Pete's Walks - Wigginton and Wendover Woods (page 4 of 4)
Across a lane, the byway (now called Leafy Lane, according to a fingerpost) continued past a couple of residences. It soon turned to the left and a little further on I turned left, into a similar hedge-lined byway. Ignoring a couple of paths on the left, I followed it as it gradually curved right to reach a T-junction with another byway just inside the edge of Grove Wood. Here I turned right, and started plodding slowly uphill through the wood. For some reason I struggled even more than usual going up here - I really do need to lose some weight!
Leafy Lane (the southern continuation of Fox Lane after crossing a lane)
The byway that curves round to Grove Wood, after I turned left
The byway that curves round to Grove Wood
Start of the byway that climbs up through Grove Wood
At the top of the hill I passed a garden on my left, and then followed a drive into Hastoe. I turned left onto a lane at the end - this lane almost immediately went left, but I continued straight on down Church Lane (the track called Brown's Lane, which I crossed earlier, went right here). After almost half a mile I reached a T-junction, where I went two or three hundreds yards left before taking a path going right. This immediately entered Bishop's Wood, part of Tring Park.
The byway that climbs up through Grove Wood
The byway that climbs up through Grove Wood
The byway continuing from Grove Wood into Hastoe
Church Lane, Hastoe
Church Lane, Hastoe
The path continued along the wooded King Charles's Ride (Charles II and Nell Gwynne were once guests at Tring Park), with occasional views down the slope on my left over Tring Park, Tring and the Vale of Aylesbury beyond. After approximately three quarters of a mile, I turned right at a five-way junction (there was a wooden fingerpost here, and the finger pointing right indicated that the Ridgeway goes this way) to leave Tring Park, running in front of some cottages to reach Fox Road on the edge of Wigginton.I turned right and followed the road through the village. When the road turned left, I entered the park in front of me, turning left and walking round two sides of the park. Beyond a short side street I crossed a road and followed a path straight on to return to the playing fields where my car was sitting in the car park.
The short road walk to Tring Park
The path through Bishop's Wood, the first part of Tring Park
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
Looking left, out over Tring Park, Tring and the Vale of Aylesbury
Looking left, out over Tring Park, Tring and the Vale of Aylesbury
King Charles's Ride, Tring Park
Fox Road, Wigginton
The park in Wigginton
It was a beautifully sunny day, and I didn't mind the slight frost at the start of the path. Unfortunately many paths were very muddy and they seemed to take more out of my legs than usual (the next day I was really tired). This is a walk I've done many times now, but I still enjoy it. It's mainly flat and a large proportion is in woods, but I never found it boring. The best views were from Wendover Woods (where there was a gap in the trees to my left, with a seat to enjoy the view from), and from the path descending Aston Hill.