Pete's Walks- Studham Common and Nettleden (page 3 of 5)
I went a few yards right along the road, then turned left through a gap in a hedge to go down a short alley that led to a gate on the left, where I entered a large water meadow. Here I went half-right to a footbridge over the river Gade. On the other side of the bridge I went straight on in the same direction - this was a new path for me, I've always before turned left after crossing the bridge. On reaching a corner of the water meadow I turned half-left to follow the path up to Highpark Wood, with a hedgerow to my right. On entering the wood I continued straight on up the slope (another path went left just inside the wood), the path running just inside the right edge of the wood. After a few hundred yards I saw where a path went right, but I continued straight on. I started to get a bit concerned here, as it seemed to take a lot longer to reach the next path junction than I expected from looking at the OS map. When I did get to where a second path went right, there was a path going left through the wood as I expected but no sign of a path going straight on (the OS map shows this path curving round just inside the end of the wood in roughly a semi-circle). Anyway, I took the path going right, which followed a hedgerow on my right for several hundred yards to reach a lane. I turned left and followed the lane downhill to reach Nettleden and a road junction by the village church.
The water meadow at Water End, with the footbridge on the left
The river Gade
The footbridge over the river Gade (you can see the path I took going straight on)
The path to Highpark Wood
Highpark Wood
Highpark Wood
Highpark Wood
The path from Highpark Wood (second turning on right)
The lane down to Nettleden
The lane down to Nettleden
Nettleden church
I went a short distance right and then turned left into what I believe is called Roman Road (I was now back in familiar territory). This went uphill, soon leaving the village. For much of the way uphill there were tall brick or stone retaining walls either side, and part way up the hill I passed under Devil's Bridge (I don't know the origins of the name, though the road is apparently known to locals as Spooky Lane). At the top of the hill I turned right onto a footpath, following a fence on my right and with a drive to some stables (I think) on my left. I needed to cross the drive to go through a pedestrian gate, and then continued through a large grassy field that sloped down to the Golden Valley on my right.
The start of Roman Road, Nettleden
Roman Road, approaching Devil's Bridge
Devil's Bridge
The path after I turned right from Devil's Bridge
Further along the path, with a view of the Golden Valley on the right
The path led to a stile (with some tiny orange fungi on it) beyond which it followed a hedgerow on my right for almost half a mile to reach Webb's Copse (the public footpath actually goes right from the stile, I was now on a permissive path that is part of the Ashridge Estate Boundary Trail). Beyond this small wood, the path went slightly left to reach a fence, which it continued beside.
Further along the path (it goes over a stile by the tree in the centre of the shot)
Fungi on a stile, possibly Common Jellyspot
Further along the path, with the Golden Valley on the right
The path continuing through Webb's Copse
The path continuing from Webb's Copse