Pete's Walks - Alternative Ashridge Walk (page 2 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.
This ran through the bracken for a while, then curved gradually left into more of the woodland. After a few hundred yards I reached what I usually refer to as a 'glade' - it's really just a group of beech trees where there is no undergrowth, unlike the surrounding parts of this wood. The path goes half-left across this 'glade' then continues in more or less the same direction as before. Within a few hundred yards it brought me to a large grass area, with a small copse in it.
The path through the bracken
Further along the path, after it has curved left into the trees
Further along the path, after it has curved left into the trees
The 'glade' where I went half-left
The path continuing from the 'glade'
The path continuing from the 'glade
I turned left, and followed the edge of the large grass area (it's completely enclosed by the woods). I turned right in a corner, still following the edge of the grass and continued to do so until I reached a drive or track. Here I entered an area of fine beech trees, part of Frithsden Beeches, where I continued in the same direction with the drive and the large grass area close by on my right. I was now on another bridleway, and at the next corner of the grass area it went more or less straight on along a broad track, initially still in Frithsden Beeches. After a while it curved right through the trees. I went straight on at a bridleway crossroads, but then turned left a short way further on at a second such crossing.
The path round the large grass area near Frithsden Beeches
Frithsden Beeches
Frithsden Beeches
Frithsden Beeches
The bridleway continuing from Frithsden Beeches
The bridleway continuing from Frithsden Beeches
This bridleway followed a track with woodland to my left and a more open area to my right. After a while there was a nice view along a valley towards Berkhamsted. I then had a pleasant surprise - I came across some World War 1 practice trenches, with a helpful Information board about them. I'd read about the trenches and knew they were somewhere in this area. Volunteers have recently cleared all the bracken and undergrowth here so that they are visible again - I've walked past here many times before, but hadn't a clue that they were here. I stopped and took several photos, then continued along the bridleway which soon passed between a green and a tee of Berkhamstead Golf Course
The bridleway immediately after I turned left at the SECOND bridleway crossroads
Further along the bridleway
View half-right towards Berkhamsted
Information board about the WW1 practice trenches
WW1 practice trenches
WW1 practice trench
WW1 practice trenches
The bridleway about to pass between a gree and a tee, on Berkhamstead Golf Course