After a few weeks at home I am away again, this time back on familiar ground at Cholsey Grange CL. I am here for a couple of weeks keeping an eye on things whilst the owners Ted and Jackie head off sailing. Lynnie has stayed at home, we are still having work done on our house so she is “supervising” activities.
After setting up yesterday I took a stroll from the caravan site. After so many visits here I know the local footpaths very well. Today I am going to do a circuit that will visit the local villages of Fingest and Turville. I leave the caravan site through the gate at the far end and turn left onto the footpath to head downhill into the woods.
At a junction of paths I turn right following the clear way-marked route through Twigside Bottom.
I stay on this route ignoring paths to the left and right. It has been drizzling for most of the day, but at the moment it is dry making for pleasant walking conditions. This path leads to a minor road at Gravesend, shortly before reaching the road I turn right following a path up hill. Then at a fork in the path I take the left route which follows the contour of the hill to reach the edge of Fingest.
At a junction of paths I keep straight on through the woods to reach a minor road, which I cross and continue on a path under Turville Hill. After going through a kissing gate I follow a route across the downs. On the hill to my right is Cobstone Mill which has featured in a number of films including Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang.
At a junction of paths I turn left into the attractive village of Turville and walk by the church and then take a footpath on the right through a narrow passage between properties. After going through a gate I cross a field to reach another gate onto an area of access land. I walk a short distance uphill to reach a kissing gate on the left that leads into an area of woodland.
The clear path climbs through the trees to reach another kissing gate and then continues uphill besides a fence. There are fine views down the valley from here.
I follow the path along the fence line, ignoring a footpath to the right into the woods. At the end of the fence line the path veers to the right and then goes left to head through the beech woods. At a fork in the path I go right and climb steadily on a clear path that heads through Park Wood.
The path reaches a road close to Ibstone House, here I turn left and follow the road through the village back to Cholsey Grange,
My walk has covered just over five miles and I have been fortunate to avoid any rain. Time now to have a good look at the map to plot a new route for tomorrow.
To follow my walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 171 – Chiltern Hills West
9th August 2019
© Two Dogs and an Awning (2019)