Pete's Walks- Kensworth and Ivinghoe Beacon (page 2 of 6)
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.
Soon after the wood ended, the bridleway switched to the left of a hedgerow and started dropping down into what becomes the Gade Valley (the river actually starts a mile or two south of here). There were nice views, looking along the valley in both directions. At the bottom of the valley I crossed a road and the bridleway continued beside a hedgerow on my left. After a while the bridleway went through a gate on the left, but I carried straight on along a footpath, the gradient steepening now as I passed a ploughed field on my right.
View left along the Gade Valley
View right along the Gade Valley
The bridleway continuing across the Gade Valley (actually the river doesn't start until a mile or two south of here)
The path continuing towards Hudnall
At the top of the slope I reached a path junction, close to some properties in Hudnall. Here I continued on a path going half-right across another very large arable field, almost immediately passing a solitary tree in the field. There was suddenly a very strong and cold wind as I walked across here. The path then continued in the same direction across an empty sheep pasture to reach the drive to Little Gaddesden church, away to my right. Across the drive, a footpath continued through an L-shaped meadow to reach a gate in the far left corner. The path then ran behind some houses, then ran between paddock fences to reach the road through Little Gaddesden.
The path from Hudnall to Little Gaddesden
The path from Hudnall to Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden church
The path through Little Gaddesden
I went a few yards right, then crossed the road and walked through the car park of the Bridgewater Arms pub. From the back of the car park a path ran between a fence and a hedgerow. When it met a drive or private road, I turned right. The drive took me to a fine old house named Witchcraft Hill (the small valley here is said to be the site of the last execution of a witch in Buckinghamshire), then the path continued through some trees and then a more open area to reach a road in Ringshall. I turned left, following a short path parallel to the road, then crossing the road to a small parking area on the edge of Ringshall.
The path from the Bridgewater Arms car park
The footpath past Witchcraft Hill
The footpath continuing towards Ringshall
The path beside the road through Ringshall
At the back of the small car park I took a path going half-left into the woods of Ashridge (another path went straight on). I ignored paths going left and right, until I came to a track crossroads where I turned right onto a broad track heading northwest through the woods. It was very pleasant strolling through the woods, though as there were a few car parks close by on my right there were quite a few other people about here.
The path going half-left from the car park on the edge of Ringshall
The path going half-left from the car park on the edge of Ringshall
The broad track going northwest through Ashridge
The broad track going northwest through Ashridge
The broad track going northwest through Ashridge
The broad track going northwest through Ashridge