# 🥾 Walk 403 - Bix and Maidensgrove Common

Dan is a member of the Berkshire Walkers 20s & 30s group, but sometimes leads walks for us (the BWWs). He led one for us on Sunday 20th October. A mixture of BWs and BWWs made up the fifteen people on his walk, which started at Middle Assendon, north of Henley-on-Thames.

We headed up the steep fir tree lined avenue that joined White Lane, taking us to Bix Common. Soon we were in the Bix Underwood plantation, doubling back through Halfridge Wood as we reached Crocker End. As we emerged from the wood, we were greeted by an unusual sight.

![A couple of stags going head-to-head.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume30/images/deer_fighting.jpg)

Two young stags going head to head! They were so engrossed in their battle for supremacy that we were able to get quite close before they fled into the wood. The fight had been going on for some time before our presence broke it up, but luckily no blood had been drawn.

We stopped at the remains of St James' church, Bix Bottom, to look around and have our picnic lunch. This ruin has had some recent work done to preserve what's left of it and I believe that the occasional service is held there.

![Stopping for lunch by the ruined church at Bix Bottom.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume30/images/bix_church.jpg)

Heading up through Warberg Nature Reserve and Westwood Manor Farm, we reached Upper Maidensgrove, where we stopped for a drink at the Five Horseshoes pub. Refreshed, we returned via Russell's Water Common, Maidensgrove Scrubs and Warmscombe Lane, from where we had an aerial view of the church ruins we'd stopped at earlier.

Descending to the B480 road that passes through Middle Assendon, we doubled back and crossed through Little Bixbottom Farm, taking a longer route to Middle Assendon that avoided a walk along the main road. See our route on Google Maps.

![Crossing Westwood Manor Farm.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume30/images/westwood_manor_farm.jpg)

*Thank you to Dan for leading this interesting walk.*

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