SWC Walk 195 – Cheddington to Leighton Buzzard
Length: 24.5 km (15.2 mi) [shorter walk possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 234 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours
Toughness: 5 out of 10
Take the 09.24 Milton Keynes Central train from
Euston (calls Watford Junction 09.41),
arriving Cheddington at 10.04;
Return trains: xx.33, xx.53 and xx.59 (34 to 47 minutes journey time) to Euston; alternatively, at xx.24 there's a train to Clapham Junction (68 minutes journey time).
Buy a Leighton
Buzzard return.
“A splendid walk through East
Buckinghamshire’s rolling landscape of fields and wooded areas on the edge of
the Chiltern Hills, linking up a handful of delightful hill top villages to
provide panoramic views across pleasant countryside. Broadly following the
Thames/Great Ouse watershed in the morning, it initially heads west, mostly
with grand views of the Chilterns (when not walking in wooded areas), to then
turn north with far views into Aylesbury Vale to the west, on to lunch pubs at
either Aston Abbotts or Cublington. The afternoon route is more level, but
still features the hilltop village of Wing and ends with a fairly tranquil
descent into Linslade (for Leighton Buzzard station).“
The walk includes several arable field crossings before lunch, this might be the right time of year to walk it.
Please see the comments section on the website for one walker’s remarks on recent route changes. We will investigate them to then update the directions.
Disclaimer: This walk involves a level crossing of a dual carriageway, close to the end. So far, every SWC walker has survived the experience intact.
It is possible
to shorten the walk by taking a bus to Leighton Buzzard station, for
details see the ‘Walk Options’ chapter on page 2 of the directions.
The recommended lunch options are The Unicorn in Cublington (13.9 km/8.7 mi) [a table has been booked], or (a little earlier and 250m
off-route) the Royal Oak Inn in Aston
Abbotts (11.5 km/7.1 mi). For tea, there are several pubs listed in the
directions, they are all in the Linslade part of town, i.e. close to the station. There is also a new or re-opened pub in
Leighton Buzzard’s centre (The Black Lion at 20 High Street), which has
been voted ‘CAMRA Pub of the Year
Bedfordshire’ in its first year. That is asking to be tried out. As is The Bald Buzzard, a new micropub at 6 Hockcliffe
Street.
For walk directions, map, height profile,
comments, and gpx/kml files click
here.
T=swc.195
L=swc.195
5 comments:
Planning to do this walk.
coming with all my neighbours, maps, gps and most importantly a current bus timetable in case we get sleeted/snowed/hailed/rained in, or rather out. I know rather weak.
There are a couple of amendments to be made after passing All Saints Church in Wing. Firstly, the sharp left turn is into Church Walk (not Church Lane). Secondly, the allotments at the junction of High Street and Stewkley Road no longer exist. A new housing development is being built there. The new directions should read, "In 130m reach a junction with Stewkley Road and follow the main road round to the right. Take the first road on the left (Dormer Avenue). In just over 100m, veer left into Castle Close"
n=16 w=cold-wind-with-occasional-hail
Two first-timers amongst the 16 walkers, only equipped with summer footwork, but gamely lasting the distance as far as can be ascertained (they shuffled off from the lunch pub with the fast sandwichers). Muddy in places, but not too bad, some of the field crossings left the boots with clingy mud, but mostly the soil was firm and easy to walk on. A bitey wind at times, especially felt on the middle stretch when we ventured North, straight into it. Leaden skies, with patches of blue, the sun at times threatening to break through, but not quite making it. Interesting cloudscapes therefore. And some fine-ish views to the Chilterns and Aylesbury Vale.
1 walker then succumbed to a mixture of bugs & hangover and called a taxi from the lunch pub. Food service was exceedingly slow, they were clearly understaffed on the day, both front-of-house and kitchen. Food was tasty though when it eventually arrived. 2 hours at the pub for the first arivals...!
At the end of twe walk 4 of the group stayed on in Leighton Buzzard to search out the CAMRA Pub of the Year and the micropub mentioned in the posting, and that proved a worthwhile excursion. 21.something train, followed by one more drink in London: the Euston Tap was packed, so off we went to the Bree Louise, mentioned in the recent Welcome Collection post (Turkish Delight Ale anyone ? Tasting nothing like Turkish Delight, unfortunately...).
Several route changes, as outlined by the previous blogger and - a bit further along the route - where a wood had newly been opened to the public, will be included.
excellent walk with glorious views over the Chilterns, and indeed much better weather than predicted and therefore the hardy 16 who came out had a deserved treat and great walk as a result. luckily our leader had timed the hale to descend during our longish lunchtime - with customary German precision. Bravo!
unwell walker exceptionally well looked after by various members and, I can faithfully report, has returned to her usual spring chicken feeling today. That's what neighbours are for.
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