Pete's Walks - Ashridge, Frithsden, Ward's Hurst Farm (page 3 of 5)
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.
Beyond the golf course the bridleway continued straight on through woodland. After a while it ran for several hundred yards along a broad strip of grass with trees either side. Just after this ended, I passed close to Brickkiln Cottage (to my left) and almost immediately after this there was a huge meadow close by on my right (it is completely surrounded by trees and has a copse its in it middle).
The bridleway continuing from Berkhamsted Golf Club
The bridleway continuing towards Brickkiln Cottage
The bridleway continuing towards Brickkiln Cottage
The bridleway continuing between Brickkiln Cottage and Coldharbour Farm
The bridleway continuing between Brickkiln Cottage and Coldharbour Farm
The bridleway continuing between Brickkiln Cottage and Coldharbour Farm
Eventually the bridleway reached a bend in a drive, with Coldharbour Farm on my left. The Ashridge Estate Boundary Trail goes left here, but I continued straight on along the drive for a few yards then took a path forking right into the trees. I followed this path for several hundred yards until it reached a small car park on the Northchurch-Ringshall road (I was parked about a mile and a quarter to the right along this road).
The drive continuing ahead from Coldharbour Farm
The path forking right from the drive
Further along the path
Further along the path
The path approaching the small car park on the Northchurch-Ringshall road
Across the road I continued along a bridleway through more of the Ashridge woods for a quarter of a mile or so, then turned right along a wide path that crossed the bridleway. As I followed this path north for just over half a mile, I was surprised I didn't see anybody else on it (I did see some people down a side path) as it's usually quite busy. It brought me to a small parking area (there were several people here) next to the drive to the Bridgewater Monument. I turned left along the drive (hundreds of cars and lots of people), keeping to the right, and found an empty bench (on the other side of the grass from the tea shop and visitor centre) where I sat and ate my lunch.
The bridleway on the other side of the road
The bridleway on the other side of the road
The footpath after I turned right, heading to the drive to the Bridgewater Monument
The footpath heading to the drive to the Bridgewater Monument
The footpath heading to the drive to the Bridgewater Monument
The Bridgewater Monument, Ashridge (it commemorates the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, known as 'the Canal Duke')