Pete's Walks- Maidensgrove and Greys Court (page 4 of 5)
I'd only gone a few yards along Rocky Lane when a Fox appeared in the lane, maybe 20 yards ahead of me. It 'trotted' rather than ran along the lane ahead of me for about 80 yards, then stopped to inspect something - I managed to take a few photos, but none came out very well because of the distance and because the Fox was in the shade of a hedge. I followed the lane for 5-600 yards until it turned left, when I took a bridleway going right (northeast). Within a few yards I took another bridleway on the left, which ran northwards just inside the edge of a large wood called Holly Grove. This first part of the wood was dense with Rhododendrons.
Rocky Lane
The bridleway going right from a corner of Rocky Lane
The start of the bridleway through Holly Grove
The bridleway gradually curved left, to the north and then to the northwest. When a path came in from the left, I was back on my usual route through Holly Grove (I saw my first Wood Sorrell of the year at this path junction). Further on, as I continued along the bridleway, there were areas where efforts were obviously being made to remove the Rhododendrons, but there were still plenty of them about including one with white flowers on it. I passed a small pond to the left of the bridleway, which then soon left Holly Grove and quickly reached some properties at Lower Highmoor.
The bridleway through Holly Grove (this is just after a footpath I usually use came in on the left)
The bridleway through Holly Grove
The bridleway through Holly Grove, where some of the Rhododendrons had been cleared
The bridleway through Holly Grove
Pond beside the bridleway through Holly Grove, just before I reached Lower Highmoor
Looking right from the bridleway as it reaches Lower Highmoor
I turned right here at a track crossroads, following the surfaced drive towards a large house called Merrimoles, which I passed on my right. Just beyond the house I started another section of the route I'd not walked before, by staying on the drive as it turned right (previously I'd always gone straight on along a path through Highmoor Common Wood). The drive was now going east or just north of east, before turning left (northwards) - here I saw more Wood Sorrell. At a track junction (where I saw more Primroses) I turned left and followed the track as it headed into Lowercommon Wood.
The drive to Merrimoles
The drive continuing from Merrimoles, going east or northeast
The drive continuing from Merrimoles, going east or northeast
The public byway heading into Lowercommon Wood
The public byway in Lowercommon Wood