Pete's Walks - Wigginton and Wendover Woods (page 4 of 4)
Across a lane, the byway (now called Leafy Lane, according to a fingerpost) continued past a couple of residences. A little further on I turned left, into a similar hedge-lined byway. Ignoring a couple of paths on the left, I followed it as it soon curved right to reach a T-junction with another byway just inside the edge of Grove Wood. Here I turned right, and started plodding slowly uphill through the wood.
Leafy Lane (the southern continuation of Fox Lane after crossing a lane)
The byway that curves round to Grove Wood, after I turned left
The byway that curves round to Grove Wood
Start of the byway that climbs up through Grove Wood
The byway that climbs up through Grove Wood
The byway that climbs up through Grove Wood
The byway that climbs up through Grove Wood
At the top of the hill I passed a garden on my left, and then followed a drive into Hastoe. I turned left onto a lane at the end - this lane almost immediately went left, but I continued straight on down Church Lane (the track called Brown's Lane, which I crossed earlier, went right here). After almost half a mile I reached a T-junction, where I went two or three hundreds yards left before taking a path going right. This immediately entered Bishop's Wood, part of Tring Park.
The byway continuing from Grove Wood into Hastoe
Church Lane, Hastoe
The path through Bishop's Wood, the first part of Tring Park
The path continued along the wooded King Charles's Ride (Charles II and Nell Gwynne were once guests at Tring Park), with occasional views down the slope on my left over Tring Park, Tring and the Vale of Aylesbury beyond. After approximately three quarters of a mile, the footpath turned right to leave Tring Park, running in front of some cottages to reach Fox Road on the edge of Wigginton.I turned right and followed the road through the village. When the road turned left, I entered the park in front of me, turning left and walking round two sides of the park. Beyond a short side street I crossed a road and followed a path straight on to return to the playing fields where my car was sitting in the car park.
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
Looking left, out over Tring Park, Tring and the Vale of Aylesbury
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
Looking left, out over Tring Park, Tring and the Vale of Aylesbury
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
Fox Road, Wigginton, just before I reached the park
I used to walk this route once or even twice a year, but gradually got a bit bored with it (it's rather flat, with just two 'ups' and two 'downs'). Having not walked it for a few years, I enjoyed it today, despite the rather grey conditions for much of the time (to be fair, I had more sunshine than had been predicted). It perfectly suited my purposes today, as I didn't want to drive or walk too far. It took me about four hours and 45 minutes, which was 10 minutes longer than it took me in 2012.