Pete's Walks - Hambleden and Turville
NOTE: You now have to pay to use the car park in Hambleden. I usually manage to park along the village street to the west of the church (looking at the church from the village centre, take the street on the left and follow it round to the right).
I did this walk on Friday, 20th March 2009. It was basically a shortened version of Walk 15 of my Chiltern Chain Walk (missing out Ibstone) done in the opposite direction. I added an extra objective for this walk, in that I wanted to try to get some photos of Red Kites. I took the 1.7x converter for my camera with me (a bit like an extra zoom lens), and sat on a couple of stiles near Turville where I'd seen Kites close up before, but unfortunately the birds just didn't want to co-operate today.
I was blessed with another beautiful warm Spring day. Starting the walk, I went a short way west from Hambleden, along the bottom edge of Ridge Wood, before following a farm track heading north along a very pleasant valley.
Hambleden
Path through the edge of Ridge Wood, Hambleden - the yellow flowers are Lesser Celandine
Farm track heading north towards Great Wood, Hambleden
The route then continued for some distance through Great Wood, Hambleden. After a short section of lane walking, I re-entered the woods, continuing northwards.
The path through Great Wood
The path through Great Wood
The path near the end of Great Wood
Path through Kimble Wood
Path through another Great Wood, this one in Turville (I think!)
Finally leaving the woods, there was then a short walk across fields to reach Turville (the setting for 'The Vicar of Dibley', and used in numerous other TV shows and films). I took a short diversion northwards and uphill, to sit and wait on a stile in order to photograph Red Kites, but in vain. I was equally unsuccessful when I sat and waited on a stile en route to Fingest.
Approaching Turville, with Cobstone Mill on the hill beyond
Looking back at Turville - this was where I failed in my mission to photograph Red Kites
Fingest church - this is one of my favourite churches, the huge Norman tower is very impressive
From Fingest I followed a path uphill to Fingest Wood. On the edge of the wood I stopped at Fieldfare's Stile (named after a well-known naturalist and writer) to admire the views.
Path from Fingest to Fingest Wood
Looking back over Fingest (and Cobstone Mill) from Fieldfare's Stile
The route then took me through Adam's Wood, and then on downhill towards Skirmett. It was then a straightforward walk south along the charming Hambleden valley back to my starting point.
Looking back to Adam's Wood, from near Skirmett
Looking back north along the Hambleden Valley, from near Pheasant's Hill
Sorry, not a very clear photo - this is a topiary face in the corner of a hedge at Pheasant's Hill. I saw it he first time that I walked the Chiltern Way (it was much clearer then) but I had not seen it on my subsequent visits until today