Pete's Walks - Maidensgrove Common and Henley (page 3 of 5)
The bridleway dropped down through a wood to a path junction, where I continued ahead up a steepish slope - the map seems to indicate that this was Pissen Wood, with the adjoining Earl's Wood a few yards to my left. The bridleway now continued along a fairly flat section through a narrow strip of attractive beech wood - I do love the rustle of leaves under my boots on a late Autumn walk like this! I passed Famous Copse on my left (I still don't know how it got its name), crossed the route of the Chiltern Way as it headed south to pass Grey's Court, and continued through more beech wood to reach a lane (heading north to Bix).
Bridleway in Pissen Wood
Bridleway in Earl's Wood
Bridleway in Earl's Wood
Bridleway in Earl's Wood
In the wood shortly before reaching a lane
I went maybe a quarter mile left along this lane, before turning right into Lambridge Wood. After a few yards along a bridleway on a tarmac drive I forked right and followed a footpath through the wood (as usual the route was shown by arrows painted on trees, a necessity when the paths are obscured by leaves on days such as this). The map shows the path following an earthwork on the right, but I was never aware of this. The wood was initially another typical beech wood, but further on there was a section with much straggly undergrowth and some conifers, before another section of beech wood. Finally I passed through an area of young silver birch trees, before reaching Badgemoor Park Golf Club.
The lane going north to Bix
Near the start of the path through Lambridge Wood
The path through Lambridge Wood
The path through Lambridge Wood
The path through Lambridge Wood, just before the golf course
Badgemore Park Golf Club
The path continued ahead, past a green on the left and then along the right of a fairway. It then continued on a gravel track, before leaving the golf course at a stile that led onto a tarmac drive which then became a lane. A short footpath on the left, with a tall fence on the right (topped by both barbed -wire and even more vicious razor-wire) soon led down into a housing estate in the north of Henley-on-Thames. On reaching a street I turned right and then took the next turning on the left - there were several Red Kites in the tall trees here on this housing estate.. This went downhill to another street junction, where I went a few yards left and took a path on the right. This was a long narrow alley between walls and fences, which brought me to the A4130 (which I'd crossed earlier near Catslip) as it entered Henley from the northwest.
Part of the path through the golf course
The drive from the golf club
The path down to Henley
Footpath in Henley