Pete's Walks - Kensworth and Briden's Camp (page 2 of 2)
At the top of the hill, the path bore half-right across a field of young green corn, and then passed by the cottage called Nirvana to reach a lane. I turned left and followed the lane for a few hundred yards (it was heading to Trowley Bottom). When the lane turned sharply left, I stopped for lunch on a concrete block (where a path from Flamsteadbury farm comes in) and then continued in the same direction as before, along a wide path between hedges or fences. This track is not marked as a public right of way on the map, but I was now on part of the Hertfordshire Way.
Approaching Nirvana
The lane to Trowley Bottom
Track going northeast from a corner of the lane
After a couple of hundred yards or so, I turned left and crossed a ploughed field, turning right along the far hedgerow. Soon I was crossing another valley, with paddocks either side and a nice view ahead of me towards Flamstead. As the track I was on started up the far side of the valley, it soon came to a junction where it went left - I continued straight on, along a short path between trees and bushes to reach the village. As I followed a road uphill towards the church, I passed a sign saying 'Flamstead' - so the first houses I came to may have been in the adjoining settlement of Trowley Bottom.
The valley south of Flamstead (beware Alligators!)
The path into Trowley Bottom and Flamstead
Flamstead
Shortly after passing the church, I took a footpath on the left, which led to a parking area on Friendless Lane. I went just s few yards down the lane, then took a path on the right. This crossed a corner of a paddock, then followed the hedgeline to a corner, where the path continued between a fence and a hedge for some distance Across a stile, the path continued along the edge of a very large field with a few horses in it, and then along the edge of a smaller arable field. At the end of that field, I went through a hedge and continued onwards, on a broad grassy track that ran for a considerable distance between arable fields. All the way since Flamstead, the A5 was at the bottom of the valley on my right. Eventually another hedgerow appeared, which I followed down to Markyate.
The path from Friendless Lane to Markyate (the path runs between a fence and the hedge)
The path continuing through a large horse pasture
The path to Markyate
Approaching Markyate
I made my way through part of Markyate, continuing in the same direction and leaving the village on a path on the right-hand edge of some playing fields. Beyond those, the path followed another hedge on the right, then crossed a corner of another arable field before following yet another hedgerow all the way to Kensworth Lynch.
The path from Markyate to Kensworth Lynch
The path from Markyate to Kensworth Lynch
I crossed the road (the main road through Kensworth, which leaves the village as the Whipsnade Road where I started the walk) and took the lane opposite. This led past the few but very impressive houses of Kensworth Lynch, then ran along the bottom of a slight valley for over half a mile to reach Church End - the lane was frequently lined by yellow Lesser Celandine, and I saw another couple of Wood Anemones. At Church End, by the impressive Kensworth Church, the lane turned left (becoming Hollicks Lane), and soon there was a parallel path on the right, following the lane as it descended and then rose through a steep-sided valley (1-in-7 or steeper both sides, according to the map) to return to Kensworth.
The lane from Kensworth Lynch to Church End
The lane from Kensworth Lynch to Church End
The path running beside Hollicks Lane, between Church End and Kensworth
The 16-mile walk had taken me about 5 hours and 10 minutes, pretty good going by my standards nowadays. Despite the fairly grey and slightly misty weather conditions I had really enjoyed it - it had been a while since I'd done a long walk from home, and this walk reminded me how good the countryside is right on my doorstep. Seeing so many wildflowers for the first time this year was also encouraging - Spring has really sprung, and I'm really looking forward to seeing more flowers in the coming weeks and months.