Pete's Walks- Ibstone, Wheeler End and Skirmett (page 4 of 5)
If you are considering walking this route yourself, please see my disclaimer. You may also like to see these notes about the maps and GPX files.
I remembered that when I first walked this path in the opposite direction I thought that it was a very long descent (by Chiltern standards), but then found that it was an easier ascent than I'd imagined when I did it the other way on a walk in April 2014. In fact the first bit is quite steep, but once the path has reached Great Wood most of the height has been gained, and the walk through the wood is almost flat. Eventually the path turned right and reached the highest point - the track then became very muddy as it slowly made its way down through Poynatts Wood. When the track turned sharply left, the public footpath went straight on, crossing a broad stretch of grass with views towards Cobstone Mill, then running through another small part of Poynatt's Wood to reach Dolesden Lane.
The path continuing through Great Wood
The path continuing through Great Wood, approaching the highest point
The same path, now starting to descend through Poynatts Wood
The path descending through Poynatts Wood
The bend in the track where the footpath goes straight on
The meadow between two bits of Poynatt's Wood - on the right you can see Cobstone Mill on the hilltop above Turville
Across the lane a path continued across a field. On the far side I turned right along the hedgerow, until I reached a gate in the hedgerow where a bridleway went left, heading to Turville Court. The bridleway went steeply up a grassy hillside, but the effort it involved was made worthwhile by the splendid view looking back. At the top of the hill the path continued through a long meadow, with a tall hedge on my left, then ran between the hedge and the wooden fence of a paddock on my right.
The path from Dolesden Lane
A zoomed-in shot of Cobstone Mill
The start of the bridleway to Turville Court (for once my camera is being fairly accurate about the gradient)
The bridleway to Turville Court
Looking back from the same spot as where the previous photo was taken
The bridleway to Turville Court
The bridleway to Turville Court
On reaching Turville Court, I turned right along a track that entered Churchfield Wood. The bridleway soon turned right, but I took a footpath that also went right a yard or so further on. The path descended very gently through the wood - I'm not sure if this was still in Churchfield Wood or the adjoining Idlecombe Wood. When I came to a path junction I turned left, now definitely in Idlecombe Wood. The next three-quarters of a mile were along one of my favourite paths in the Chilterns. It stayed more or less level as it followed a steep wooded hillside that descended on my right. Now and again there were fine views out over the valley on that side, and after a while I could see where Ibstone was on the opposite hillside.
The bridleway from Turville Court
The path through Churchfield Wood (I think it is anyway, but it might be Idlecombe Wood now)
The contouring path through Idlecombe Wood
View from the contouring path through Idlecombe Wood, looking right, across a valley towards Ibstone