Pete's Walks - Kensworth to Redbourn (part 5)
At the top of the hill I came to a crossroads. Curiously, Friendless Lane was both the road ahead of me (which I’d been on briefly as I’d entered Flamstead) and the road to my left. I now followed it to the left, heading towards Cheverell’s Green on the edge of Markyate. After a few hundred yards I turned left onto a path that runs parallel to the lane, starting where the lane met Friendless Wood (one of the few places where I see Small Balsam, though it was much too late for it today). After going through the wood the path turned right on a field path beside the wood (there is a seat here with a nice view, it would make a great lunch stop but came too late in the walk for me today).
Friendless Lane
Friendless Lane
The path through Friendless Wood
View left from the path next to Friendless Wood
The path next to Friendless Wood
At the end of the wood, I stayed straight on, following the path beside a hedge on my right and then alongside another small wood. The path then crossed part of yet another stubble field, then ran beside a hedge on my left. The path turned right in the field corner for a few yards, before going left through a gate and running beside a long and thick garden hedge on my left as I crossed a couple of paddocks to rejoin Friendless Lane just before it ended at a minor road on the edge of Cheverell’s Green (Markyate was now a short distance downhill to my right).
The path continuing from Friendless Wood, parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The first paddock, just before Cheverell's Green
The second paddock, just before Cheverell's Green
I went a few yards right, then took a path on the opposite side of the road, which led through a small meadow of rough grass. I then went through a hedge gap and turned left, following the edge of a huge field as the hedgerow irregularly curved to my right - I was surprised to see some oil-seed rape in flower in this field, though the actual crop was some sort of root crop. There were pleasant views here over rolling hills and valleys, with fields interspersed with many woods. Eventually reaching a field corner, I went though a kissing-gate and went left, continuing alongside a hedge through a meadow, with a farm visible over to my right. I then turned right, along Roe End Lane, passing the farm on my right and a few scattered houses on my left.
The start of the path from Cheverell's Green
The path from Cheverell's Green after I turned left
Oil-seed rape in flower (in October?) amongst some root crop
Approaching Roe End
Roe End Lane