Bishopstone second circuit - Bishopstone

On the many visits to Bishopstone we have always gone up the south side of the valley, and although I had seen tracks to the north it just never came about.

Bertie and I headed up through the village to the main road and across to the farm track opposite.

The track was initially concreted over, and started fairly gently before it steepened up over a fore-ridge. On the other side of the valley we could see our usual horseshoe walk around the ridge line.

The track changed into gravel base as it passed a large hay barn, before it finished at a cow byre ...  I suspect there would have been many more historically but now it is all big fields and arable crops.

The lane continued as a dirt track with a grass centre, up the side of the fields, still heading for the ridgeway track that runs along the top of the ridge.

There was a large cross way where we met another track coming up from the village, but mainly was a turning point for all the fields.

Continuign onwards the track mutated again into more of a footpath as we got closer to the ridge top

Finally at the ridgeway - a byway for many types of traffic, including a number of cars and four x fours...

We moved along west, meeting people for  the first time today, until we got to the next bog junction where we turned back south, despite all the "private" notices and cctv warning signs that almost hid the bridle path sign.

Looking south across the fields

The track was now back to a mainly concrete construction, as we passed several big barn constructions, and a few cottages and temporary accommodations, which showed the track was regularly used. 

The track continued in a fairly straight line back downwards in a rolling motion.

Looking across the fields to the first hay barn we went passed on the way up, before the steep drop back into the village.

Back in the village we negotiated our way along the back roads, including a short cut footpath which went through someone's garden in reality.

Then back to the house for a drink, and snack - a shorter route than normal but one that I had been meaning to do for a while.