Pete's Walks - Studham Common, Great Gaddesden, Hudnall (page 3 of 3)
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 crossed the road and continued down a private road or drive opposite. After two or three hundred yards, just before it went slightly right, I took a bridleway that forked very slightly right (other paths or bridleways started at the same point). This ran a short way through a wood, then followed a hedge on my left through a large grassy field sloping down into the Gade valley. On reaching a field corner, the bridleway went a few yards right, then turned left through a hedge and immediately ended at a bridleway T-junction. I turned right, following the hedge on my right gently downhill into the Gade valley to reach the A4146 again.
The private drive in Hudnall, after I crossed the road
The bridleway going north from Hudnall
View from the bridleway going north from Hudnall
The bridleway going north from Hudnall
The bridleway across the Gade Valley (the OS Map shows the river starting just a short way to the right of where this bridleway crosses the road)
Looking left, to the northwestern end of the valley
Across the main road, the bridleway continued up the opposite side of the valley, now with a hedge on my left. This was the only steepish part of today's walk. Near the top of the slope the bridleway switched to the left of the hedge, continuing between the hedge and a youngish plantation on my left. Further on I passed Ravensdell Wood on my left, then the bridleway continued along the right edge of an arable field. On reaching the corner of this field, the path continued along a short track or drive to reach Common Road in Studham.
The bridleway continuing up the opposite side of the valley
Looking back across the Gade valley
Looking along the valley, southeastwards (towards Great Gaddesden)
The bridleway continuing towards Studham
The bridleway continuing towards Studham, passing Ravensdell Wood
The bridleway continuing towards Studham
The bridleway continuing towards Studham
Across the road the bridleway went half-right across another field, dropping down into a valley. It reached the field corner, where I crossed Valley Road and followed a bridleway along the valley bottom. This brought me to Studham school and Studham Common. Just a few yards into the common, I turned right onto a path that entered trees and curved left to run along near the top of this wooded section of the common. Across a road I continued along the top of the grassy central section of Studham Common, and when I reached a second road I just had to cross it to return to the car park where I'd started.
The bridleway continuing between Common Lane and Valley Lane, Studham
The bridleway after I crossed Valley Lane, heading to Studham Common
The start of STudham Common (I turned right, passing the yellow=topped post)
The path through the wooded western third of Studham Common (the common is divided into three by two roads)
The path continuing along the top of the central third of Studham Common (the central and eastern sections of the common were used for agriculture during WWII, hence they are now mainly grass)
The path continuing along the top of the central third of Studham Common (the car park where I started is across the road at the end of this section)
View left from the central third of Studham Common
It was a shame I had to cut my intended route short because of some light rain (I'm not sure if was more bothered about me getting wet or my camera getting wet), and of course once I'd made the final decision to shorten it the weather improved (it was even briefly sunny as I re-crossed the Gade valley). But I enjoyed the shorter walk that I ended up doing, and at least I walked the section from Studham Common to Great Gaddesden, which surprisingly I don't think I'd walked for 6-7 years. I used to walk it quite often as it's part of a favourite local route of mine from Kensworth to Hudnall and back.