Pete's Walks- Coombe Hill and Redland End (page 5 of 5)
From near the car park a bridleway I'd not used before went right, parallel to the road, starting up a shallow flight of wooden 'steps' beside a wooden railing. It continued through Pulpit Wood until it reached a track, where it went a few yards left towards a gate by the road. I have to say I was a little confused here, as the paths on the ground didn't quite seem to match those on the OS map - in particular, there seemed to be an additional footpath starting off into the wood from this gate. Anyway, I took the bridleway that went left from the gate, heading northeast into the wood. When it met another track I was again slightly confused, but went a few yards left then turned right to continue northeast-wards again. This turned out to be the right decision, as I followed the bridleway through what was now Pond Wood. The bridleway eventually turned eastwards, and ran through a narrow belt of trees (possibly still part of Pond Wood) to reach a road, close to the entrance to Chequers.
The start of the bridleway from the car park on the southern side of Pulpit Hill
The bridleway along the southern side of Pulpit Hill, running parallel to the road
The bridleway along the southern side of Pulpit Hill, running parallel to the road
The bridleway heading northeast into Pond Wood
The bridleway through Pond Wood
The bridleway through Pond Wood
The bridleway through Pond Wood
The bridleway through Pond Wood
The bridleway through Pond Wood
Looking left towards Chequers - the walkers in the bottom left of the photo are on part of the Ridgeway that runs through the grounds of Chequers (it looks like the fence the path ran beside has been removed and two fields merged into one)
I crossed the road and followed a bridleway next to it for a few yards left, before taking a footpath on my right that led across a field of cabbages to reach a lane in the hamlet of Buckmoorend (I'd passed the other end of the lane, in the woods near Little Hampden, much earlier on the walk). I turned left and followed the lane through the hamlet back to the same road I'd just crossed. Where the lane met the road I turned right, to join the route of the Ridgeway which I'd now follow for almost all the rest of the walk. It ran through a narrow belt of trees (I chose to use a walker's only alternative to the main bridleway here), then after crossing another bridleway it rose uphill through Goodmerhill Wood. Near the top of the slope, the Ridgeway turned left, and it was quite easy to now follow it northwards through the woods, just looking for the white acorn waymarks at any path junctions.
The path going across a field to reach Buckmoorend
The lane through Buckmoorend
The Ridgeway going east from Buckmoorend (I took the walkers-only path on the left)
The Ridgeway continuing uphill through Goodmerhill Wood
The Ridgeway now going north through Goodmerhill Wood
The Ridgeway now going north through Linton's Wood (not there is still ice on the path)
The Ridgeway now going north through Linton's Wood
After about half a mile, I reached a road on Lodge Hill (not the one near Bledlow), where I turned right. After two or three hundred yards the Ridgeway went left through more woods. When it went through a metal kissing-gate, I turned right to go the short distance back to the car park on Coombe Hill.
The Ridgeway on the other side of the road up Lodge Hill
The path approaching the Coombe Hill car park
This was a very enjoyable walk. Apart from the mud and ice it was a beautiful day and so any walk would be close to its best in such conditions. But I really think this walk would still be good in less favourable conditions. There were some nice views, though the best were probably right at the beginning at Coombe Hill, and several ups and downs. It's not a route for people who don't like woods though, as I've done few walks that have spent such a high percentage of the time in woods. It is certainly a route I'd like to walk again, though I suspect most people would prefer a route in this area that included at least one of Pulpit Hill, Beacon Hill or Whiteleaf Hill (for instance the route I call my 'Four hills walk').
It's funny how people's views differ. A walker I spoke to briefly on another walk recently said he preferred walking in winter because there were fewer other walkers about (I took the hint and let him go on on his own!), whereas I know other people who rarely walk in the winter months at all (usually because of the mud). I certainly can't say I prefer walking in winter (though walking in snow, especially with a hoar frost, can be really special), but nor would I want to walk less in winter. This walk and the one I did a fortnight ago (Cowleaze Wood, Studdridge Farm, Christmas Common), both on cold but sunny days, gave me just as much pleasure as all but the very best walks I've done in warmer months.