Chiltern Chain Walk 2:
Studham and Little Gaddesden
30 May 2009
The Chiltern Chain Walk is a series of 20
circular walks which link together to create a chain across the Chilterns,
running from the northern edge near Dunstable to the Thames at Goring. After a
nine-month break since doing the first, today Stephen and George returned to
Studham to continue with the second link.
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-111508.jpg)
George on Studham Common
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-111749.jpg)
Looking across Studham Common to Studham
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-114804.jpg)
The route then skirts Great Bradwin's Wood along a field margin
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-115133.jpg)
Cattle watching us
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-115610.jpg)
Sheep not watching us
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-122428.jpg)
Walking through Hob Wood
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-122901.jpg)
Descending the hill towards the village of Great Gaddesden
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-123449.jpg)
An extended double bridge takes us over the infant River Gade, whose waters join
the Grand Union Canal in Hemel Hempstead
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-124309.jpg)
Climbing away from Great Gaddesden
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-124653.jpg)
A couple of monks from the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in Nettleden
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-130509.jpg)
There is then a long (over two kilometres) plod through this field, with only
the lone tree and later a few bushes round a small pond to break up the walk.
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-132525.jpg)
George by those bushes
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-134204.jpg)
Children playing in a playground on the edge of Cromer Wood
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-134613.jpg)
Golden Valley, in the huge National Trust Ashridge Estate.
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-134917.jpg)
Deer in Golden Valley
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-135304.jpg)
Ashridge House, now a management college
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-140539.jpg)
The impact of the contractors doing some thinning of the woodland is rather
untidy at present, but no doubt will produce an improvement in time.
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-142123.jpg)
The Bridgewater Arms in Little Gaddesden
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-142222.jpg)
A buttercup-filled meadow as we head east from Little Gaddesden
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-142326.jpg)
One of the diminutive beneficiaries of the meadow
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-142703.jpg)
Little Gaddesden church is outside the village: the bells were being rung
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-144316.jpg)
Descending back into the Gade valley - we have come far enough up from the
crossing over that bridge earlier that there was no water to be seen.
![](../../images/2009/2009-05/2009-05-30-151801.jpg)
Reaching Studham Common once again and we are nearly back at the car.
Total distance 17.2 km in 4 hours 16 minutes with 381 metres of ascent.
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