Pete's Walks - Buckland Common, Chesham, The Lee (page 4 of 4)
The path then continued through a thin strip of woodland for almost half a mile. Across a minor road, the path took a tiny diversion to avoid a garden then continued its previous very straight north-westerly course, now along the edge of an arable field. It passed through a small wooded area, then passed garden boundaries before arriving at the car park for the Gate Inn in Lee Gate I walked through the car park and down the short drive from the pub to a road.
Further along the path from Lee Clump
Yet further along the path from Lee Clump - this thin strip of woodland is not named on the map
Continuing on the same path just after the road crossing
The same path further on, shortly before reaching Lee Gate
For a few yards, as I went right down the road here and then turned left onto a byway, I was on the route of the Chiltern Way. But that soon forked right to cross a field, while I entered new territory once more as I followed the byway past a few cottages and on into Lordling Wood. Here the byway quickly turned right, soon reaching a junction with a cottage visible a few yards ahead. I turned left for a few yards, then right where a path crossroads was marked by white arrows on a tree. This path went eastwards through the wood, touching the garden of the cottage at one point. As I reached a junction close to the edge of the wood (where I kept left) I met a small group of walkers coming the other way.
The drive or lane going north from Lee Gate
Further along the same drive, just before Lordling Wood
The path going northeast from Lordling Wood
I took a path going north-eastwards from Lordling Wood, crossing a field of stubble to reach a lane. A path continued in the same direction on the other side, first to the left of a hedge in a smallish meadow, then switching to the right of the hedgerow through another stubble field, before switching back to the left of the hedgerow. The path then went slightly left to avoid a small enclosure. Across another lane, the path continued over a series of stiles through the grounds of Old Brun's Farm, then cut across a corner of a field before following a headland to reach Stonehill Wood.
The path continuing after crossing a lane
The path approaching Old Brun's Farm
The path just beyond Old Brun's Farm, looking towards Stonehil Wood
I took a path going diagonally through the wood (north-eastwards). This was a pleasant section, as the wood was a little more varied than other woods I'd been through today. On the far side I emerged onto a bridleway, where I turned right. Almost immediately I was just inside another wood (Ashen Grove, I think from the map), with arable fields on my right. At the end of this wood, the bridleway curved left to head north-eastwards (again I was on the Chiltern Way for a short while here) and soon passed Dundridge Manor. At the end of the drive from the manor house, I turned left and then went right at a road junction. It was then just a short distance back to the end of Bottom Road in Buckland Common and my waiting car.
Stonehill Wood
Stonehill Wood
The bridleway just after Stonehill Wood
The bridleway along the southern edge of Ashen Grove
The bridleway continuing towards Dundridge Manor
The bridleway continuing towards Dundridge Manor
As you can see from the photos, it was quite sunny for much of this walk - this made a really nice change from the grey and gloomy conditions of my previous few walks! It was an enjoyable if unspectacular walk, and it was nice to try out some new paths again - they were all quite reasonable, and I may well use the last section back to Buckland Common again. I was a little disappointed that the bridleway through Herberts Hole was so muddy, making it a bit of a slog, but then any low-lying bridleway is going to be muddy at this time of year. Overall, it was another pleasant day out in the Chiltern Hills.
To see this walk done in the opposite direction on 24/12/11, click here - Buckland Common, The Lee, Chesham