Pete's Walks - Hambleden, Stonor, Henley (page 2 of 5)
I turned right and followed the lane north for about a third of a mile until I reached a lane junction. Here a footpath went straight ahead, crossing a large meadow or pasture to reach Gussetts Wood. The path continued through the wood, soon passing a block of tall conifers and then dropping down into a small valley. I usually turn right here onto a bridleway, but today my route continued on a footpath going straight on up the other side of the small valley. This soon emerged from the wood, and followed a tall hedge on my left through a very large cow pasture. After about three hundred yards I reached a stile in the hedge (there were some cows lying down over to my right, and there was a rather misty view in that direction), which took me into another field. The path here cut a small corner where the tall hedge turned left and then right. I then stayed close to the hedge, until another stile took the path back into the original large field. In a field corner (just to the left) the path joined a private drive, which led past a couple of properties to reach a minor road on the edge of Southend (so called because of its position in the parish of Turville).
The lane from Upper Woodend Farm
Approaching Gussets Wood
Gussets Wood
Gussetts Wood
The path continuing uphill after I crossed the bridleway in Gussetts Wood
The path from Gussetts Wood to Southend
View right from the path from Gussetts Wood to Southend
The path from Gussetts Wood to Southend (the field between the two stiles)
I was now back on very familiar ground, as on the other side of the road was the start of the charming path from Southend to the deer park around Stonor House (part of the Chiltern Way, and used on many of my walking routes). As always it was very pleasant following a track gently downhill through the trees (Kildridge Wood was to my left, Balham's Wood on the right). After a few hundred yards, the path forked left through an area of Rhododendron bushes and then I squeezed through a tall metal kissing-gate to enter the deer park. This is possibly my favourite path in the Chilterns (at least in this direction, downhill and with the fine views ahead of me) and it was very enjoyable even on this very grey day (this has been a very poor excuse of a summer!). There was a clear view of Stonor House and its chapel to my right, and nice views further on, looking half-left in the direction of Pishill.
Near the start of the path from Southend to Stonor
The path from Southend to Stonor
Stonor Park (the deer park around Stonor House)
The path through Stonor Park
Stonor House
View towards Pishill from Stonor Park
The path through Stonor Park
The path through Stonor Park
The path through Stonor Park
Coming to the end of the path through Stonor Park