Pete's Walks - Coombe Hill and Kingsash (page 5 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.
As soon as I entered Cockshoots Wood, I took a path on the right. Intitally this stayed fairly close to the edge of the wood on my right (but not right next to it) before turning left and heading uphill a short distance. On reaching another footpath, I turned right and followed the path back downhill to reach the former car park and picnic area next to Cobblershill Lane. I stopped to eat my lunch at one of the wooden picnic tables there, then continued by going right along the lane. Roughly where the first field on the right ended, I turned left through a metal gate. I crossed an artificial gallop for horses and went straight on (another path went half-left) beside a garden hedge on my right. I soon came to a path junction, where I turned right, following the same hedge. On reaching a surfaced drive, I turned right to reach Russell Farm.
The path after I turned right on entering Cockshoots Wood
The path after I turned right at the junction in Cockshoots Wood
The path approaching the former car park and picnic area in Cockshoots Wood
Cobblershill Lane
The path after I turned left from Cobblershill Lane
The path after I turned right, heading towards Russell Farm
I immediately turned left to leave the farmyard beside a hedge on my right - almost straight away the path switched to the other side of the hedge, continuing past some sheep pastures. The clouds were so low I couldn't see the top of the hillside across the valley. After going straight on over a stile, the path entered Sermon's Wood where within a few yards I went left at a path junction. This path very gradually rose uphill through the wood for several hundred yards, then ran between fences a short way to reach a bridleway just south of Dunsmore. I turned left for a few yards, then took a path on the other side that took me into a wood called High Scrub.
The start of the path from Russell Farm ...
... which quickly switches to the right of the hedgerow
Looking back across the valley, the clouds are so low they cover the top of the hillside
The path from Russell Farm
The path through Sermon's Wood
The path through Sermon's Wood
The path through Sermon's Wood
The path through Sermon's Woodr
The path continuing from Sermon's Wood to the bridleway just south of Dunsmore
Near the start of the path on the other side of the bridleway