Cholesbury to the Lee
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Cholesbury to The Lee This walk starts from the cricket pitch at Cholesbury and takes you through the fields, meadows and woods around Cholesbury. It passes through Asheridge, Chartridge, Lee Common and The Lee. Start: Beside the cricket pitch at Cholesbury Author: Ian Brander Nearest Post Code: HP23 6ND OS Map Ref: SP932071 Distance: 10 miles (16 km) Ascent 900 feet (280 m) Parking: In the small car park by the cricket pitch on Cholesbury Common or road side parking by the common. From the car walk look for the large gap in the trees directly behind the cricket pitch (as seen from the car park – compass direction 70 degrees). Walk downhill through the clearing, with trees on both sides, until you reach a broad crossing track. Turn right along this track. In 400 yards take the right fork to head up hill and in 50yds fork right again to continue heading up hill. Just before leaving the woods turn right onto a path leading directly to the road. (If you lose your way in the woods head up to the road and follow the road passed the Full Moon to Kingston Cottage, which is just before the left fork to Horseblock Lane) Cross the road by Kingston Cottage and follow the public footpath sign to a path descending into the valley. At the bottom of the valley meet a crossing path and continue straight ahead to pass under the power cables and start to ascend the other side of the valley. At the top emerge from the woods and walk along the edge of a field with the hedge on your right. At the end of the hedge row turn right and follow the track with the brick works on your right. When you reach the tarmacked yard of the brickworks with a brick building directly in front of you turn left onto the footpath signed by a marker post. Walk along the edge of the field to reach a redbrick house on the right and turn right here onto the access road. After passing the house look for a bridleway sign on the left and take the bridleway, when it meets a crossing track by a farm turn right and follow the track passing Bellingdon Farm to come out onto the road in Bellingdon. Turn left and walk along the road passing the bus stop and turn right into Two Gates Lane by a footpath sign. Follow the path as it twists around the houses and then descends into a valley. Where the track takes a sharp left to The Ranch take the marked footpath straight ahead. Go over a stile into a field and start ascending out of the valley to meet the Road at Asheridge alongside the Blue Ball. Turn Left and walk along the road for 150 yds then take the path on the right signed Chiltern Heritage Trail opposite hilltop cottage. Go through the kissing gate, descend into the valley and up the other side. The path becomes narrow and passes between hedgerows before reaching the road at Chartridge, beside the Chartridge Mission Church. Turn right, walk along the road to the village hall and turn left into Cogdells Lane. Ignore the Chiltern Heritage Trail sign and path into the recreation ground and continue straight ahead passing housing on your left. When the track turns sharp left to Cogdells Farm take the footpath straight ahead between trees and hedges. Ignore the first track to the right and go through a gate and down the left-hand side of the field to reach a kissing gate and the bottom of the valley. Go through the gate and turn right onto the bridleway. Continue along this bridleway passing through a wood. At the end of the wood the bridleway turns left but continue straight ahead through a kissing gate and on to a path. Approaching a white cottage, the path bends left to meet an access road. Turn right onto the access road and follow it, turning left in front of Rose Cottage to meet Ballinger Road. Cross the road to pass through kissing gate and enter a wood on the path signed as the Chiltern link. Continue on this path to reach a gate. Go through the kissing gate on the right and ignoring paths to the left and right continue ahead. Go through another kissing gate with Lee Common on your right. When the path meets the road turn right still following the Chiltern Link signs. Pass Manor Gardens and at the end of the road turn right to pass the Cock and Rabbit to reach the green at The Lee which is good place to stop for lunch. To continue after lunch, look for the footpath sign and path next to The Lee House at the opposite end of the green to the monument. Take this path through a meadow and on reaching a wire fence turn right to continue around the meadow with the fence on your left to reach a kissing gate. Go through the gate and cross the field heading for another gate directly ahead, still signed Chiltern link. Go through this gate and take the track ahead with the hedge to your left. Pass a strip of wood then follow the path alongside a hedge on the right. As the path bends right look for a footpath on the righthand side before the overhead power cables. Take this path along a field edge. Go under the power cables to enter another small strip of woodland on the left. On leaving the woodland pass under another set of power cables and at the end of the field go through a kissing gate by Rabbs Corner and turn right to follow the broad track with paddocks on both sides. Pass a white cottage on the right and follow the track to reach a road. Cross the road to enter an enclosed path. After 180yds take the path to the left at the edge of a field. Follow the righthand side of the field, through several kissing gates to reach the road at Swan Bottom. Cross the road and go through the swing gate to follow the path along the left side of a meadow. Cross two further meadows passing through gates to reach a kissing gate into a wood. Enter the wood and immediately bear right following the Chiltern Way footpath sign. On leaving the wood cross a crop field diagonally to head for a small gap in the hedge line by trees then follow the arrow to continue along the left-hand side of the next field. At the end of this field go through the gap in the tree line to reach Arrewig Lane. Turn right and in 100 yds take the footpath on the left still signed Chiltern way. Cross a crop field heading to the left of the trees. Go through a gap into a wood ignoring a crossing path and still marked Chiltern way. Emerge from the wood cross a crop field heading for the corner of the woods ahead of you. Go through the woods and where a bridleway joins from the left continue ahead towards Dundridge Manor. Pass the manor and on reaching Oak lane take the right fork to join Oak Lane and in 50yds take the signed path on the left to go through a swing gate. Head diagonally right to a kissing gate in the line of trees ahead. Go through the gate, over a stile into a paddock and on towards another stile into the next paddock. Cross this stile and head diagonally for a stile half way along the opposite paddock boundary fence. Cross the stile and continue diagonally towards a stile in the far-right corner of the paddock. Cross the stile and follow an enclosed path with a meadow on the right. When the path reaches a field continue straight ahead on the left-hand field edge ignoring paths to the left and right. At the next crossing footpath, with the houses of Cholesbury visible to the left, go through the kissing gate by the power lines, turn left and climb back towards Cholesbury. On reaching the road turn right and follow the road back to the cricket pitch and car park. .