Pete's Walks- Watlington Hill, Russell's Water, Swyncombe (page 5 of 6)
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.
Shortly after the path started to descend I reached a path junction where I turned left (the Ridgeway went straight on). The path ran along Swyncombe Downs, mainly close to an ancient earthwork called the 'Danish intrenchment'. Ahead of me I had a view out over Oxfordshire, while to my right I could see a stretch of the Chiltern escarpment, including my destination of Watlington Hill. After just over half a mile I came to a path junction, where I forked right (I've not sure if I've been down the path in this direction before - I know I've intended to take it a couple of times before but couldn't bring myself to do so as it misses out the best section of Swyncombe Downs). The path went downhill in a straight line, following the edge of the wood that covers this end of Swyncombe Downs, with a field on my right.
The path along Swyncombe Downs
The path along Swyncombe Downs
The path along Swyncombe Downs
The path along Swyncombe Downs, next to the earthwork called 'the Danish intrenchment'
The path after I forked right on Swyncombe Downs - the grand house is Britwell Salome House
The path descending from Swyncombe Downs
The path just before it joins the track at the bottom of Swyncombe Downs
At the bottom of the slope I turned right along a farm track. After about half a mile I passed a junction by North Farm, after which I was back on the route of the Ridgeway. A short distance further on I crossed a lane. As I then approached two trees by the left of the track, I could hear, but not see, a Red Kite in one of them. It went quiet as I walked past the trees so I assumed it had flown off as they normally do when you get close to a tree in which they are perched. But after I'd gone a few yards past the trees I heard it again behind me, and turning round I saw it very clearly at the top of the second tree. I took a couple of photographs, and then carried on, hoping that the Kite's unusual behaviour wasn't due to illness.
The bridleway going northeast from Swyncombe Downs
The bridleway going northeast from Swyncombe Downs, passing North Farm
The bridleway, now part of the Ridgeway, going northeast from Swyncombe Downs towards Lys Farm House
Another Red Kite that just insisted I took its photo!
A little further on I chose to take the permissive footpath on the right of the track, probably a wise decision as I passed a couple of mountain bikers coming the other way who were temporarily stopped by a very muddy patch on the track. Having rejoined the track, I soon reached a path crossroads by Lys Farm House. Immediately past this, I took a second permissive path on the right, running the other side of the hedge from what was now a surfaced drive. The path followed the hedge beside a large pasture on my right, with a view ahead to Watlington Hill. As I reached the end of the path in the corner of the field, I saw a small bird moving in a bush, and managed to get my first decent photo of a male Blackcap.
The permissive path next to the Ridgeway
The Ridgeway, approaching Lys Farm House
The permissive path next to the drive from Lys Farm House, with Watlington Hill ahead. the new (for me) path I'd take up Watlington Hill runs along the green strip below the dark area of yew trees
A male Blackcap, in the hedge at the end of the permissive path - the birds were almost queuing up to have their photos taken today!