Cadmore End and Fingest Valley
I was in the U.K. in early April 2006. Unfortunately, I had
recently sprained an ankle, so walks I took were much shorter than I
wanted. This walk is a short (about 4 km) loop beginning at
Cadmore End church and enetering the valley that leads down from
Stokenchurch to Fingest. I parked by the church, shown below, and headed west along the bridleway (map).
A couple of hundred metres along the bridleway, where it branches,
there is a small pond in a clump of trees. This pond is at the
edge of a hill, which is made largely of chalk. There must be a
local deposit of clay here. The daffodils were in bloom.
I continued West, along a path that gradually turned southward
and descended. There is a good view across the valley here, and
the large house near Ibstone stood out well.
The path follows the edge of the wood.
It then crosses a very narrow road - Chequers Hill. This is a classic UK "Single track road with passing places".
I continued to the West, and turned left near Harecramp
Cottages. The next photo is taken down the valley; Hanger Wood is
on the left.
From almost the same spot, one sees the row of trees along the
bottom of the valley and the wood on the ridge that runs along from
Ibstone towards Fingest.
Turning left along the track in the trees, we are now heading for Fingest.
The track joins Chequers Lane.
This one shows Fingest, with its church in the centre.
I then returned through Hanger Wood to Cadmore End.
Walk from April, 2006.