Pete's Walks- Maidensgrove Common and Moor Common (page 3 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.
On reaching a lane, I turned left for a short way then took a bridleway going half-right from a bend in the lane. The bridleway ran between overhanging hedgerows, gradually climbing uphill towards Hatchet Wood. There were more Nettle-leaved Bellflower along here, and when I got glimpses of the meadow on the right I could see many more Pyramidal Orchids. On reaching Hatchet Wood I stayed on the bridleway where a footpath forked left, and continued uphill through the wood. When I came to a second junction, I forked left onto another footpath (the bridleway continues on to reach Parmoor). After a fairly level half-mile or so, the path left the wood and followed a broad grassy headland between corn fields to reach a lane near Frieth.
The bridleway to Hatchet Wood and Parmoor
The bridleway to Hatchet Wood and Parmoor
Looking right, down to Arizona Farm in the Hambleden Valley (I don't remember many farm names, but this one easily sticks in my memory!)
The bridleway to Hatchet Wood and Parmoor
The bridleway continuing through Hatchet Wood (after I kept right at the first path fork)
The footpath through Hatchet Wood (after I went left at the seconfdpath fork)
The footpath through Hatchet Wood
The footpath after leaving Hatchet Wood, approaching the lane
Across the lane I went through a hedge gap and turned left to pass through a farm yard. I then turned right at a path junction by the gate of the farm yard, going through a metal kissing-gate and following a hedge on my left through a large meadow (I saw a large number of Red Kites here a few weeks ago, just after it had been mown). When the hedge turned left the path continued across the meadow to another kissing-gate, continuing just inside the edge of a wood a short way to reach a track. I followed the track a short way to the left, then immediately after it turned left took a faint path on the right (I just about managed to spot the white arrow on a tree) which soon brought me to a road at Moor End.
The path from the farmyard to Moor End
The path from the farmyard to Moor End, just before it briefly joins a track
Across the road I went down a gravel drive, turning slightly left off it onto a path as soon as I reached the open grassy part of Moorend Common. As I followed the path I was again impressed by the sheer number of orchids (mainly Southern Marsh and Heath Spotted) growing here. I then continued along the path as it entered the wooded section of the common, immediately turning left and crossing a plank bridge over a tiny streamlet. After a few hundred yards I came to a drive (from some properties to the right), where I turned left (again visiting what was new territory to me) and soon reached the road at Moor Common.
Near the start of the path through Moorend Common, just after leaving the gravel drive at Moor End
The sheer number of orchids at Moorend Common was still stunning, though they were now past their best
The path continuing through the wooded part of Moorend Common
The path continuing through the wooded part of Moorend Common
The path continuing through the wooded part of Moorend Common
The drive on Moorend Common, leading to the road through Moor Common