Pete's Walks - Studham Common, Great Gaddesden, Hudnall (page 3 of 3)
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.
I crossed the road and continued down a private road or drive opposite. After two or three hundred yards, just before it went slightly right, I took a bridleway that forked very slightly right (other paths or bridleways started at the same point). This ran a short way through a wood, then followed a hedge on my left through a large grassy field sloping down into the Gade valley (I heard and then saw three Canada Geese in the middle of the field). On reaching a field corner, the bridleway went a few yards right, then turned left through a hedge and immediately turned right. I now followed the hedge on my right gently downhill into the Gade valley to reach the A4146 again.
The private drive in Hudnall, after I crossed the road
The start of the bridleway going north from Hudnall
The bridleway going north from Hudnall
The bridleway going north from Hudnall
The bridleway going north from Hudnall
The bridleway continuing across the Gade Valley (the OS Map shows the river starting just a short way to the right of where this bridleway crosses the road)
Oak tree beside the bridleway
Across the main road, the bridleway continued up the opposite side of the valley, now with a hedge on my left. This was the only steepish part of today's walk. Near the top of the slope the bridleway switched to the left of the hedge, continuing between the hedge and a youngish plantation on my left. Further on I passed Ravensdell Wood on my left, then the bridleway continued along the right edge of a large arable field. On reaching the corner of this field, the path continued along a short track or drive to reach Common Road in Studham.
The bridleway continuing up the opposite side of the valley
Looking back across the Gade valley
Wild Clematis, also known as Old Man's Beard or Traveller's Joy
The bridleway continuing towards Studham
The bridleway continuing towards Studham, passing Ravensdell Wood
The bridleway continuing towards Studham
The bridleway continuing towards Studham
Across the road the bridleway went half-right across another field, dropping down into a valley. It reached the field corner, where I crossed Valley Road and followed a bridleway along the valley bottom. This brought me to Studham school and Studham Common. Just a short way into the common, I turned right onto a path that entered trees and curved left to run along near the top of this wooded section of the common. Across a road I continued along the top of the grassy central section of Studham Common, and when I reached a second road I just had to cross it to return to the car park where I'd started.
The bridleway continuing between Common Road and Valley Lane, Studham
The bridleway after I crossed Valley Lane, heading to Studham Common
The start of Studham Common (I turned right, passing the yellow-topped post)
The path through the wooded western third of Studham Common (the common is divided into three by two roads)
The path through the wooded western third of Studham Common
The path continuing along the top of the central third of Studham Common (the car park where I started is across the road at the end of this section)
I used to walk most of these paths quite often, as they form part of a favourite local route of mine from Kensworth to Hudnall and back, but I think I've only walked some of them twice in the last 10 years or so. It was a pleasant but uneventful walk, on a fairly typical November day. At least it was dry, and I was pleased to find that the paths were less muddy than I'd expected after the long rainy spell we've had.