Holmer Green to Coleshill via Penn Wood

Description

(D/A) From the shops (Lynford Parade) set off down the hill towards the pond, turning right into Earl Howe Road at the crossroads. Continue on for 250m, passing the Earl Howe pub on the left, and turn left into Hogg Lane. Walk to the end of Hogg Lane (350m) and bear right at the footpath sign to which a dog waste bin is attached. Just a few steps along the path there’s a gap on the right where you can enter the field and walk parallel with the footpath. Make for the farm buildings in the distance. The path eventually squeezes between the hedge and the first building, crosses a farm area (Blairavon Farm) and arrives at a road (Sheepcote Dell Road, 500m), here turn right. WITH GREAT CARE follow the road to the A404, ignoring the road on the left signposted Beamond End.

(1) Go straight across the A404, then cross a small parking area and go through the gate into Penn Wood. Keep an eye on the field to the right, and where the field ends (after 100m) at a footpath junction take the right fork (not sharp right) at the footpath marker post just after a large tree in the path. After another 50m at a public footpath sign the path forks again, here bear slightly left. Follow this path for 1km (15 mins). You may spot a pond on the right with a bench facing it. After a while, at another fork keep straight on to emerge at a small parking area, turn left at the road and follow this road to the T-junction, alongside the grassy area on your left.

(2) Pass Penn Street Village Hall on your right, and at the junction take the public footpath on the opposite side of the main road. This is narrow path with an industrial estate on the right. Then through a gate, keeping in the same direction, cross a field parallel with the fence on the right. Through another gate and into a very large open field, make for the woods.

(3) On the far side of the field enter the woods through the gate. The path is broad and proceeds for 400m initially passing over a makeshift bridge, keeping parallel with the edge of the woods with a field on the right.

(4) The path emerges from the woods through a gate. Keeping in this direction, cross an open field, and at the far end go through another gate onto a narrow overgrown path. Within a few steps there’s a gap in the hedge into the field where an unofficial (less overgrown) path runs parallel. Past a garden on the left, hedge on the right, the path arrives at a road.

(5) Cross straight over the road and follow the path through part of Winchmore Hill, past a recreation ground on the right, where there is a bench if you wish to end you walk here.

(6) After 300m (slightly uphill) at a roads cross-roads, take the road sharp left here, past the Plough pub, and signposted to Amersham.

(7) After approx 100m take the public footpath on the right, next to some iron gates and opposite a chapel, signposted The Chiltern Way. The path is narrow but after 100m broadens out into an open field. Follow the path with a hedge on the right and an open field on the left with lovely views beyond. Past some footpath repeater signs and into another field, make for a line of pylons and overhead cables in the distance.

(8) After 600m, under the power cables, at the end of the field the path kinks and enters some woods. Keep straight on, ignoring the footpath on the left, and as the path leaves the woods ignoring footpaths both sides.

(9) Continue in the same direction into a open field, the path climbs up to the right of a clump of trees, then curves round and heads towards the left of some woods. At the woods turn right through a gap and a gate and onto a narrow path with a hedge on the right and fence on the left. After 150m go through a gate, IGNORE the path coming in from the left, but NOTE the layout for the way back.

(10) The path broadens into a concrete drive (100m), and after a gate becomes a shingle drive. Then through another gate, passes a row of houses on the left. Just after this (180m) the path meets a road. The gate into the churchyard is a few metres opposite to the left, where there are several benches overlooking the headstones and a porch with a bench if it’s raining. Otherwise take the footpath opposite. The footpath meets a main road opposite the Red Lion pub, here turn right along the road and approx 80m along you pass a pond on the right with benches on the far side. Return to Holmer Green the same way.(D/A)