Pete's Walks - Stoke Row, Nettlebed, Woodhouse Farm (page 3 of 7)
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 at the junction, but then immediately turned right onto a footpath that led into Padnell's Wood. I checked the map when I reached a path crossroads, and realised I should have recognised where I was - the path on the right, which goes to Shepherd's Green and the one straight on (which I followed) are ones I've used several times before. The path ahead curved left through the trees to reach Rocky Lane (I've not walked this part of the lane, but have walked three other stretches of it on various walks). Across the lane a path continued across a grassy field, passing through a small area of bushes after a few yards and then passing near a solitary tree, to reach a large wood called Holly Grove. Just a short way into the wood the path ended at a path T-junction, where I turned left - again I was starting a section of paths I'd not used before. After about a hundred yards a waymark post indicated another path junction, where I forked right. This path was a little unclear, but it was more or less straight and there were just about enough white arrows to guide me.
The path through Padnell's Wood
The path through Padnell's Wood
The path through Padnell's Wood
The path from Rocky Lane to Holly Grove
The path continuing into Holly Grove
The path after I turned left in Holly Grove
The path after I forked right in Holly Grove
The path after I forked right in Holly Grove
The path brought me to a path junction by a gate or stile on the southwestern side of Holly Grove, next to the B481. I turned sharp right here, following another straight path back through more of Holly Grove. After a while there was an area of conifers on my right. On reaching a path T-junction I turned left, this path now running through yet another nice area of beech trees. I soon passed close to a field on my left. Further on I came to another path junction where I turned on to a path going right (the B481 was just a short distance ahead of me at this point, where I was at the northwestern tip of Holly Grove). This path initially ran close to fields over to my left, before curving further right, back towards the centre of Holly Grove. After I had followed it for about a third of a mile, it went left along a track - the track is not shown on the map, and I was confused into thinking I'd reached the next junction. I started to get a little concerned, as I knew I should recognise the next path but I didn't recognise this at all.
The path after I turned right in Holly Grove (at the path junction by the road)
The path after I turned right in Holly Grove
The path after I turned left in Holly Grove
The path after I turned left in Holly Grove
The path after I turned right in the northwest corner of Holly Grove
The path continuing eastwards through Holly Grove
The path continuing eastwards through Holly Grove
The path continuing eastwards through Holly Grove (this is after it turns left onto a small track)
Fortunately I soon came to the junction that I'd mistakenly thought I'd already reached, which I had no difficulty in recognising. I turned left here, passing through an area of Rhododendrons and then going by a pond on my left. I then finally left Holly Grove, continuing along a track with a wooden fence on my right, beyond which was some park land. The track brought me to the small settlement of Lower Highmoor where the bridleway entered Highmoor Common Wood. I went straight on where the bridleway crossed a byway, starting another section of paths I'd not previously walked, the bridleway now running along a surfaced drive through the attractive beech wood.
The bridleway after I turned left
The bridleway just after it leaves Holly Grove, approaching Lower Highmoor
The bridleway continuing through Highmoor Common Wood
The bridleway continuing through Highmoor Common Wood