Pete's Walks - Kensworth, Markyate, Studham, Whipsnade (page 3 of 3)
I followed a path just inside the edge of Church Grove, before taking the long bridleway that leads to the fence surrounding Whipsnade Zoo. I turned left along the old lane from Holywell to Whipsnade, and as usual turned off it to follow short field paths to Whipsnade church.
Path through Church Grove, Studham
Bridleway to Whipsnade Zoo
Bridleway to Whipsnade Zoo - you can see that several people had walked this way already
The path beside the zoo fence - numerous Wallabies and Chinese Water Deer were about
The old lane from Holywell to Whipsnade
The path from the old lane to Whipsnade church (it meets a path behind the hedge at the top of the field, with the church to the left and Holywell to the right)
Approaching Whipsnade church
It was now that I abandoned my planned route, and headed downhill across the green towards the Old Hunter's Lodge restaurant and Whipsnade Heath. The bushes either side of the abandoned section of Buckwood Lane were heavily covered in snow, unusual as throughout most of the walk the trees and bushes were surprisingly bare of snow. There was plenty of snow on the trees in Whipsnade Heath too. It was then just a few hundred yards back to Common Road, Kensworth and a nice downhill finish back to my home.
From the green at Whipsnade, looking over the Old Hunter's Lodge towards Whipsnade Heath
This is the old bit of Buckwood Lane, made redundant when the Whipsnade Road was built about 1930 to provide access for visitors to the zoo
Whipsnade Heath (you probably worked that one out yourself!)
Path through Whipsnade Heath
The path from Whipsnade Heath to Kensworth
Common Road, Kensworth
The forecast had said that the early sunshine would give way to cloud, but I was still (unreasonably) disappointed that so much of the walk was under leaden skies that resulted in less interesting photographs. I was also slightly disappointed that so many trees were bare of snow, again making for less attractive scenes. I do love getting out for a walk in the snow, but this was the first time I can remember having to contend with snow that had drifted to knee-high for several hundred yards - the first few steps were quite entertaining, but then it became a bit of a hard slog. Overall, I only managed to walk at about two-thirds my usual pace, which shows how much the snow slowed me down. But I enjoyed myself nevertheless, and if the snow stays around for a few more days I'll try to get out in it again.