Pete's Walks- Hudnall and Potten End (page 3 of 3)
I continued on through Frithsden Beeches, keeping just inside the beech wood when a huge open meadow appeared just to the left. Eventually I crossed a drive or track and continued for a couple of hundred yards or so along the edge of the meadow. At a waymark post I turned right for a few yards to a small parking area and a surfaced road (leading to Ashridge House, to my left). I then took the private road opposite, which led uphill and then continued as a path between fences. I went through a gate and continued ahead across part of a huge cattle pasture (there were a few cows off to my right). The path was now steadily descending into the Golden Valley at Ashridge, with a nice view left along the valley in the direction of Nettleden where I'd been earlier.
Frithsden Beeches
The bridleway continuing from Frithsden Beeches - I turned right at the waymark post just ahead
The private road in another bit of Frithsden
The path continuing from the end of the private road
The path continuing from the end of the private road, approaching Golden Valley
The path descending into Golden Valley
Looking right, along Golden Valley towards Nettleden
At the bottom of the valley I took a path that went half-right along a broad track, presumably a former drive to Ashridge House which was now behind me. The track climbed gently through the tress on this side of the valley, turning sharply left at a hairpin bend and taking me to the road that runs through Little Gaddesden. A few yards to the left a bridleway started on the other side. This went into a small courtyard and passed between a wall and a fence to reach a stable yard. The bridleway here went right and then left, continuing between hedges and fences. It turned left and then right in the corner of a large paddock or pasture, continuing between a hedgerow and a fence to reach a small wood. On the far side of the wood the bridleway ended at Hudnall Common, with my parked car just a short distance to the left.
The path rising up the other side of the valley to Little Gaddesden
The path rising up the other side of the valley to Little Gaddesden
The path from Little Gaddesden to Hudnall Common, just past the stables
The path from Little Gaddesden to Hudnall Common
The path from Little Gaddesden to Hudnall Common
Approaching Hudnall Common
This was a very pleasant shorter walk, on a beautiful winter's day. I've followed this route, or slight variations of it, several times now - it's a useful shorter walk for me very close to my home, if I don't feel like travelling further afield.
Unfortunately I'm still suffering from the post-viral fatigue (or whatever) that I've now had for over ten months, and even after a 2-hour walk like this I felt unwell afterwards. So I don't know when I'll be back doing longer walks. The best I can manage at the moment is a 2-3 hour walk every 2-3 weeks.