Pete's Walks- Pitstone Hill, Aldbury, Clipper Down (page 2 of 2)
Beyond this large paddock, the path crossed a drive and went down a driveway, then went through a gate to continue beside twin fences on my right through another large paddock (this one was empty, the previous one had three occupants). Across the smaller enclosures to my right was the steep wooded slope rising to near the Bridgewater monument at Ashridge - they were some way away, but I could see numerous Primroses growing near the foot of the hillside. Looking left, I could see the hillock by the car park where I'd started. The path went through a gate in the corner of the paddock, continuing beside a hedge on my left through another paddock or pasture - there was one clump of Primroses in the hedge here.
After crossing a drive and going down a driveway, the path continues alongside this double fence
Looking left from about the same spot as the previous photo - the hillock by the Pitstone Hill car park is visible on the skyline, right
The path continues through this field, now following the hedge on the left
Primroses growing in the hedgerow - these were the only ones I saw here, but there were many more on the other side of the field at the bottom of the wooded slopes of Ashridge
I went through a gate on the far side of the field, and was back on familiar territory. I crossed a bridleway (coming down from near the start of the track from the Monument to Ivinghoe Beacon, and going to a stables a little way to my left) and continued ahead across a field. Beyond a gap in the next hedgerow, the path turned half-left across the next field to reach the drive to Duncombe Farm (to my right). Across the drive, the path continued uphill across a large empty pasture, continuing beside a small wood on the left. It then entered the woods of Ashridge, dropping down slightly before climbing quite steeply through the trees to end at a junction with the track from the Monument to Ivinghoe Beacon, at an area known as Duncombe Terrace. I turned left, and within a few hundred yards reached the kennels on Clipper Down.
I was back on very familiar territory as the path to Duncombe Terrace continued across this next field - the building is Duncombe Farm, Duncombe Terrace is the top of the wooded slope on the right of the photo
The path going half-left across the next field, heading to the drive leading to Duncombe Farm
The path continuing uphill after crossing the drive to Duncombe Farm
The path rising through the woods to reach Duncombe Terrace
The track from the Bridgewater Monument at Ashridge to Ivinghoe Beacon, here heading towards the kennels on Clipper Down
I continued along the track from the kennels for a few hundred yards more. At the bottom of a slight slope I forked left onto a clear path descending the hillside. I went over a stile and continued gently downhill, now in an area of bushy scrub but soon with more open views ahead and to my left. At the foot of the slope the path followed a fence on my left beside a ploughed field . At the corner of the field, at the foot of Steps Hill, I turned left and followed the Ridgeway back to the car park where I'd started.
View left from near the kennels on Clipper Down
View left from just past the kennels on Clipper Down, looking towards Aldbury Nowers
The track continuing from the kennels
Partway along the path that goes half-left from the track from the Monument - this is from just after the stile
Further along the path - it continues beside the brown field, turning left along its far side where it meets the Ridgeway
Steps hill from where I turned left onto the Ridgeway
The Ridgeway heading back to the car park for Pitstone Hill
This was a very pleasant shorter walk, even though it was a rather grey day. It was nice mixture of fields, woods and downland, with nice views in many places. For me it was nice to finally explore a path I'd seen many times before, and it was wonderful to see some Spring flowers (apart from the Primroses and Wood Anemones, I'd seen Lesser Celandine and Violets in several spots)