Pete's Walks - Kensworth to Redbourn and back
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 did this walk of roughly 15 miles on Monday, 31st August, 2009 (a Bank Holiday Monday) - it was a repeat of the Kensworth-Redbourn walk that I have done many times before.
I left home about 9.25am and set off down Common Road, Kensworth. There was an autumnal feel to the morning as it was quite grey and misty. But the forecast indicated that the grey clouds would soon break up and there would be sunny intervals for most of the day. In fact it drizzled slightly as I made my way to Markyate (I needed to wipe my glasses a couple of times) and it would remain grey and overcast right up to the last half hour or so of the walk.
Common Road, Kensworth - near the start of the walk
The path to Markyate
As I walked through Markyate a lady stopped me and asked about my walk - we ended up chatting for ten minutes or so. Her name was Judith, and she and her husband were both keen walkers, and were going walking themselves later on. She said she lead walks from Markyate, including health walks for older people. We discussed various local walks, and it turned out that they had been on walking holidays with HF Holidays, as I have been.
From Markyate I followed part of the Hertfordshire Way to Flamstead, then made my way to the M1 and on to Redbourn.
Start of the path from Markyate to Flamstead, following the Hertfordshire Way route
The Three Blackbirds, Flamstead
View back towards Flamstead from the path to Redbourn
Not the most interesting shot I've ever taken! This huge field is just across the M1 bridge I go over on the way to Redbourn, and it slopes down from here to the A5 in the Ver valley. It is noticeable because it is the Hertfordshire County Showground. As well as the Hertfordshire Show (usually held at the end of May), it hosts car boot sales and other events.
The path from the M1 to Redbourn
Further along the path from the M1 to Redbourn
I reached Redbourn around noon, disappointed that the weather had remained grey and gloomy - at least the mist and drizzle had cleared about the time I left Markyate. It was also pretty warm, despite the grey conditions. I walked past the cricket ground on the huge common in the centre of the village, then started the return leg of the walk along the lane to Flamsteadbury. I then continued along a lengthy farm track and then some lanes into Trowley Bottom.
Near the start of the return back - the long farm track from Flamsteadbury
A view of Flamstead from the lane to Trowley Bottom
I had my lunch on the usual log at the end of the bridleway just past Trowley Bottom, then set off up the lane, turning along Friendless Lane for a short distance before taking the path that runs parallel to it.
The path through Friendless Wood, the start of the path parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The start of the 'public highway' from Roe End to Studham Common
As I walked along the 'public highway' from Roe End, the skies started to brighten. About the time I reached Holywell there were finally large patches of blue in the sky, and by the time I got back to Kensworth it was a gorgeous sunny afternoon.
The 'public highway'
The path from Byslips Road to Holywell - finally some blue sky!
Start of the footpath from Dovehouse Lane to the Whipsnade Road - now the walks virtually over, the weather is gorgeous!
This is always a pleasant route to walk, something I often fall back on when I can't think of somewhere else to walk. It was disappointing that the weather remained grey and gloomy for far longer than I'd expected, and I was disappointed that I saw very little wildlife again. There were numerous Speckled Wood butterflies, and I saw a Comma near Friendless Lane. There was some Chicory growing along the path from the M1 to Redbourn, this is one of only two places I see it growing locally.