Pete's Walks - Bledlow Ridge, Bradenham, West Wycombe (page 2 of 5)
At the foot of the hill, the footpath continued alongside a hedgerow. I then forked half-right at a path junction, the new path running between a fence on my left and a hedge. Beyond the hedge were an interesting collection of animals, including Red Deer, Fallow Deer and Wallabies. A sign announced that it was the home of rare-breed pigs too. On reaching Lee Road I turned right, following the road as it turned left and headed towards the steep hillside on the northern side of the Saunderton Valley. Lee Road ended when it met the B-road from Princes Risborough to High Wycombe, where I crossed over and took the lane almost opposite. When this turned to the left, I continued ahead on a footpath, following a belt of trees on my right steeply up the hillside to reach a crossing path at the top of the slope.
The footpath continuing at the foot of Lodge Hill
The path to Lee Road
Lee Road - looking ahead, the route continues uphill to the left of the tree belt
Little Lane, just before I left it to follow the edge of the tree belt uphill.
I turned right, and followed the path along a line of hedges on my left, through a number of empty pastures and meadows. There were nice views across the Saunderton Valley on my right. The path gradually descended, until it reached Smalldean Lane. I went a few yards left to Smalldean Farm then turned right, on a path running through the farmyard and then following a fence towards the edge of woods that sloped back uphill on my left. The path then continued for some distance beside the woods.
Looking from the top of the hill out towards the Vale of Aylesbury
Looking back to Lodge Hill, with The Cop, Bledlow, beyond it on the right
The footpath heading towards Smalldean Lane
The footpath heading towards Smalldean Lane (marked by the crossing hedgerow) - the route continues along the fence and hedgeline beyond
The footpath from Smalldean Farm (the sun rather made it difficult for photographs on this section)
The footpath from Smalldean Farm (the sun rather made it difficult for photographs on this section)
Looking back towards Smalldean Farm
At a corner of the woods I turned left and went quite steeply uphill for a short distance. The path then turned right in a corner, and soon started gradually descending. I passed a large field of horses on my left, crossed a drive or track, then followed fences on my right towards the village of Bradenham. A couple of Red Kites flew low overhead here. I crossed a narrow pasture and entered the village by its church. I crossed the green in front of the church and Bradenham Manor, looking back across the green to the distant Lodge Hill.
This is much, much steeper than it looks! The steep bit of the path from Smalldean Farm to Bradenham
The path continuing to Bradenham
Bradenham Manor (owned by the National Trust but rented out and not open to the public)
Bradenham (Lodge Hill is the hill in the centre of photo)