Pete's Walks - Potten End and Little Gaddesden (page 2 of 2)
The footpath runs for over a mile without passing any buildings, or even any hedges. The only things it does pass are some trees around a pond (the actual path passes to the right of these, though the map shows it going to the left) and then a solitary tree a little distance before reaching Nettleden. The path is part of one of my favourite local walks (Kensworth to Little Gaddesden) and also part of Walk 2 of my Chiltern Chain Walk. I saw a couple of Buzzards being 'mobbed' by a pair of crows nearby as I followed the path along the valley bottom.
Near the start of the long valley path from Little Gaddesden to Nettleden
The long valley path from Little Gaddesden to Nettleden
The long valley path from Little Gaddesden to Nettleden
Apparently Nettleden (meaning 'a valley of nettles') used to lie within three different parishes: Pitstone and Ivinghoe in Buckinghamshire and Great Gaddesden in Hertfordshire. It now forms a separate parish with Potten End, entirely in Hertfordshire. I usually just touch the edge of the village, taking the footpath uphill to the Buddhist monastery at St Margarets in the parish of Great Gaddesden, but today I went a little way into the village, before turning right on a road which soon became a track as it left the village. The track (which I'd never walked before) is named Roman Road on the map, but a web site claims that it is also known locally as Spooky Lane as it is reputedly haunted by a monk from the monastery that was once on the site of Ashridge House. As the track went steadily uphill I soon passed under an impressive brick-built bridge, which was apparently put up to help create a short-cut for the Duke of Bridgewater (who owned the Ashridge estate and house). The track ran through what seemed to be a deep, narrow cutting with brick and flint walls euither side - certainly a most unusual section of public right of way, not like anything I've come across before in the Chilterns.
Approaching Nettleden
Roman Road (or Spooky Lane) passing under Devil's Bridge
Roman Road (or Spooky Lane)
At the top of the hill the track returned to the more normal pattern of running between hedgerows. There was a nice view left (east), or at least I guess there would be on a nicer day than this cold grey winter's afternoon! I sometimes liken parts of the Chilterns to a sheet of corrugated iron, with parallel lines of alternating ridges and valleys. Of course it's not really as simple as that, and here was one of several places where a ridge comes to a fairly abrupt end and the two valleys either side merge together - such spots usually make for good viewpoints. Further on the track became a surfaced lane as it dropped down into the small valley sheltering the village or hamlet of Frithsden.
Roman Road (or Spooky Lane)
A view left (east) from Roman Road
Approaching Frithsden
Frithsden
I crossed the road beside a pub, and took the path opposite which started back uphill at an easy gradient, just inside the eastern edge of Little Frithsden Copse. The path led after almost half a mile to a private road in part of Potten End. The path then ran a short distance between garden hedge before reaching the section of the Hertfordshire Way that I'd started out on - I turned left and retraced my earlier steps half a mile or so back to the car park in Potten End.
Start of the path from Frithsden
The path through Little Frithsden Copse
The path continuing towards Potten End
The path in Potten End
Heading back on the same path in Potten End
Going back across the golf course
Potten End
This was a very pleasant 2-hour walk, despite the gloomy conditions throughout. It was nice to try out a couple of short sections of path that I'd not used before - I'd definitely like to try to include them in longer routes. The walk would probably have been better if I'd been able to start at Hudnall (and would then have required almost no repetition at start and end), but then I'd have not visited the attractive centre of Potten End with its sizable pond.
To see another version of this walk that I did on 8/10/11, click here - Hudnall and Potten End.