Pete's Walks- Stoke Row, Woodhouse Farm, Checkendon (page 6 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.
I went a few yards right along the lane, before taking a bridleway on the other side that continued north-eastwards again. This bridleway ran for about three-quarters of a mile with hedges either side, with the large grounds of Wyfold Court (a grand mansion built for a Victorian cotton magnate and MP, Edward Hermon, it is now divided into apartments) on my left.
The bridleway going northeast, past the grounds of Wyfold Court
The bridleway going northeast, past the grounds of Wyfold Court
The bridleway going northeast, past the grounds of Wyfold Court
Wyfold Court
When the bridleway finally brought me to the main drive to Wyfold Court, I turned left along the drive, on another bridleway (this was again new to me). I followed the tree-lined drive until I reached a junction where I forked right into Barons Way. When this turned left, the bridleway went straight on and entered a wood. Beyond the wood I carried straight on to reach Neal's Lane.
The bridleway along the drive to Wyfold Court
The bridleway after I turned right into Barons Way
The bridleway continuing from Wyfold Court
Across the lane, a bridleway continued along a good track, initially between hedges either side. After a while it entered Busgrove Wood (despite being a good track, there was an incredibly muddy section here). I then forked left onto a footpath through the wood - this was a particularly pleasant section, with lots of young green leaves on the trees. I soon came to a path T-junction where I turned left (I followed the white arrows on trees, rather than the somewhat clearer path a little to the left). This footpath was also very muddy. After about a quarter of a mile it brought me to Busgrove Lane (the lane I was on briefly at the end of Judges Road).
The bridleway continuing from Wyfold Court, just after Neal's Lane
The bridleway approaching Busgrove Wood
Busgrove Wood
The path in Busgrove Wood, after I turned left from the bridleway
The path in Busgrove Wood, after I turned left at a path junction - you can see how muddy it is
I crossed the lane and continued along a footpath starting on the other side. This ran through another wood, and then passed a small meadow or enclosure on my left before reaching Church Lane in Stoke Row. I turned right, soon reaching the minor road through the village, where I turned right to return to my parked car. I stopped and had a quick look at the Maharajah's Well before I set off for home.
The start of the path on the other side of Busgrove Lane
Further along the path
Further along the path
Stoke Row church
The Maharajah's Well at Stoke Row - there is some information about its interesting history here
This was another enjoyable walk, despite the surprisingly muddy conditions underfoot. It has been some years since I started a walk in Stoke Row, so even those paths that I'd walked a few times before weren't over-familiar to me. The paths I hadn't walked before were all easy to find and follow (a waymark near that long paddock just before I reached Judges Road would have been helpful), and I'm sure I'll use some of them on other walks in the future. There were some nice views, especially around Hailey, and some long and pleasant woodland sections, several of which had good displays of Bluebells.