Pete's Walks- Little Missenden and Forty Green (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 turned right to follow the drive through the elaborate gates at the entrance to the Shardeloes estate, and continued along a roadway that almost immediately crossed the river Misbourne. The roadway ended at a roundabout where I had to carefully cross the A413 again (it became a dual carriageway here), then follow it left for about a quarter of a mile to a layby. Here a footpath started, going down an embankment - at the bottom, the path split in two, and I took the path going half-left - this rose uphill across a very large field towards a wood called Ash Grove. There was no actual sign of the path in this field, it had not been re-instated after ploughing, but after looking at my OS map I saw it went right of a small group of trees within the field (near the top of the slope). As I got partway up the slope I refined my direction by aiming at the tallest tree on the far edge of the field. This proved to be the right decision, as it turned out the footpath continued from immediately left of this tree (though there was no waymark or other footpath sign here).
The river Misbourne, near the entrance to Shardeloes
The A413 after I'd crossed it the second time (or third time if you count the footbridge over it!)
The path from the A413 to Ash Grove (I just aimed for the tallest tree, just left of centre
Looking across the valley towards Shardeloes
Looking back from the path to Ash Grove
The path continued through Ash Grove for a quarter of a mile or so, with a railway line a short distance to the right (unless the train I heard go by was lost!). Where the path reached a minor road there was a metal barrier, possibly the entrance to the car park that used to be somewhere here (I parked here once, on Day 2 of the South Bucks Way). I turned left and followed the road downhill to the A413, which I crossed for the final time and continued down a bridleway called Mop End Lane (NOTE: if you are wondering why I was mucking about crossing this main road so many times, instead of simply following the very pleasant path along the Misbourne Valley, it was simply that when I planned this route back in 2012 I wanted to include some paths I'd not walked before. I don't think visiting Ash Grove is worth crossing the A413 three times (though there are some nice views over the Misbourne Valley), and having now walked the 'new' paths in both directions, if I walked the route again I'd stick to the valley path. I'd therefore turn right instead of left when I reached Whielden Road, then turn left in the High Street and continue as described here as far as Mop End Lane, where I'd just go straight on instead of turning left onto the 'lane'). I followed the bridleway as far as a path crossroads where I turned right (and so joined the valley path I've just been talking about).
Ash Grove
Ash Grove
The minor road dropping downhill to the A413
The start of the bridleway (Mop End Lane) after I crossed the A413 for a third time (not counting the footbridge)
Looking right from Mop End Lane, along the valley towards Kennel farm
It was very pleasant following the path along a track through the attractive Misbourne Valley for just over half a mile to reach the road through Little Missenden. And it was no hardship to then turn left and follow the road for just under another half mile to return to where I'd parked opposite the church, as Little Missenden is one of my favourite villages in the Chilterns (there was obviously a big 'do' on at the village hall, as there were very many cars parked near it).
The path through the Misbourne Valley to Little Missenden
The path through the Misbourne Valley to Little Missenden
Little Missenden
Little Missenden
Little Missenden
This was an enjoyable route, and it was nice to walk a number of paths I'd only walked before in the opposite direction. After walking the route in the opposite direction in 2012, I thought I probably wouldn't walk the new paths again - they were OK, but hadn't really 'grabbed' me. I haven't done them since, but now that I have I see no reason not to include them in other routes, they were all perfectly pleasant. The exception is the section to and from Ash Grove - as I explained above, I don't think it justified crossing the A413 three times, especially when the route along the Misbourne valley is so pleasant.