Pete's Walks- Maidensgrove Common, Ibstone, Middle Assendon (page 4 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.
Across the lane, the bridleway continued uphill between a fence and a hedge, then joined a surfaced track through a small bit of woodland. Beyond the wood, the gradient eased as the bridleway followed the drive between a number of paddocks to reach Southend Farm. The bridleway continued along the drive from the farm (which looked just like a lane), and after a quarter of a mile I reached a small green surrounded by most of the few cottages and houses that make up the hamlet of Southend. I stopped here to eat my packed lunch on one of the two benches on the right of the green, grateful that the drizzle had now stopped completely.
The path to Southend Farm (just after I crossed Dolesden Lane)
The path to Southend Farm
The path approaching Southend Farm
The drive from Southend Farm to Southend
Southend
Lunch over, I continued to the end of the drive from Southend Farm, then turned left along a lane. After a couple of hundred yards or so, I turned right immediately after the last house (still on the Chiltern Way) and followed a path that initially ran just inside a wood with a field nearby on my right. After this field the path started to drop slowly downhill, with Balham's Wood to my right and Kildridge Wood to my left. After a while the path went slightly left, through an area of Rhododendrons, then went through a very tall gate to enter the deer park surrounding Stonor House.
The path from Southend to Stonor Deer Park
The path from Southend to Stonor Deer Park
The path from Southend to Stonor Deer Park
The continuation of the path through the deer park is normally quite delightful, because of the beauty of the park itself, the fine views ahead towards Pishill, and because of the historic interest of Stonor House and its ancient chapel. But of course it was nowhere near it's best today in the grey and murky conditions. Nevertheless it was still a very pleasant half-mile section, which finally brought me to the road through Stonor.
The path through Stonor Deer Park
The path through Stonor Deer Park
The path through Stonor Deer Park
Stone circle at Stonor House - I'd always assumed it was a 'fake', but possibly it has ancient origins. I found this on another web site: The Administrator of the Stonor Estate has informed us that "The stone circle is of comparatively recent construction, but of stones found in the vicinity which correspond in type to a cornerstone underpinning the medieval chapel here. By implication these stones were part of a much older pre-Christian circle which was located where the Chapel now is. As you know it was frequently the habit in medieval time to "claim" a pagan circle for Christianity by including a stone in the foundations for the new Christian chapel. The stones have been re-located here in the last 30 years or so, I believe"
View towards Pishill (where I was earlier) from the path through Stonor Deer Park
The path through Stonor Deer Park
Coming to the end of the path through Stonor Deer Park