Pete's Walks- Redland End and Coombe Hill (page 5 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.
On eventually reaching a path crossroads I turned left, soon reaching a field where I followed the hedgerow on my right. I then turned right onto another path, staying close to the edge of a wood, Cross Coppice, on my left. On reaching a field corner the path continued on into Sergeant's Wood, heading slightly right from where I entered the wood.
The path going east from Ninn Wood
The start of the path passing Cross Coppice and heading to Sergeant's Wood
Approaching Sergeant's Wood
The path continuing half-right in Sergeant's Wood
I soon reached a staggered path crossroads, where I went a few yards right then turned left to go straight on (if that makes sense!). The path soon widened into a grass strip running by some overhead wires for some distance. After several hundred yards I went straight on when a footpath went right, then a few yards further on I turned onto a path going half-right through the trees (I didn't see any signs or waymarks at these two junctions). I then turned left along a muddy bridleway on the far edge of the wood. I soon emerged from a corner of the wood and reached a track. I went a few yards right then turned left (through a gate) to continue in the same direction as before. This path, or rather bridleway, ran through a field, close to a hedge on my left most of the way, to a gate on the far side that brought me to a minor road on the edge of Green Hailey.
The path after I turned left and then right in Sergeant's Wood
Further along the same path
The start of the path after I turned half-right in Sergeant's Wood
The bridleway in Sergeant's Wood, after I turned left
The bridleway approaching the road at Green Hailey
I turned left and followed the road through the hamlet, and continued on until a bridleway went right (I was now on the route I frequently take from Whiteleaf Hill to Parslow's Hillock). The bridleway ran with a wood on my left and a field on the right. It then turned left through the wood, and I followed it for about another half mile, with part of Chiltern escarpment sloping down through the trees on my right. When a public footpath crossed the bridleway (I'd ignored an earlier permissive path on the left), I turned left (I've not walked the path going right, but judging from the contours on the OS map it must be one of the steepest paths in the Chilterns!). I followed the path through Hillock Wood for about half a mile - it took me straight back to the lane in Redland End where I'd started.
The road at Green Hailey
The bridleway going right from the road
The bridleway after it turns left, heading towards Parslow's Hillock
The bridleway heading towards Parslow's Hillock
The bridleway heading towards Parslow's Hillock
The path back to Redland End, through Hillock Wood
The path back to Redland End, through Hillock Wood
I enjoyed this walk, despite the rather muddy conditions today. It was a beautifully sunny Autumn day, so the far-reaching vies from Bacombe Hill and Coombe Hill were just about at their best. Unfortunately I'm not very fit at the moment, so shortly after lunch my legs felt like they'd had enough and I was plodding along for the rest of the walk.