Pete's Walks - Watlington Hill, Swyncombe, Russell's Water (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.
At the end of the lane I turned right along the road through Pishill, but soon turned left along a track where the road went right. After a short way, I went through a gate on the right and followed a path beside a garden boundary on the right and then a group of conifers on the left. The path then rose uphill to reach a byway named Hollandridge Lane, where I went left. I'd forgotten that the greater part of this seventh and final uphill of the day came after I joined the byway - it seemed to go on a long way, but was never very steep.
The path going left from the road at Pishill
The start of the path to Hollandridge Lane
The path to Hollandridge Lane
The path to Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Altogether I had to follow Hollandridge Lane for about two miles to reach Christmas Common - after about one mile, I passed Hollandridge Farm on my right, then a bit further on it ran through woods. I must admit my legs were tired now, and this was a bit of a trudge. On reaching Christmas Common, I continued to the end of Hollandridge Lane, going left at the end (really more or less straight on), then right at a road junction after a few yards (again almost straight on). I soon came to another junction, where I turned left and walked the last quarter of a mile or so back to the car park on Watlington Hill.
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane shortly before it reaches Christmas Common
Hollandridge Lane in Christmas Common
The road through Christmas Common (I turned left where the vehicle is coming out)
View from the road back to the car park on Watlington Hill
The road back to the car park on Watlington Hill (it's entrance is roughly where the road goes out of view)
Once again I was very lucky with the weather, I've been pretty fortunate with my walks so far this Autumn. I really enjoyed the walk, partly because there were a few paths I'd only walked a couple of times before. The way I came down Watlington Hill was a vast improvement on the path I used in 2010. There were a couple of places where I knew there were better alternatives I could have taken, but if I had used them then this walk would have been far too similar to one or two other routes I walk in this part of he Chilterns. So although it's not a great route, it certainly makes a pleasant change and I can see myself walking it again in a few years time.