Pete's Walks - Kensworth, Studham Church, Whipsnade
I did this very roughly 4.5-mile walk on Monday, 20th September 2010. It was a variation on a local walk I have done numerous times before. I am still suffering problems with my left foot and leg, but I thought I'd try a shortish walk to see how I got on. I'm on holiday for a couple of weeks, so I hope to manage a few short walks, at least.
I started walking about 9.00am, starting out of Kensworth along the Whipsnade Road, then taking the path on the left across a couple of meadows to reach Dovehouse Lane - the first, much larger meadow, had been cut for hay. I turned right along the lane. Where it ended on Buckwood Lane, I went a few yards right, then took the path that runs alongside the gardens of Holywell.
Hay meadow between the Whipsnade Road and Dovehouse Lane, Kensworth
The path beside the gardens of Holywell
I went straight on at the path junction where I often turn left for Byslips Road and Studham Common or Markyate. The path ran along a headland between fields, then through a small wood to reach the road between Holywell and Studham. I went a few yards left and took a path on the far side, following a hedgerow to reach the edge of Studham. Here I turned right at a path crossroads. As I passed Studham church, I noticed Whipsnade church in the distance (falsely appearing to be surrounded by trees), a view I don't remember noticing before. I also noticed Swallows and House Martins flying around near Studham church.
Path from Holywell towards Studham
Approaching Studham
Looking across to Studham church
I crossed another small meadow to reach a wood (Church Grove or Mason's Plantation, I'm not quite sure of the boundary between them). Turning right, I soon left the trees, my way continuing as a bridleway following another hedgerow on my right. This pleasant path went down and up a dip, passing two ploughed fields on my left to reach a small triangular bit of woodland. A few yards further on I had the tall fence of Whipsnade Zoo on my left.
Looking back to Studham church
The path through Church Grove
The bridleway from near Studham church to the Whipsnade Zoo fence
Approaching the zoo fence
At the end of the bridleway, I turned left along the former lane between Holywell and Whipsnade, before turning right and then left to reach Whipsnade church. I followed the huge green at Whipsnade downhill to my right to reach the road opposite the Old Hunter's Lodge, but almost immediately forked right, on a path along what was the old road into Whipsnade before the road from Kensworth was built in about 1930. It was then a short stroll through Whipsnade Heath and across a couple of fields (more Swallows!) to return to Common Road, Kensworth.
The old lane from Holywell to Whipsnade
Path between the old lane and Whipsnade church
Path from Whipsnade to Whipsnade Heath - this was actually the main road into Whipsnade before they built the road from Kensworth through the heath when the zoo opened in about 1930
Path through the woods of Whipsnade Heath
The path from Whipsnade Heath back to Common Road, Kensworth.
It was rather grey when I set off, but it turned into a very pleasant September morning. The walk took just over 1.5 hours, less than I thought it would. The highlight of the walk was seeing a Small Copper butterfly shortly before I reached Whipsnade church.
I'll see how my leg feels before I decide on when and where I'll walk again.