Pete's Walks- Redland End and Coombe Hill (page 1 of 4)
If you are considering walking this route yourself, please see my disclaimer. You may also like to see these notes about the maps and GPX files.
Google map of the walkDownload GPX file of the walk
I did this circular walk of about 10.8 miles on Sunday, January 10th, 2016. It was a repeat of the Coombe Hill and Redland End walk I did in February last year (2015), but starting at Redland End and going in the opposite direction, anti-clockwise. I actually intended starting at Coombe Hill again, but the car park was full (apart from a couple of spots were I was concerned about getting stuck in the mud) so after a bit of dithering I ended up starting at Redland End.
I started walking about 11.25, having parked on the southern edge of the hamlet of Redland End, where a footpath crosses a short lane (Grid Reference SP 834022). I followed the lane north past the few houses (on my left) that make up the hamlet to reach a T-junction where the lane met a minor road. A path continued from the opposite side, continuing northwards through a large wood, Barnes Grove - the path initially followed the course of the ancient earthwork called Grim's Ditch. I went straight on at a path junction where the Chiltern Way forked right, the path then soon emerging from the wood and running beside a huge field on the right and Kingsfield Wood on my left. In the field corner the path re-entered the woods, now Knighton's Hill Wood. After a while the path turned left, dropping downhill through the trees. Further on I reached a stile by a gate on my right - I went over the stile and turned right along the drive from Solinger House.
The path going north from Redland End, here on part of the course of the ancient Grim's Ditch
Further along the same path (after the Chiltern Way forked right)
The path continuing beside Kingsfield Wood (Hampden House is near the far end of the very large field on the right)
The path continuing through Knighton's Hill Wood
The path continuing through Knighton's Hill Wood
The path continuing through Knighton's Hill Wood, now descending after turning left
I followed the drive for about half a mile, until it ended on the road that runs through the valley of Hampden Bottom. I crossed over and walked down the drive to Dirtywood Farm (that's the name on the OS map, the sign at the start of the drive says something else). The footpath turns left and follows a hedge round the buildings at the end of the drive, before continuing along a hedgerow to reach Widnell Wood. I ignored a faint path that was immediately on my right, but after going a short way along a track, I took a path that went half-right, heading uphill at an angle through the trees (an arrow on a tree pointed the way). Towards the top of the slope I came to a path junction, where I turned very sharply left.
The drive from Solinger House
The drive to Dirtywood Farm (the path turns left and follows the hedge round the buildings)
The path continuing to Widnell Wood
The path going east through Widnell Wood
The path going north through Widnell Wood, just after I turned sharply left
The path continued through the wood, almost imperceptibly descending and drawing closer to the edge of the wood on my left. After almost half a mile I came to a path T-junction where I turned right. After a short distance the path turned left, then within a few yards I turned right (the path going straight on here is not on the map and presumably not a right of way). I was now going uphill through Hengrove Wood, and I soon went right (or half-right) at another path junction. The path continued uphill through the wood, until it ended close to the end of an old lane (I'd walk the far end of it at Buckmoorend later on).
The path going north through Widnell Wood
The path going north through Widnell Wood (approaching the first path junction, where I turned right)
The path in Hengrove Wood, approaching the end of the old lane