Pete's Walks- Christmas Common, Cookley Green, Russell's Water (page 4 of 4)
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 went straight on when I reached another valley bottom, where another bridleway went left. I soon spotted some Nettle-leaved Bellflower, which I remembered seeing here before a couple of times. The bridleway now rose uphill again, and then turned left (about here I moved from Greenfield Wood into College Wood). The bridleway stayed level for a while then dropped gently downhill for some distance to reach another valley bottom. Here I went slightly left as I crossed a grassy glade and re-entered the wood - there was very short steep bit here, then a fairly easy uphill (with what looked like a 'hollow way' on my left).
The bridleway continuing through Greenfield Wood
The bridleway continuing through College Wood
The bridleway continuing through College Wood
The bridleway continuing through College Wood
The bridleway continuing through College Wood
The bridleway continuing through College Wood
The bridleway continuing through College Wood
On finally leaving the woods, the bridleway went slightly right as it crossed a meadow. On the far side, I turned left along Hollandridge Lane, a track that dates back to the Saxons. I then had simply to follow the track for about a mile back to Christmas Common, where my car was just a few yards to the left when I reached the end of Hollandridge Lane.
The bridleway continuing from College Wood to Hollandridge Lane
Long puddle where I started along Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane
Hollandridge Lane, approaching Christmas Common
Hollandridge Lane in Christmas Common
Hollandridge Lane in Christmas Common
This was a very good walk. The highlight was obviously the wonderful view from Watlington Hill, but the rest of the walk was also very pleasant. The long section through the woods after Russell's Water Common is always good. The route was very up and down, with five or six hills but nothing very steep (the short bridleway up to Russell's Water was the steepest). There was nice variety, with the downland at Watlington Hill, the pond and huge common at Russell's Water, the green at Cookley Green and some nice bridleways. It's certainly a walk I'd be very happy to do again.