Pete's Walks - Ashridge, Frithsden, Ward's Hurst Farm (page 2 of 5)
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 eventually reaching another crossing fence and hedge, I turned right and followed the fence uphill. At the top of the slope the fence turned left, and I also turned left, gradually moving slightly away from the fence as I headed towards a small wood named Webb's Copse. I went over another stile and continued through the wood. The permissive path then followed a lengthy hedgerow on my left. There were occasional gaps in the hedge giving views of the Golden Valley as it approached Nettleden. After several hundred yards the permissive path ended when it came to a stile. I went over the stile and continued along a clear path through the grass (actually the public footpath should turn right over the stile and then turn left in a field corner and follow that edge of the field, but there was no sign of such a path today). On reaching a field corner adjacent to some stables, I went through a gate and then turned right through a second gate immediately after the stable entrance. This path dropped downhill to reach a minor road in Frithsden.
The permissive path going up the side of Golden Valley after turning right
The path after it turns right, heading to Webb's Copse
View back across Golden ValleyThe route continuing from Webb's Copse
View along the valley towards Nettleden
Webb's Copse
The route continuing from Webb's Copse
The footpath continuing from Webb's Copse, with a view along the valley towards Nettleden
The footpath continuing from Webb's Copse - strictly speaking the path should follow the edge of this field
View back along Golden Valley
The footpath dropping down to Frithsden
I went a few yards right along the road, then took a footpath on the other side that went gently uphill through the trees of Great Frithsden Copse for almost half a mile (the path keeps right at an apparent fork, indicated by a waymark). The path then continued between garden fences, crossed a private drive (I'm not sure whether this still in Frithsden or part of Potten End), ran between gardens again, and finally emerged onto part of Berkhamsted golf course, where I turned right onto a bridleway. This was soon running through trees with a fairway just to my left.
The footpath through Great Frithsden Copse
The footpath after crossing a private drive (not sure if this is in Frithsden or Potten End)
The bridleway going past Berkhamsted Golf Club
The bridleway going past Berkhamsted Golf Club