We have now settled into our routine at Cholsey Grange CL. With the site owners Ted and Jackie away for a couple of weeks we are looking after things for them. This is a familiar role we have undertaken for a couple of years and it is a great place to be. “Looking after” mainly involves meeting and greeting, keeping an eye on the garden and riding on Ted’s mower. Also within my bailiwick is feeding the chickens and Perkin the cat.
Being allergic to cats I am not keen on getting too close to them and I know from previous experience that Perkin takes a similar view to humans. So we get on fine. We talk to each other and I feed him and he appears happy with the world. Since we were here last year Ted has updated the free Wi-Fi and it now has a great signal across the site, this is ideal for me, as I need to get some work done.
Today’s walk starts from Cholsey Grange, as we walk up the farm track we spot a couple of Red Kites in an Ash tree. These birds are a regular sight here, but as we only occasionally see them in Wiltshire we stop, taking the opportunity for a closer look.
At the top of the drive we head straight across along the lane that runs besides the cricket pitch on Ibstone Common. After passing Hellcorner Farm we follow a footpath which forks to the left where the tarmac lane continues to a private driveway. We walk downhill on this broad path.
At the bottom of the hill we turn left on a footpath that leads through Turville Wood at the bottom of the valley. This is a cracking stretch of woodland that eventually joins the minor road leading into Turville.
I have previously written about Turville, it is an attractive village and you can see why it is has been used as a setting in so many television programmes. Passing the Church we take a footpath on the left before the Bull and Butcher pub.
The path leads between cottages to a kissing gate, we go through and immediately take another kissing gate on the right. This clear path leads across Turville Hill downs below Cobstone Mill.
After going through another kissing gate, (I am in danger of using up my monthly allocation of kisses on this one walk!) we are on a wooded path leading to a minor road. We cross joining the footpath opposite to walk through Mill Hanging Wood, at a fork in the path we go left to carry on through the trees. This section is one of the few footpaths in this area we have not previously walked. With the sun shining through the beech trees it is a real cracker.
We descend down into the bottom of the valley and turn left to follow the well-defined path. This is a path we have walked regularly, today we stop to watch the bees on the Knapweed.
It is odd that as time goes on I am more relaxed about stopping to look and appreciate the flora and fauna, whereas in the past it was head down knocking off the miles. It doesn’t mean we cover less distance it just takes us longer. But what’s the rush?
We walk through Twigside Bottom and into Penley Wood where we take a footpath on the left back towards Cholsey Grange before turning left again to follow the farm track back to the CL.
It has been a cracking little jamabout of just over six miles, around what has become very familiar countryside. I enjoy walking without having to look at the map as over the years I have come to know my way well around these parts.
To follow this route on OS Maps Click Here
To follow our walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 171 Chiltern Hills West
13th August 2017
© Two Dogs and an Awning (2017)