Pete's Walks- Coombe Hill and Prestwood (page 2 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.
I turned right and followed the narrow lane downhill into the valley called Hampden Bottom. At the end of the lane (by a blacksmith's forge), I turned left for 20-30 yards and then took a path going into the small wood on what was now my right. This was possibly the first time I'd walked this path, I can only think a couple of occasions when I might have used it and neither of those walks were recorded on this web site. It was a rather faint path through the wood, but I soon came to its exit on the other side (the same point as two other paths left the wood). The path then crossed The Glade, a broad strip of grass between woods - looking along it to my right it headed straight for Hampden House. The path then continued through Pepperboxes Wood (managed by the Woodland Trust). When I reached a path crossroads by a bench, I turned right onto a path that soon curved left.
Cobblershill Lane
Cobblershill Lane, in Hampden Bottom
The wood opposite the end of Cobblershill Lane
Crossing The Glade
Looking right along The Glade, towards Hampden House
The path through Pepperboxes Wood (managed by the Woodland Trust)
The path through Pepperboxes Wood, after I turned right
When I reached a path crossroads in the wood, I turned right, immediately leaving the wood via a metal pedestrian gate and crossing a field of stubble. I'd only walked this path once before (about 10 years ago) and I'd totally forgotten the splendid views over Hampden Bottom to my right. On the other side of the field I crossed Honor End Lane (close to Honor End Farm) and went over a stile on the other side. This path went through part of a garden, then along the right edge of a paddock or enclosure - a small and obviously elderly dog barked at me from the other side of the fence, I wondered if it was the same on that barked at me when I was here 10 years ago. On reaching a corn field, I followed the field edge right a few yards then turned left in the field corner. On reaching the next field corner I went straight on, with another corn field on my left (and another nice view over Hampden Bottom to my right), to reach a wood called Oaken Grove. I followed the path straight on through the wood, to reach a minor road on the far side.
The path continuing from Lodge Wood, heading to Honor End Lane
View right from the path to Honor End Lane, across Hampden Bottom
Another view right from the path to Honor End Lane, across Hampden Bottom
The path from Honor End Lane heading to Oaken Grove
The path from Honor End Lane heading to Oaken Grove
Another view right, over Hampden Bottom
Oaken Grove
Oaken Grove
Oaken Grove, as I reached the minor road