Pete's Walks - Ibstone, Skirmett and Wheeler End (page 5 of 5)
The path then entered a wood, containing a lot of holly. I went through two gates, either side of an entrance to a stable or shelter for the ponies I'd just seen, the path continuing a little way through a narrow extension of the wood. The path then carried on downhill across an arable field to reach Leygrove's Wood, where I turned left onto a forestry track. I was now back on familiar territory, but after the track crossed the short gap between Leygrove's Wood and Pound Wood, I forked right onto another path that was new to me. This ran eastwards, through an area of Pound Wood that had been felled and replanted, then turned north through an older section of the wood.
The path going west from near Watercroft Farm
The path going west from near Watercroft Farm, going down to Leygrove's Wood
The path going west through Pound Wood
The path continuing north through Pound Wood
North of the wood, the path continued along a rather winding track between flat arable fields, almost completely surrounded by woods. I noticed that the first of two small copses shown on the map had completely disappeared.. At a left bend in the track a stile led into an empty paddock, which I crossed half-left to reach Bigmore Lane. I turned left, joining the route of my Christmas Common, Turville and Cadmore End walk, which I'd been on briefly in Leygrove's Wood and which I would now follow all the way back to Ibstone.
The path north from Pound Wood to Bigmore Lane
The path north from Pound Wood to Bigmore Lane
Approaching Bigmore Lane
I followed the lane for maybe half a mile, until it crossed the M40 and ended at a junction with a minor road (from Stokenchurch to Marlow, the same road I'd seen in Bolter End). I took Chequers Lane almost opposite, but soon took a path going half-right across a couple of arable fields. It continued beside a left-hand hedgerow, then descended quite steeply through a wood into the valley of Twigside Bottom.
Bigmore Lane, just before it crosses the M40
The start of the path from Chequers Lane
The path continuing towards Penley Wood (I think)
The path descending through the wood into Twigside Bottom
The path crossroads is slightly complicated here, the straight on path actually going a short distance left along a very muddy track, parallel to the left path for a short while, before turning right along a wide grassy break in the trees. On leaving the wood, I slowly struggled uphill, initially through an area of rough grass with a good view left along the valley towards Fingest and Fingest Wood, then in a 'green tunnel' of bushes and small trees. At the top of the hill I reached the road through Ibstone, where I turned right and made my way back to my parked car.
Very muddy track in Twigside Bottom
The path from Twigside Bottom to Ibstone
The path from Twigside Bottom to Ibstone
The road through Ibstone, with Ibstone Common on the left
This had been an interesting walk for me, with several new paths that I'd not walked before. The section from Dolesden Lane through the woods to Skirmett was very good, and so too was the path from Hatchet Wood all the way to Frieth (it had some lovely views looking left). The section all the way from Mousells Wood to Wheeler End was also very pleasant, though slightly marred by the noise from the M40, as was the path through Pound Wood to Bigmore Lane. It was a shame I wasn't feeling quite 100% and had to cut the walk slightly short, but at least that means I can still look forward to exploring the area between Wheeler End and Horsley Green some other time! It was still a very good walk, and I'd certainly like to do it again - I'm sure it would seem even better on a nice summer's day.