Walks from Downley

Walks from Downley Route 4

Cookshall Farm to Naphill

This is a quick and pretty walk through Cookshall farm and into Naphill.  It’s only 2.5 miles and should only take about an hour.  Dogs must be on a lead in all areas from Cookshall Farm until back in Downley Woods.

1. Start at the Cricket pitch and take the path next to Downley Sports Pavillion and Blacksmiths cottage going through the metal pedestrian gate into the grazing field.  Walk across with the hedge on your right hand side to go through the hedge into the next cropped field.
2. Continue straight across with the hedge on your right hand side (passing the area usually used for pheasant habitat) to enter a narrow woodland path.  This goes fairly steeply downhill until you reach a wider track at the bottom.
3. Cross the track and slightly to your left there will be another narrow path going upwards through the woods and reaching a wooden gate at the top by Cookshall Farm.
4. Here you have 2 walk options:

   A

   1. Continue ahead onto the road past the farm and enter the woodland straight ahead
   2. Follow the path as it winds through the woods up and down a couple of dips and turns.  You will come across a couple of estate management tracks (as on either side are breeding pens for the pheasant) but these are clearly marked as private so continue on your only choice of path (mainly edged by wire fencing).
   3. Towards the end bear right on the path until you reach a wooden gate.  Now turn right into Cookshall woods at the back of Naphill.  (If you want a slightly longer walk turn left for about 50 yards then turn right and take the right fork at the second of the right options and you will end up further into Naphill)
   4. Walk ahead along paths that will take you to the main Naphill to Downley track.  Go slightly left and then straight on the stretch of road which takes you to Downley Oak Woods.  Go through and you come out passing the Le De Spencer to the common.

   B

   1. Stay on the road past Cookshall farm and outbuildings.  This bends right past the buildings and left through a metal gate into a field.  Stay on the track which bears right (old Johnstons painted shed etc ahead of you) and walk towards and through the hedge.  Bear slightly left and you’re now going to walk around the edge of the left hand field  (the one on the right has lots of breeding pens and enclosures for the pheasant) keeping the hedge on your right hand side.  You follow the field edge all the way round to the diagonally opposite corner and you reach a metal gate entering Naphill woods. Turn right and it’s a straight path all the way back to Downley Common.

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