Pete's Walks - Cholesbury and Whelpley Hill (page 2 of 5)
The concrete track soon brought me to a lane. A footpath continued on the other side, soon running along the edge of Hockeridge Wood - I was now briefly heading southwards. The path ran through a small section of the wood, following the valley of Hockeridge Bottom, and then I turned left at a path crossroads. I was now entering new territory once more, as the new path rose uphill through the wood, emerging to continue along another edge of the wood with a large and overgrown field to my right. On reaching a corner of the wood, the path went half-right across the field - the way wasn't clear and I pretty much had to make my own way through the tall weeds and wildflowers here. I came across a plant that I'd not seen before, which I later had identified as Black Nightshade. I also spotted some Redshank, the first I'd seen this year.
Start of the path to Hockeridge Wood
Hockeridge Wood
The start of the path going Uphill through Hockeridge Wood
The path continuing along the edge of Hockeridge Wood
The overgrown field between Hockeridge Wood and Chesham Road
On the far side of the overgrown field I reached the A416, the main road from Berkhamsted south to Chesham. I turned left (there were flat and wide verges either side) and after a couple of hundred yards turned right into a lane - there was a tall patch of wildflowers at this junction, where I spotted Common Toadflax, Purple Toadflax and Michaelmas Daisies amongst others. After a short distance the lane turned sharply right, but I continued straight ahead on a public byway - once again I was walking with the A41 just across the hedgerow on my left. There was a fair bit of traffic noise, but I'd expected that when I planned this route on the map. There was a lot of blue sky about now, so I was able to take off my waterproof jacket, though I suspected I'd need it again later. There were large paddocks or fields for horses to my right, before the byway entered a thin strip of woodland (where I spotted some Small Balsam).
The lane going east from Chesham Lane
The bridleway continuing eastwards immediately south of the A41
The bridleway continuing eastwards immediately south of the A41
Looking south from the bridleway
The public byway, immediately south of the A41
The public byway, immediately south of the A41
The bridleway between the public byway and the track to Bottom Farm
After about half a mile, the byway turned left, but I followed a bridleway straight on through the trees for a few yards to reach a farm track on the edge of the wood. I turned right, following the track downhill as it turned left and then right to reach Bottom Farm.
Looking east along the valley containing Bottom Farm and Lower farm
Looking back west, from the track to Bottom Farm
The track to Bottom Farm