Pete's Walks - Maidensgrove, Shepherd's Green and Nuffield (page 7 of 7)
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.
Beyond the parkland, the path continued through Haycrofts Wood. After a while it crossed a drive, going down to Swyncombe House, then continued through the wood. After crossing a narrow grassy gap the path entered Church Wood, where I immediately went straight on at a slightly staggered path crossroads. At the next junction I kept right at a fork, now following a permissive path rather than the public footpath (just to save a few yards in distance, because of the threat of rain). When I came to a path T-junction I turned right, and followed this path (still in Church Wood) until I reached a lane. I turned right and followed the lane a short distance to reach Cookley Green.
The path continuing through Haycrofts Wood
The path continuing through Haycrofts Wood
The permissive path in Church Wood
The path through Church Wood (after I turned right at a path T-junction)
The path through Church Wood
The lane into Cookley Green
When the lane turned right, I went straight on along the left edge of the village green. When I reached a road, I went a few yards left then took a bridleway on the other side that started down a track or drive. The bridleway soon left Cookley Green, and continued very gently downhill along a deepening valley bottom, with hedges either side. After about half a mile I came to a junction - a bridleway went left (up to Russell's Water), but I kept more or less straight on, still following the valley bottom. After almost another half mile (where a wood started on the right), a footpath crossed the bridleway and I turned left. This path followed a hedge on my left and was soon going up a very steep scrub-covered slope. At the top of the steepest part of the slope, the path turned right for a few yards, then turned left and went up a short flight of 'steps'. the path then ran between hedges and fences for two or three hundred yards until it reached the lane between Russell's Water and Maidensgrove. I turned right, soon passing the Five Horseshoes pub, and after passing a few more houses I was able to follow the edge of Maidensgrove Common, beside the lane, all the way back to my car.
Cookley Green
The start of the bridleway from Cookley Green
The bridleway from Cookley Green
The bridleway from Cookley Green
The bridleway from Cookley Green
The bridleway from Cookley Green
The bridleway from Cookley Green
The steep path after I turned left from the bridleway from Cookley Green
Looking right
The footpath continuing towards Maidensgrove
The lane from Russell's Water to Maidensgrove
Maidensgrove Common
It was a shame that after such a bright and sunny morning the afternoon became so dismally grey - but at least I avoided the rain. This was an interesting walk, one I'd be perfectly happy to do again sometime. It included the paths I'd most enjoyed on that Maidensgrove and Greys Court walk I did in April 2015, plus a couple of new ones. The path through Huntercombe golf course wasn't particularly enjoyable, but the one from Highmoor to the far side of Nott Wood was definitely one I'd like to incorporate into other walks.