Pete's Walks - Studham Common and Trowley Bottom (page 3 of 3)
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 stayed straight on along the path, initially with Friendless Wood on my right. Further on there was a hedge on my right and then another small wood (Cotton Spring). The path then ran between fences with paddocks either side, before continuing beside a hedge on my left with a sheep pasture over the fence to my right. The path turned right in the field corner for a few yards, before going left through a gate and running beside a long and thick garden hedge on my left as I crossed a large paddock to rejoin Friendless Lane just before it ended at a minor road on the edge of Cheverell’s Green (Markyate was now a short distance downhill to my right).
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
The path parallel to Friendless Lane
I crossed over the road and turned right through a small open grass area (where I saw a mass of Common Toadflax). I then took a path on the that side of the road, which led through a small meadow of rough grass. I then went through a hedge gap and turned left, following the edge of a huge ploughed field as the hedgerow irregularly curved to my right. There were pleasant views here over rolling hills and valleys, with brown fields interspersed with many woods. Eventually reaching the far field corner, I went though a kissing-gate and went left, continuing alongside a hedge beside another ploughed field, with Roe End Farm visible over to my right. I then turned right, along Roe End Lane, passing the farm on my right and a few scattered houses on my left.
Common Toadflax at Cheverell's Green
The path from Cheverell's Green
The path after I turned right, along the edge of a huge field
Further along the same path
The same path after it turns right, heading towards Roe End
Roe End Lane
When the surfaced lane ended and became a byway, I turned left along a drive or track that would take me towards Beechwood Farm. The drive dropped down into a valley and rose up the other side, now with a wood on the right. Beyond the wood it levelled out and continued between hedgerows. On reaching a track crossroads, I turned right, soon passing some cottages and the farmyard of Beechwood Farm. The track then entered Gravelpit Wood, soon passing a pond on the left (it was very dried up today, after the very hot summer). On reaching a junction of tracks, the footpath continued straight on through what was now Great Bradwin's Wood. On the far side of this wood, I turned right and within a hundred yards or so reached a corner of Studham Common. I then just had to turn left and follow the top of the common back to the car park where I'd started.
The drive to Beechwood Farm
The drive to Beechwood Farm
The drive to Beechwood Farm
The drive after I turned right, passing Beechwood Farm
Pond in Gravelpit Wood - I've never seen the water level so low before (obviously due to the series of heatwaves this summer)
Gravelpit Wood
Great Bradwin's Wood
The path after I turned right after leaving Great Bradwin's Wood
The path along the top of Studham Common, heading back to the car park
This was a very pleasant walk, on a very sunny day (although it was cold enough that I was glad I was wearing my winter coat). There were no big or steep hills to go up or down (the steepest part was going up Valley Lane) but there were enough undulations to prevent it becoming boring. The route was almost entirely on field paths with very little of it in woods, but again I didn't find this to be boring. There were few fine views to be had, but most of the route was through very pleasant countryside anyway so that wasn't a problem either. So it's certainly a route I'd be happy to walk again.
Having now walked the route both anti-clockwise and clockwise, I think I have a slight preference for this clockwise version. The long path to Markyate is much nicer when it's slightly downhill all the way, and the section through Flamstead and Trowley Bottom is also downhill, so is over with more quickly. The only reason I originally walked the route anti-clockwise was a purely personal one, in that I have walked the section between Cheverell's Green and Trowley Bottom far less often in that direction.