Pete's Walks- Coombe Hill, Cobblershill, Dunsmore (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.
Beyond the wood the path descended easily across a huge empty cattle pasture - there was a nice view ahead towards the Vale of Aylesbury. In the next field, the path went uphill across a corner. I was then back on my usual route in or out of Bacombe, the path running between fences with paddocks either side, then through a narrow tree belt between gardens to reach Bacombe Lane. I turned left along the lane, until after two or three hundred yards there was a footpath on the right. This rose uphill across another empty cow pasture. After a steady slog to the gate in the top left corner, I crossed a bridleway and continued uphill through trees and bushes. I kept right at a fork in the path and soon emerged onto a grassy area, where I quickly reached the top by a tumulus (ancient burial mound). There were fine views, either over Wendover to Wendover Woods or out over the Vale of Aylesbury.
The path to Bacombe, descending from Coxgrove Wood
The path to Bacombe
The path to Bacombe
The path to Bacombe
Bacombe Lane, after I turned right at the end of the path
The path after I turned right from Bacombe Lane
View back from the path up Bacombe Hill (ruined by the long line of works for HS2)
I turned left and followed a path over Bacombe Hill, initially slightly uphill. After a while, I could see the Ridgeway a little way to my right, and there were more views out over the Vale of Aylesbury. It had been a frosty morning, and there was still a lot of frost here now (at about 2.15pm). I went straight on when my path met the Ridgeway, and followed the national trail for almost half a mile to reach the Boer War monument on Coombe Hill. Departing from the Ridgeway, I turned left and followed a broad belt of grass, then went through a tree belt and continued across another grassy area to return to the Coombe Hill car park.
View over Wendover from the tumulus on Bacombe Hill
The path on Bacombe Hill
The path on Bacombe Hill
The Vale of Aylesbury, from Bacombe Hill
The Vale of Aylesbury, from Bacombe Hill (it was very frosty here)
The Ridgeway (again), now on Coombe Hill
The Ridgeway approaching the Boer War monument on Coombe Hill
The way from the monument on Coombe Hill back to the car park
Approaching the Coombe Hill car park
I really enjoyed this walk (which was my first for about seven weeks due to a variety of reasons). The area around Coombe Hill and the Hampdens is one of my favourite parts of the Chilterns so I visit it often, but this route manages to include several paths that I have only used infrequently so I seldom felt that I was over-familiar with my surroundings. There was a lot of woodland walking, but I think there were enough sections of field paths to prevent the woods from becoming monotonous. When outside the woods there were plenty of fine views, and the paths over Bacombe Hill and Coombe Hill (with their extensive views over the Vale of Aylesbury) are always a fine way to end a walk.