Pete's Walks - Watlington Hill, Cookley Green and Pishill (part 1)
UPDATE 30/10/2023: You now have to pay (£3 a day, I believe) at Watlington Hill car park, unless you are a National Trust member.
I did this walk on Monday 11th May 2009 - it was a repeat of a walk I did in December 2007 (see here). A slightly lengthened version of the walk (including Swyncombe Downs) became Walk 17 of my Chiltern Chain Walk.
The walk was an almost 13-mile circular route in the Oxfordshire part of the Chilterns. Starting at Watlington Hill, I went down to part of the Ridgeway National Trail, then back uphill to Cookley Green and on along the escarpment past Swyncombe, with fine views out over the Oxfordshire Plain. I then went through Park Corner and then to the Warburg nature reserve (where I had a quick 20-minute look around). From there I went through Maidensgrove to Pishill, and finally through College Wood and along the ancient Hollandridge Lane to the charmingly named Christmas Common, from where it was a short road walk back to Watlington Hill.
I started out from the car park at Watlington Hill about 10.20am - it was a sunny Spring day, though there was a strong easterly wind that would last all day. As always, the path down Watlington Hill was a delight, running beside a stand of Yew trees and with a view ahead of the Oxfordshire plain. I saw my first Sanicle and Common Rock-rose of the year here, too.
The path descending Watlington Hill
At the bottom of he hill, I followed a road to the right for a short distance and then turned left. I used the permissive path here, rather than follow the tarmac drive that is the official route of the Ridgeway National Trail.
The permissive path, parallel to the Ridgeway National Trail
Where the permissive path ended, I turned left along a drive (I was leaving the Ridgeway here, though I would meet it again briefly later). Beyond a farm, the bridleway became a track, initially between hedges then rising steadily uphill through trees.
Looking back to Watlington Hill, from the bridleway to Cookley Green
The bridleway to Cookley Green
At the top of the hill, the bridleway joined the drive to another farm to reach a lane. I continued on the other side, along a drive that passed Coates Farm on the way to Cookley Green.
The drive to Coates Farm, on the way to Cookley Green
Looking out over the Oxfordshire Plain, from the drive to Cookley Green
The drive from Coates Farm to Cookley Green
The green at Cookley Green
At Cookley Green I briefly joined the Chiltern Way, going a few hundred yards down a lane and turning left on a path through Church Wood. As this path started to descend towards Swyncombe, I turned left on a path along the top of the Chiltern escarpment.
Path through Church Wood, between Cookley Green and Swyncombe
Path from Church Wood to the parkland around Swyncombe House
Looking over Swyncombe to the Oxfordshire Plain
After a while the path entered the park surrounding Swyncombe House, but still continued along the escarpment with fine views out over the Oxfordshire Plain.
Start of the path through the parkland around Swyncombe House
The path through the parkland around Swyncombe House
The Oxfordshire Plain from the path through the parkland around Swyncombe House
On leaving the park, I rejoined the Ridgeway for a few hundred yards as it made its way to the farm at Ewelme Park.
The Ridgeway National Trail, just before Ewelme Park