Pete's Walks - Coombe Hill and Great Kimble (page 4 of 4)
I went a short way left, and took a path on the other side of the road. This continued through more fields, still heading roughly northeast. Eventually the path reached the splendid old farmhouse of Wellwick farm and its many outbuildings. I went straight on over a dilapidated stile across a rough pasture, through a pedestrian gate and straight on to a gateway in a corner, where I turned right between a house on my left and the farmyard. At a waymark post I went half-left to a similar post where the path turned half-right, now heading south west. The path then turned left along the northern edge of some large paddocks. It then went half-right across a large arable field, finally joining a track that led past a cricket-ground to reach a road on the western edge of Wendover.
The footpath continuing from Butler's Cross
The path approaching Wellwick Farm, with Wendover Woods in the background
The farm buildings at Wellwick Farm
The path from Wellwick Farm, looking towards Bacombe Hill. I would soon be following a rising path up that hill from left to right.
The path through the paddocks after Wellwick Farm
The path from Wellwick Farm
I followed the road uphill to my right. As it turned sharply right I went straight on, soon keeping right when the path forked. This path followed a wide path that was another part of the Ridgeway. It was then a lengthy and very gradual climb up Bacombe Hill - this is always a pleasant section (even when I'm going uphill!), although the views were nowhere near their best in these grey and cloudy conditions. The path led eventually to the monument on top of Coombe Hill, where I turned left. The path here crossed a broad area of grass, passed through a small belt of trees and then crossed a smaller area of grass and bushes to reach the car park.
Start of the path (part of the Ridgeway) up Bacombe Hill
The path up Bacombe Hill
The path up Bacombe Hill
Looking back towards Wendover from the path up Bacombe Hill
The path over Bacombe Hill to Coombe Hill
Approaching the monument on Coombe Hill
The path back to the car park from the monument on Coombe Hill
Approaching the Coombe Hill car park
I enjoyed this walk, which was a bit shorter than I usually do, despite the grey and gloomy conditions that lasted throughout the walk. There is a nice contrast between the flat section through fields along the foot of the Chilterns, and the mainly wooded section up and down through the hills. But overall I think I slightly preferred doing it the other way round (anti-clockwise), mainly to get the best of the views over Wendover from Bacombe Hill.