Pete's Walks - Old Amersham and Beaconsfield (page 3 of 3)
Beyond Birchen Spring the path crossed an empty paddock and entered Blue Close Wood, descending through the trees to a valley bottom. I turned left, following the valley to reach Bottom Wood. At a path crossroads I turned right, going uphill on a wide path which ran between hedges after leaving the wood. I then turned left along Bottom Lane for a short distance to reach the extensive Hodgemoor Woods.
The path from Birchen Spring to Blue Close Wood
Path through Blue Close Wood
Looking back towards Bottom Wood, from the path to Bottom Lane
Bottom Lane, approaching Hodgemoor Woods
The path forked almost as soon as I entered the wood, and I took the right fork. The two forks soon came back together again at a junction where I turned right and soon sat on a log to eat my packed lunch. As I started off again, I could see blue skies catching me up as I headed southeast. The path briefly left the woods, running next to hedge with a lane on the other side, then turning left to go past a riding stables, before re-entering the woods. I was now back on the route of the Chiltern Heritage Trail, which I'd follow for the rest of this walk. The blues skies overtook me now, and the rest of the afternoon would be bright and sunny, a real contrast to the morning.
Path through Hodgemoor Woods
Path through Hodgemoor Woods - at last the skies were clearing and there was some sunshine!
I continued straight on through the woods, staying close to fields on my right. At the end of Hodgemoor Woods I crossed Botterells Lane and walked across a small field to a gate (where I crossed the route of the Chiltern Way). I continued on along a farm track, gradually descending to Upper Bottom House Farm. Across a lane a path went through the farmyard, then continued uphill, initially along some trees that presumably marked the path of an old hedge, then bearing left along a headland between green fields.
The path starting from Botterells Lane - the stile in the middle of the photo was where I crossed the Chiltern Way
Looking ahead over the Misbourne Valley
Looking left towards the Misbourne Valley, just before Upper Bottom House Farm
The path from Upper Bottom House Farm - the photo makes this looks flat but it was decidedly uphill!
On reaching a hedgerow, I went right for a few yards to a gate or stile. The path continued across a large flat field to reached Day's Wood, where it turned left alongside the wood. Beyond the wood the path followed a hedge on my right, before switching to the other side of the hedge at a field corner. To my right now were pleasant views over the Misbourne valley towards the area between Amersham and Little Chalfont. The path continued ahead as the hedge veered left, crossing fields to reach the next wood, Rodger's Wood. The path just cut through a corner of the wood, before descending gradually across two fields to reach a valley bottom. I turned left and followed a track that soon went under a road bridge and continued on to bring me back to the High Street in Old Amersham. The car park was then just a short distance to my left.
Approaching Day's Wood
The path to Rodger's Wood, from the corner of Day's Wood
The path to Rodger's Wood
Approaching Old Amersham
For various reasons this was my first walk for a while, and I enjoyed it, despite the grey weather conditions for most of it. The path from Old Amersham to Mop End was one I'd wanted to try for a while, having spotted it on the map, and it was very pleasant, certainly one I'd be happy to follow again. The section from Winchmore Hill to Hodgemoor Woods I'd only walked once before, in the other direction, so that was quite interesting for me. And though the bits of the Chiltern Heritage Trail were obviously familiar to me, I enjoyed walking them again, especially the final section back to Old Amersham.