Pete's Walks- Maidensgrove, Ibstone, Middle Assendon (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.
When the track ended, the path continued beside the hedge on the right into a large arable field. The hedge and path soon turned right and in the next field corner I went over a stile into Paradise Wood. The path now turned left, staying just inside the wood with the same arable field just a few feet to my left. At the end of the wood, the path followed a farm track going half-right and downhill, across another field to a gate and a road near Middle Assendon (again there was no sign of the path going right from the end of the wood, which would have shortened the road section I now had to walk).
The footpath continuing through Paradise Wood
The footpath continuing through Paradise Wood
The footpath continuing from Paradise Wood towards Middle Assendon
I turned right along the road, heading away from Middle Assendon, and followed it for about a third of a mile before turning left along a track named Warmscombe Lane, a public byway. Within a few yards I came to a fork, where I again diverted from the route I used six weeks ago by taking the footpath on the left instead of bearing right to follow the byway (in my very tired state I was sorely tempted to go that way again, as it would have been almost half a mile shorter and would also have avoided a small ascent and descent). The path (which I'd never walked before) followed a track along the left edge of yet another large arable field, rising slightly uphill beside a hedge on my left. Near the top of the small slope, I stayed on the track when it continued straight on across part of the field when the hedge went half-left. The hedge soon turned right, and when it met the track again I turned right across an area of grass to reach a stile in another hedgerow. Over the hedge I turned left, following the hedge and finally rejoining the track just before it ended on the lane through the valley of Bix Bottom.
The start of the footpath forking left from Warmscombe Lane
Looking left from the footpath towards Middle Assendon and beyond
Looking ahead over the valley of Bix Bottom (the path soon turns right from the track, to a stile in a hedge (the gap just right of the second tree)
I turned right along the lane - it was narrow with hedges either side, but no cars passed me and soon there was a grass verge to walk if any cars did appear. I soon passed Valley End Farm (just Valley Farm according to a sign here, I noticed) and continued on a short distance to the ruins of St James church in Bix Bottom. I stopped to walk round it and take a couple of photos (it has been recently 'restored', but I didn't see any information boards about its history).
The lane through Bix Bottom
Valley End Farm (according to the OS map, but a sign just said Valley Farm)
The ruins of St James's Church, Bix Bottom
The ruins of St James's Church, Bix Bottom
A short distance further along the lane I turned right onto a bridleway, running between tall hedgerows and going uphill to Freedom Wood. It was a fairly gentle gradient (nothing like the climb out of Stonor!) but I was really struggling now - I'd not felt this tired on a walk for many years. It seemed to take an age just to reach the wood, where the path continued uphill along the track, soon emerging into a more open area with the Warburg Nature Reserve to my left. I spotted my first Green Hairstreak butterfly of the year along here, which boosted my weary spirits somewhat. I was soon back in the shade of more woodland, and just kept plodding slowly along. As the wood on my right ended, I reached the junction where Warmscombe Lane (the route I used six weeks ago) came in from that side.
The start of the bridleway from Bix Bottom to Maidensgrove
The bridleway from Bix Bottom to Maidensgrove
The bridleway from Bix Bottom to Maidensgrove
The bridleway from Bix Bottom to Maidensgrove, approaching the junction with Warmscombe Lane
I continued ahead along the bridleway, now with fields just to my right, and a wood sloping down quite steeply on my left, part of the nature reserve. It was flat now, and my pace picked up a bit. About half a mile after the junction with Warmscombe Lane, the bridleway ended at a lane in Maidensgrove, close to Lodge Farm on my right. I turned left along the lane until it turned right (I was grateful that this section seemed shorter than I remembered), where I turned left along a track that passed close to a few cottages to reach Maidensgrove Common. I followed the left edge of the common until I reached the lane that crosses it, where I turned right to return to my car.
The bridleway from Bix Bottom to Maidensgrove
The bridleway from Bix Bottom to Maidensgrove
The lane through Maidensgrove
The track from the lane to Maidensgrove Common
I felt utterly exhausted when I got back to my car - I'd struggled on the walk I did from Cowleaze Wood at the end of February, but this was worse (even though at six hours long this was 15 minutes shorter than that walk). It was simply the heat, as I mentioned earlier it's been many years since I've done such a long walk in so high a temperature. I know 24C isn't really that hot (I never actually felt too uncomfortable in it) but it's close enough to my 'limit' - I don't usually walk if the temperature is forecast for 27C or above. In any case, it certainly sapped me of energy and it took a few days for me to recover.
It's a real shame - because I felt so tired towards the end of the walk I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have done. I think it's a wonderful route. - not only does it it link up several of my favourite paths in the Chilterns, but it does so in such a way that I walk them all in the best direction (for that reason, I'm not sure I'll want to do it the other way round). I'm absolutely sure I'll be back to do it again sometime in equally sunny but cooler conditions (and hopefully when I've got myself a bit fitter).