Length: 23.1 km (14.4 mi) [shorter options outlined
below]
Ascent/Descent: 250/275m
Net Walking Time: 5 hours
Toughness: 4/10
Take the 09.36 Thameslink service from St. Pancras
International to Bedford, arriving Leagrave 10.15 (West Hampstead 09.58). This
train goes via Blackfriars (09.27) but not London Bridge, and calls Farringdon
at 09.31! Return trains from Harlington are on xx.03, xx.19,
xx.33 and xx.49. Buy a Harlington (Bedfordshire) Return.
The start to this walk in Central Bedfordshire with
a long urban stretch may sound inauspicious, but most of that actually leads
through meadows along the early beginnings of The Lea River. And the rewards
are many and varied: far views from solitary North Chiltern hills, ancient
woodlands, steep chalk escarpments, two of the largest Neolithic hill forts in
the South East and an exceptionally fine and steep chalk down land: Barton
Hills, as good as any other. All this is linked by ancient track ways like the
Icknield Way, by the Chiltern Way and with rolling grassy fields and fine views
up to the escarpments in the afternoon. The finish is in the tranquil hill top
village of Harlington.
Walk Options:
Two – mutually exclusive – pre-lunch shortcuts reduce the length of the
walk by 5.8 km and 57m ascent/descent, and by 6.5 km and 85m ascent/descent
respectively.
Shortcut I cuts the Barton Hills, arguably the best part of
the walk, and leads through the NT-owned Sharpenhoe Clappers Hills and through
the Sharpenhoe Hill Fort site instead (this walk is rated 3/10).
Shortcut II halves the time spent in the Barton Hills (this
walk is also rated 2/10).
There are several bus services from opposite the late lunch stops
in Barton-Le-Clay to Luton, terminating at Galaxy Centre, close to Luton train
station, which is closer to London on the same train line.
Tea: Plenty of options en route in Barton-le-Clay,
especially The Olde Watermill in the Dickensian Village, plus two
pubs in Harlington. See the pdf for details.
For summary, map,
height profile, some photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.229
1 comment:
Eleven off the train, but a latecomber caught up, so n=12, with 2 newbies. Once you're in the first hills, shortly after escaping the town the wild flowers beside the path were a real joy. 7, I think ate at the pub (which seemed efficient and good) , joined by a picnicer wanting a drink. The other picnicers moved on, but we all caught up at the splendid Barton Hills. This unity was short lived as a pitch was made for a map led extension. The onward route down split into 3 with 2 doing the full extension. We almost had a regroup around a stretch of excellent blackberries, but most seemed to go straight for the train. The Carpenters Arms for two of us and deciding on a a second drink, got joined by the extension walkers and the 1803 train home. W=overcast_with_a_welcombe_breeze. An enjoyable day out.
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