Pete's Walks - Hudnall and Potten End (page 3 of 3)
I followed the bridleway for about a third of a mile (I'm not sure where Frithsden Beeches begins) until I reached the corner of a very large grassy area on my left. The bridleway then led me through a nice area of beeches to the right of the grassy area.
Start of the bridleway to Frithsden Beeches
The bridleway to Frithsden Beeches
Approaching Frithsden Beeches
Approaching Frithsden Beeches
Frithsden Beeches
Frithsden Beeches
At the end of the beech trees I crossed a drive or track and continued for a couple of hundred yards or so along the edge of the grassy area. At a waymark post I turned half-right for a few yards through trees to a small parking area and a surfaced road (leading to Ashridge House, to my left). I then took the private road opposite, which led uphill and then continued straight on along a path between fences. I went through a gate and continued ahead across part of a huge cattle pasture (there were a few cows just after the gate). The path was now steadily descending into the Golden Valley at Ashridge, with a nice view right along the valley in the direction of Nettleden where I'd been earlier. I met two or three more parties of Duke of Edinburgh Award walkers along here.
The bridleway continuing from Frithsden Beeches - I turned half-right at a waymark post along here
The private road in another bit of Frithsden
The path continuing from the end of the private road
Looking right from the path continuing from the end of the private road
The path continuing from the end of the private road, approaching Golden Valley
Looking right towards Golden Valley Farm
The path descending into Golden Valley
At the bottom of the valley I took a path that entered the trees on the far side of the valley. This soon went half-right along a broad track, presumably a former drive to Ashridge House which was now behind me. The track climbed gently through the trees, turning sharply left at a hairpin bend and taking me to the road that runs through Little Gaddesden. A few yards to the left a bridleway started on the other side. This went into a small courtyard, entered a small gap on the left where it turned right, before running a short way between a wall and a fence to reach a stable yard. The bridleway here went right and then left, continuing between hedges and fences. At the bottom of a shallow valley it turned left for a hundred yards or so, and then turned right, continuing between a hedgerow and a fence to reach a small wood. On the far side of the wood the bridleway ended at Hudnall Common, with my parked car just a short distance to the left.
The path rising up the other side of the valley to Little Gaddesden
The path rising up the other side of the valley to Little Gaddesden
The bridleway from Little Gaddesden to Hudnall Common, just past the stables
The bridleway continuing from the stables
The bridleway after it turns right, rising up the other side of the valley to Hudnall Common
View right from the bridleway
The wood at Hudnall Common
Hudnall Common
As always, this was a pleasant shorter walk for me. It's a useful choice for me when I haven't much time, or when I'm not fully fit. The reason I did it today was because the temperature was forecast to be 28 or 29 Centigrade, which is a little warmer than I'm comfortable with on a long walk. It was a sensible decision, as though I felt fine at the end of the walk I knew I didn't want to be out walking much longer in those temperatures.