Pete's Walks- Kensworth and Whipsnade Downs (page 2 of 2)
After some distance the path started to descend slightly and move away from the fence on my left. Soon I was in a sunken track, an old drove route used by shepherds for centuries. At a path crossroads I left it, turning left and going uphill for a few yards, then following the path as it contoured round Bison Hill, with views across to Ivinghoe Beacon on my right. From near the the car park on Bison Hill I took a hedge-lined bridleway that led towards Whipsnade - I decided not to take the first path on the left, that would have taken me to the Sallowsprings Nature Reserve, but continued on and took the next path on the left, immediately after a bungalow. This path followed the right edge of a pasture used by the Dell Farm Outdoor Activity Centre (external link, opens in a new page) where I saw Mel the Jersey Cow, Crocus the black Dexter cow, and several Jacob's Sheep.
The path to the car park on Bison Hill, with another view to Ivinghoe Beacon
The path to the car park on Bison Hill
View to Ivinghoe Beacon from Bison Hill
The bridleway from Bison Hill to Whipsnade
The bridleway from Bison Hill to Whipsnade
The path to Whipsnade Tree Cathedral
The path then passed Whipsnade Tree Cathedral, and took me into the village of Whipsnade. I crossed the road and headed across the common to the village church. A footpath went through the churchyard, going right of the church, and continued along the left edge of a meadow. In the next field the path followed a hedge on the right, with an electric fence on my left protecting me from the vast number of savage sheep in the pasture here. Actually I felt sorry for the sheep, as they were having to scrape away the snow with their front hooves to get at the grass buried under the snow.
Whipsnade Tree Cathedral
Whipsnade
Whipsnade church
The path from Whipsnade Church towards Holywell
I crossed the road that runs from Whipsnade Heath to Studham, and continued along a path with a wood on my left. This took me to Holywell, where I turned left along a residential street. After two or three hundred yards a footpath went left, soon turning right and running parallel to Buckwood Lane on my left. I'd been enjoying this walk in sunshine and snow so much I'd started to consider having a quick lunch and going out again, but now the snow was clearly starting to thaw quickly so I changed my mind. At the end of the path I continued along Buckwood Lane for a few yards, before turning left into Dovehouse Lane. By Shortgrove Manor I took a path on the left, along a track beside a meadow to an old barn and then across a huge pasture, with more sheep behind another fence on my left. This took me to the Whipsnade Road, where I turned rtght and made my way back to my starting point in Kensworth.
Approaching Holywell
Holywell
Dovehouse Lane
Start of the path from Dovehouse Lane to Whipsnade Road
The path from Dovehouse Lane to Whipsnade Road, by the old barn
The Whipsnade Road heading into Kensworth
I have done this walk numerous times (there are a couple of slight alternatives I sometimes use) but it's always a pleasure, a very enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. As always the highlight was Whipsnade Downs with their stupendous views out over the Vale of Aylesbury, but apart from the short road sections at the start and end the whole route was pretty good. I'm glad I managed to get a short snow walk in, having missed out on a longer snow walk last weekend because of a misleading weather forecast (I've totally lost faith in the BBC Weather web site!)