Pete's Walks- Coombe Hill and Kingsash (page 3 of 4)
It was just a few yards through this bit of wood and then across another stubble field. In the next field the path ran beside another part of Baldwin's Wood on my right. I then went through a tree belt, through which the Grim's Ditch earthwork runs, and continued across a corner of yet another stubble field. The path carried on along the edge of the field, and then ran between a garden and a small orchard, before going a few yards through trees to meet another section of the Ridgeway in Hale Wood. I turned right, and followed the Ridgeway to reach Hale Lane.
The path in the field next to Baldwin's Wood
The path approaching the crossing of Grim's Ditch
The path after crossing Grim's Ditch, heading towards Hale Wood
The Ridgeway again, now running north through Hale Wood
Across the lane I continued along the Ridgeway, but when it forked left and dropped downhill I went straight on instead (I realised that when I did this walk in the opposite direction I'd used a path slightly further to my right, on the very edge of the wood). After about a quarter of a mile I crossed the Ridgeway where it came steeply uphill in a sunken lane or 'hollow way'. A permissive path continued on the other side (this next section to the visitor centre at Wendover Woods is not shown on the OS map, but was easy to follow), soon becoming quite a broad track. At its end I turned right, and then had a pleasant walk of about a mile through part of Wendover Woods - strangely it seemed to go by very quickly and seemed shorter than I remembered from last November. I passed between some wooden barriers by a 'Twig Trail' (some sort of nature activity for children I suppose) and a little further on the path ended at a broad track where I turned right. I soon came to the drive from the visitor centre, which I followed to the left.
The Ridgeway, north of Hale Lane
The footpath that cuts off a corner of the Ridgeway
The path crossing the Ridgeway where it runs up a sunken lane or 'hollow way'
The unmarked permissive path continuing on the other side of the Ridgeway
The unmarked permissive path continuing on the other side of the Ridgeway
The start of the unmarked (on the OS map) path going north through Wendover Woods
The path going north through Wendover Woods
The path going north through Wendover Woods
I soon passed the visitor centre on my right, and when the drive turned right I went on into the car park, then turned right between the parked cars and then turned left along a track on the far side of the car park. There were cars parked either side initially, showing how popular the woods are (there is a 'Go Ape' activity centre and also today there was some anniversary celebration of the publication of The Gruffalo).
The drive by the Wendover Woods visitor centre
The drive or track going south from the corner of the car park
Further down the track
Looking west from Wendover Woods, towards Aylesbury