Start: Burnham Beeches car park (A). Nearest postcode (SL2 3LB). Grid ref: SU 955 851
(S/E) Starting from the car park, turn left and walk past the café, toilets and information point. Continue for a further 75m, ignoring the driveway forking right, to meet a crossroads and information board. Turn left (South-West) down Sir Henry Peek’s Drive for 140m to a cattle grid. Turn left (East) just before it onto a wide path. Continue along this path for 180m, keeping a fence on the right.
(1) On reaching a junction of paths, turn right (South) through the gate and onto a wooden boardwalk through a wetland area. Continue straight ahead on the main boardwalk until it ends at a crossing path. Cross it to reach a T-junction.
Turn right (South-West) for 80m to meet a tarmac drive. Cross the drive and continue ahead past a wide grassy area on a gravel path for 350m, ignoring all other paths to right and left. At a large oak tree and seat, go over a crossing path and head slightly downhill to another boardwalk. Pass a very old tree trunk on the left. The path slopes downhill through a sharp right-hand bend to reach Middle Pond.
(2) Go past the information board and then bear right (North-North-East) around the edge of the pond and past a seat on the left. Follow the gravel path for 275m to Upper Pond. Continue past its information board and seat and, at a junction of paths, bear left to join a well-defined track. Continue up a slope, go over a crossing path and after 45m head straight over a tarmac drive. After a few metres go over a crossing path and round to the right between two old trees. Pass through a gate in a fence and continue to a path junction.
(3) Turn sharp left (South-West) at this junction along a wide track. Ignore paths coming in from left and right and go straight over a crossing path. Continue along the track for 300m to meet a fence on the left. Follow the path alongside the fence for a further 200m until it bends sharply (90º) to the left. Bear right and follow a broad stony path downhill to meet a wide crossing path in the valley, Victoria Drive. Cross it and head uphill for 55m.
(4) Turn right over a ditch through a gap in the low bank and immediately pass to the right of a tree on which is carved “Kate loves Nick”. Follow this path for 750m. At first it can be very indistinct but gradually becomes a little clearer as it starts to meander uphill. Ignore other paths to left and right and follow this main path as it gradually curves round to the left passing through extensive holly groves to eventually reach an old gatepost on the right.
The path bears right and after 30m passes a green sign for Dimsdale Drive. Stay on it to the next tarmac drive, Morton Drive. Turn right and, after 90m, pass metal bollards and a sign for Morton Drive to meet up with a junction of drives.
(5) Here turn left down McAuliffe Drive. Immediately on the left is Hartley Court Moat and its information board (B), which is worth a visit. Continue down the tarmac drive for 750m to meet another tarmac drive, Dukes Drive. Go straight ahead and follow a wide downhill path. Pass a seat on the right and cross a small stream. After a further 90m meet a junction of five paths.
(6) Take the leftmost path, angling back sharply downhill, then follow it uphill to reach a log seat on the left, where the ground levels out. Bear slightly right to stay on the main track for 450m, ignoring all paths left and right, to a crossing path within 90m of a green barrier and public road. Turn right downhill, over a bridge and stream, then head uphill to return to the car park and start point.(S/E)
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