Pete's Walks - Ashridge, Frithsden, Ward's Hurst Farm (page 4 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.
Lunch over, I continued towards the monument and when level with it took a broad track going right, back into the woods (a sign said the track could be used by mobility scooters). After maybe 100 yards I took a footpath forking left (yellow waymark on post). This path was soon dropping downhill through the trees. The path ended when it came to a bend in a bridleway where I went straight on, continuing to descend the wooded slope. Somewhere here I spotted a butterfly, which I'm sure was the 'valezina' form of a female Silver-washed Fritillary (click on the link and scroll down to see an example of one) - it was only the second one I'd seen, and the first one I'd seen while walking (the other time I was out looking for butterflies). At the foot of the slope the bridleway turned left and passed a large old Ash tree (which I almost always photograph when I'm here).
The bridleway from the Bridgewater Monument going north, where I took a footpath forking left
The footpath forking left
The footpath forking left
Where the footpath joins a bridleway and continues downhill
The bridleway continuing down hill
I'm almost certain this is the 'valezina' form of a female Silver-washed Fritillary (click on the link and scroll down to see an example of one). I saw it flying briefly twice, and there was not even a hint of the normal orange colour.
An old Ash tree beside the bridleway, at the bottom of the slope
Just after a stubble field started on my right, I took a path that crossed the field to a hedge gap and then turned half-left to cross a larger stubble field. After crossing the drive to Duncombe Farm (which was to my right), the path went steadily uphill across a third stubble field. After a stile or gate, the path continued along the edge of a meadow, with a wood on my left - there were some cattle here, gathered in a shady spot under the trees From the corner of the meadow the path entered the wood, dropping downhill a short way then going uphill to where a bridleway crossed it (this was the bridleway from the Bridgewater Monument that I'd been on very briefly earlier).
Near the start of the path after I tuned right, towards the drive to Duncombe Farm
The path after I tuned right, towards the drive to Duncombe Farm (white building) - from the drive the path continues in a more or less straight line to the field corner in the top right of the shot
The path continuing on the other side of the drive from Duncombe Farm
The path continuing on the other side of the drive from Duncombe Farm
View back from the path continuing on the other side of the drive from Duncombe Farm - note the cattle gathered in the shade on the right
The path continuing through a wood
The path continuing through a wood