Pete's Walks - Coombe Hill, the Hampdens, Bacombe Hill (page 3 of 3)
From Dunsmore I varied my usual route. Having gone straight on through the hamlet, instead of following a lengthy bridleway straight on through more woods directly back to Coombe Hill, I took a different bridleway that forked half-right close to the far edge of the hamlet. At first it ran between the wooden fences of some paddocks or meadows. On reaching Coxgrove Wood, the path went right and descended slightly. I soon reached a path junction where I forked left onto a footpath, going downhill more steeply through the trees before it rose briefly then flattened out. Beyond the wood I went downhill across a very chalky field, with views ahead over Wendover and the Vale of Aylesbury. I then had to go over a stile, straight into the middle of some inquisitive bullocks who were sheltering in the only shade in their pasture. The path continued briefly uphill through a corner of the pasture, then ran between paddocks or meadows again to reach a row of houses along a lane immediately southwest of Wendover (Bacombe Lane). I went one or two hundred yards left, then crossed a meadow diagonally and uphill to reach a bridleway on the southern side of Bacombe Hill.
The path out of Dunsmore
Bridleway through Coxgrove Wood
Path through Coxgrove Wood
Path towards Wendover from Coxgrove Wood
Some friendly bullocks on the path to Wendover
Approaching Bacombe Lane
Path to Bacombe Hill
I turned right and followed the path gently downhill . Near the bottom of the slope, just before reaching a road on the edge of Wendover, I turned very sharply left (onto the Ridgeway Path again) and started to make my way slowly back up Bacombe Hill, following more of the Ridgeway's white acorn symbols. It is a longish climb, but very easily graded and a delightful path with great views over Wendover and the Vale of Aylesbury. There were hundreds more Common Spotted Orchids in the ancient ditch to the left of the path, and I spotted some more Dark Mullein to my right at one point.
Path down Bacombe Hill
The Ridgeway Path up Bacombe Hill
After about a mile the Ridgeway took me back to Coombe Hill, topped by its impressive memorial column dedicated to the men of Buckinghamshire who fell in the Boer War. The Dartmoor ponies who are currently being used to graze the hill (along with some Belted Galloway cattle) were gathered at the base of the column for some reason. I turned left (leaving the Ridgeway here) along a broad strip of grass, the path then turning left through a tree belt and finally crossing an area of grass and bushes to return to the car park. It was about 14.55pm as I got back to my car, the walk having taken five hours and 25 minutes.
Approaching the top of Coombe Hill
The Vale of Aylesbury from Coombe Hill
Dartmoor ponies at the monument on Coombe Hill
Path back to the car park from Coombe Hill
As always this was a very enjoyable walk, and the alternative ending to it today made it into a slightly longer walk, closer to my usual 15 miles (hmm, looking at the statistics I don't seem to achieve that target too often nowadays!). It had been a lovely sunny day throughout, pleasantly warm without ever being oppressively hot.