Pete's Walks - Wigginton and Wendover Woods (page 4 of 4)
Across a lane, the byway (now called Leafy Lane, according to a fingerpost) continued past a couple of residences. A little further on I turned left, into a similar hedge-lined byway. Ignoring a couple of paths on the left, I followed it as it soon turned right to reach a T-junction with another byway just inside the edge of Grove Wood. Here I turned right, and started plodding slowly uphill through the wood. The steepest part was after a slight turn to the left, where I spotted some more Wild Clematis.
The start of Leafy Lane (the southern continuation of Fox Lane)
Leafy Lane
The byway that curves round to Grove Wood
The byway that curves round to Grove Wood
Start of the byway that climbs up through Grove Wood
The byway that climbs up through Grove Wood (as usual my camera is lying about how steep this is!)
At the top of the hill I passed a garden on my left, and then followed a drive into Hastoe. I turned left onto a lane at the end - this lane almost immediately went left, but I continued straight on down Church Lane (the track called Brown's Lane, which I crossed earlier, went right here). After almost half a mile I reached a T-junction, where I went two or three hundreds yards left before taking a path going right. This immediately entered Bishop's Wood, part of Tring Park.
Hastoe is the highest hamlet in Hertfordshire (the high point is in Pavis Wood, quarter of a mile away on Haddington Hill, whose summit is the highest pint in Buckinghamshire). Like Tring Park, it is closely associated with the Rothschild family, who built many of the cottages here for their farm workers. Lionel Rothschild was very fond of hunting and established a kennels in the village.
The byway continuing from Grove Wood into Hastoe
The start of Church Lane, Hastoe
The short road section leading to Tring Park
The path through Bishop's Wood, the first part of Tring Park
Tring Parkis a large country house near Tring, Hertfordshire. In 1975, the A41 dual carriageway split the grounds – the house, renamed Tring Mansion, now houses “The Arts Educational School, Tring Park”, while the greater part of the extensive grounds are managed by the Woodland Trust. Little is known of the early history of the house, but it was held by Royalists during the Civil War. In the 1800’s and early 1900’s it was owned by members of the Rothschild family (as were many other grand houses nearby – this area was once called ‘Rothschildshire’). The 2nd Lord Rothschild’s zoological collection forms the basis of the Natural History Musueaum at Tring. He also released the edible Dormouse into Tring Park, and had his carriage pulled by Zebras (the town’s symbol has been the head of a Zebra ever since).
The path continued along the wooded King Charles's Ride (Charles II and Nell Gwynne were once guests at Tring Park), with occasional views down the slope on my left over Tring Park, Tring and the Vale of Aylesbury beyond. After approximately three quarters of a mile, the footpath turned right to leave Tring Park, running in front of some cottages to reach Fox Road on the edge of Wigginton.
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
Looking left, out over Tring Park, Tring and the Vale of Aylesbury
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
The path out of Tring Park to Wigginton
I turned right and followed the road through the village. When the road turned left, I entered the park in front of me, turning left and walking round two sides of the park. Beyond a short side street I crossed a road and followed a path straight on to return to the playing fields where my car was sitting in the car park.
The road through Wigginton
The park, Wigginton
I used to really enjoy this route, but I think I did it once or twice too often and became a bit bored with it. Not having done it for some time (as evidenced by the fact I had two or three navigational issues!), and also starting it in Wigginton rather than Wendover Woods, it almost seemed like a new walk. Anyway, for whatever reason, I really enjoyed it today. Of course the glorious weather helped! Although if anything it was a touch too hot, the temperature reaching 27C in the shade - I wasn't completely exhausted, but I was glad I wasn't walking any further when I got back to the car.