Pete's Walks - Cobblershill and Little Kingshill (page 4 of 4)
I turned right along a road on the eastern edge of Prestwood, then took the second turning on the left. At the end of this street, I crossed another street and a path continued between garden fences or hedges. I turned right along a street at the end of the path. At a staggered crossroads I continued ahead, then turned right on a footpath past Prestwood Farm (some dogs barked fiercely beyond a fence on my right here). The path followed a track between a hedgerow and paddocks on the left. On reaching a corner of Rignall Wood, the path entered the wood and dropped steadily downhill. The path from the wood to Rignall Road was somewhat overgrown (unusual for paths round here) and inevitably I got stung by nettles. There were three more small but nasty looking dogs barking viciously as I passed the house by the road, but they were trained well enough not to come out of the open gate as I turned right along the road.
The path from Prestwood Farm to Rignall Wood
Rignall Wood
The path from Rignall Wood to Rignall Road
After a few yards I turned left along a long drive. The path kept left by a gateway, following a hedge initially as it headed up a slope into Coneybank Wood. As I climbed up through the trees I was surprised to come across 30-40 Pyramidal Orchids in the middle of the wood. The path emerged from the wood into a huge meadow, with views to the Misbourne Valley to my right. The path went left, following the edge of the wood. It soon re-entered Coneybank Wood, and on the far (western) side it joined a bridleway going northwest (right).
The drive north of Rignall road, heading to Coneybank Wood
The path to Coneybank Wood
The path uphill through Coneybank Wood
The path beside Coneybank Wood
The path back in Coneybank Wood
There were soon pleasant views over the valley on my right (why would anyone want to put a High-speed Train line there? Stop HS2). The bridleway was very muddy in places, as so many other paths were today. I followed it for about three quarters of a mile until I came to a track and path junction just south of Cobblershill, where I took a bridleway going half-right through Cockshoots Wood.
The bridleway going northwest from Coneybank Wood
The bridleway to Cobblershill
The bridleway to Cobblershill
Cockshoots Wood was dreadfully muddy in places. The bridleway was a little indistinct at first as it headed north through the wood, but further on their were blue waymarks pointing the way. After a while the bridleway went through a young plantation and then an open area, before dropping downhill through an area of beech trees. The bridleway took me directly back to the Cobblershill car park where I'd started.
The bridleway through Cockshoots Wood
The bridleway through Cockshoots Wood
The bridleway through Cockshoots Wood
The bridleway through Cockshoots Wood
I expected this walk to be good, and it did not disappoint me. It was a beautiful day for walking, but when the breeze disappeared in the afternoon I must admit I felt uncomfortably hot (I'm not used to any heat at all this 'summer'!). I felt as if I'd been baked by the time I got back to the car. But that did not really detract from the walk (and nor did the ridiculously muddy paths). It was a really good mix of woods and field paths, with several ups and downs and some attractive Chiltern views. There really is not much difference between doing the walk clockwise or this way, the only drawback anti-clockwise being the very steep climb (by Chiltern standards!) in Meadsgarden Wood.