Jubilee Walks in the Hilltop Villages Dundridge and Braziers End

2 This walk can be enjoyed either by START from 9 1 starting from the Full Moon, White Lion START from section 1 or the White Lion, Rays Hill section 9. Shorter walks from 11 Full Moon either are also indicated. N

Starting from the Full Moon turn 3 12 10 13 1left and go along the road to cross Broad St 8 re Braziers Rays Hill. Continue on the left along et een Common where you will L End Stonehill an Widow Croft Oak Lane notice a number of interesting buildings Wood e The Gr (see overleaf). Further along is Cholesbury Wood Village Hall, with access on its left to Dundridge Cholesbury Hillfort (see Walk No. 1). The Manor house next to the hall, hidden behind a tall 4 hedge, is The Old Manor House (see Lady overleaf). Grove Starting from the White Lion turn Make for a further stile by the large barn left and go down the road to the and one more stile leads to the bottom of Follow Cholesbury Lane past Sandpit 9 junction. Turn right into Oak Lane and Rays Hill. Hill Cottages, built in the 1960s. Walk Turn left, noticing evidence 2 walk along the verge to pass both sets of down the road, being aware of traffic, and of digging for the local brick- Cross the road, and take the 4 brick entrance pillars to Dundridge Manor. at the left-hand bend, turn off right over making industry. Cross a track 12metalled track almost opposite. the stile. Follow the footpath up the right and follow the path through the Cross the road and almost This wooded area, Rays Common, is part side of the field and through the gateway. broad ride with hardwood saplings and Cindry Bottom W 10 immediately go over the stile on of the larger and Cholesbury Veer left to take the path leading to a shrubs on either side. In season listen for Newsets the left. Cross the field diagonally right. At Commons. Go past the cottage, gardens kissing gate. Beyond this, go diagonally to the cuckoo and look for cowslips and the next double fence there are two stiles and old chicken sheds. The tall hedge on 7 Wood the top left corner of the field to another butterflies. At a hawthorn hedge, cross the to cross into a paddock. Bearing left the the right is the boundary with kissing gate. To the right, the 18th century stile to a field and go straight ahead Arrewig path cuts a corner to a further stile and parish and is at least 300 years old. Follow house The Potteries recalls the industry of towards Newsets Wood, full of bluebells in Farm 5 beyond this descends diagonally to a stile the path along the edge of the field and, that time. Now bear slightly right and into spring and later, wild raspberries. Follow at the corner of the field. Continue ignoring the path into the wood, skirt the scrubby woodland. The uneven path the path, which meanders through trees between hedge and fence to a gap outside of the trees continuing almost to winds past a row of silver birch to emerge and exit onto a bridleway. ood through the hedge with a plantation of the corner. Arr conifers stretching up to the right. opposite Chiltern Motors. Cross the road Bear right along the bridleway, the Just before reaching the pair of ewig Lane and go down by the side of the garage to 5parish boundary with Chartridge. Very On entering the For the shorter walk back to the 13stiles, turn sharp left along a path the corner of a large field, once two fields soon go through a gap in the hedge and 7wood turn left and White Lion, turn right here and coming from the woods on the right. After known as Stoney Close and Strive Acre, continue with the hedge to the left. Ignore ignoring crossing paths keep continue at 3. a few yards pass a power line pole and go suggesting they presented something of a the track off to the right and another to going straight ahead for some over a stile to climb the right side of the challenge. the left and continue straight ahead and distance. The path begins to gently 6 To continue on to the Full Moon, field, noting another view of the windmill For the shorter walk back to the steeply downhill. At the bottom pass ascend and the wood narrows, with 11 go straight ahead with the hedge to the left. At the top of this field, Hither Full Moon, turn left here, continue through a gap and continue uphill with the fields visible on either side through the on the left. A gap gives access to another Baldwins, turn left to proceed to a stile at 11. hedge on the right. There are views over trees. At an old chalk-pit on the right the field. Just before the stile notice the pit, in leading to the next field, Further Baldwins. to in the distance before the path splits. Follow arrows on trees, first the trees known as Dell Wood, dug for the Keep straight ahead and about half way Climb up the field, heading slightly track again descends steeply to a dark slightly right uphill and then, part way up, extraction of sand for brick-making. The along the hedge, find a stile on the right 3away from the conifer plantation to narrow tarmac lane where the three left along the path over a fallen log. This is next field was known in the 1800s as which gives access to a grass strip. Go reach a road, Oak Lane. Turn right and on parishes of Chartridge, and Stonehill Wood. After some distance there Switzers. Look for the windmill on the straight on between hedge and wire fence the right-hand bend cross the road, Cholesbury-cum-St Leonards meet. is a 4-way cross-path post. and uphill, becoming The Green, and skyline ahead, and follow the post and to the end and turn left into a paddock. entering Widow Croft Wood via a stile. eventually meets a concrete drive joining wire fences on the left to cross three This is Arrewig Lane (see overleaf). Turn sharp right. This narrow path Leave by a gate in the hedge opposite to After a short distance along a broad track from the right. Straight ahead are gates further stiles. The last meadow, called Kiln Turn right, along the lane following winds uphill through a plantation of arrive in the garden of the Full Moon. take the footpath which veers off to the 6 8 with a gap to the left. Beyond this on the Field, hints at the local industry. All the the parish boundary and, after a climb young trees - beware of old stumps To return to the White Lion, right. Follow the arrows on trees, ignoring right is the drawbridge to Dundridge fields in this area were formerly part of eventually reach Arrewig Farm, originally underfoot. On reaching the mature continue at 1. paths to left and right. On reaching the far Manor (see overleaf). Continue along the the Braziers End estate (see overleaf). known as Browne’s Farm. Just beyond the woodland, arrows on trees direct you corner of the wood, stay inside the wood avenue of 100-year-old beech trees and house go over the stile on the right and diagonally across an old grassy track and and turn sharp left along the path which take the right fork onto Oak Lane. follow the hedge-line down the field bearing left down to a wide track and enters from the right at this point. Keep Note: Numbered Sections refer to numbers on the map. Parts of this walk can be towards Cindry Bottom Wood. From early bridleway, known as Broad Street Lane For the Full Moon continue at 10. straight ahead and close to the wood edge muddy at certain times of the year. Apart from a few short steep ascents summer listen for skylarks above, crickets (see overleaf). Turn right and follow the To return to the White Lion take the on the right before emerging to face a wire and descents this walk is across undulating fields and through woods. There and grasshoppers below. lane, noting evidence of old hedge-laying. left fork and retrace your steps. fence. are a number of stiles to be negotiated. Please keep dogs under control. After some distance the lane bends left