good track between hedgerows, leaving the Chiltern Way but again following the route of Walk 6 of the Chiltern Chain Walk. The track soon led me to Shrubb's Wood and then High Scrubs Wood. The clear track through the very pleasant woods seemed to go on much longer that I remembered, and I stopped to check the map. I also finally stopped for lunch as it was now 2pm, sitting on a fallen tree trunk.
The track approaching Shrubb's Wood
The track through High Scrubs Wood
The track through High Scrubs Wood
I nearly missed the path I needed, that turned right (at a path crossing) and left the wood, following a hedge on the left that occasionally had horse jumps in it. Across Shire Lane I saw a sign saying 'Montana' - I'd walked further than I thought! :) I followed a path between the backs of some stables on my left and the garden of Montana on my right, the path continuing along the edge of a wood with paddocks on my left. I turned left at a path junction, following a hedgerow at the end of the paddocks, then passing through another small wood and an area of bushes to reach the iron-age hill fort of Cholesbury Camp.
Looking back at High Scrubs Wood
Start of the path across the paddocks, heading towards Cholesbury Camp
Banks and Ditch surrounding Cholesbury Camp
I went straight through the hill fort, rather than follow its banks and ditches, passing the old church on my right. On reaching the road through Cholesbury, I took a path almost opposite (a few yards right), which ran between gardens, and then followed the edge of a pasture down into a valley.
The paddocks within Cholesbury Camp (the curving line of trees marks part of the boundary of the hill fort)
The church within Cholesbury Church
Path from Cholesbury descending into a valley
At the bottom of the valley I left the Chiltern Chain Walk, and turned right along a path I'd not walked before. This was a straightforward section following field boundaries along the slight valley for a few hundred yards. On the far side of a massive field on my left I met up with the Chiltern Heritage Trail again, which I followed a short distance to my right between garden fences again to rejoin the road. It was then a short distance along the road to my left and then right into Bottom Lane, to return to my parked car.
The path along the valley
The road back to Buckland Common
This was another delightful walk in the Chiltern Hills, on a cold but very pleasant winter's day. Much of the route was familiar to me, though it is over three years since I'd walked the Chiltern Link section. There was a good mixture of woodland walks and field paths, and while there were no outstanding views the scenery was almost always very attractive, a nice mixture of woods, fields, hills and valleys.