Length: 24.1 km (15.1 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 207m
Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ¼ hours
Toughness: 4 out of 10
OR
Length: 17.3 km (10.7 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 87m
Net Walking Time: ca. 3 ¾ hours
Toughness: 1 out of 10
Take the Thameslink train from Three Bridges to Bedford,
calling London Bridge 09.19, (Blackfriars and Farringdon), St. Pancras
09.35, West Hampstead Thameslink 09.43, arriving Flitwick 10.28.
Return trains: xx.15, xx.29, xx.45 and xx.59
This Central Bedfordshire walk just north of the easterly end of the
Chilterns initially follows the tranquil Flit River along the shady wooded
fringes of Flitwick Moor, one of the most important wetland sites in the south
east of England, and then veers away from the river through a couple of quiet
villages, en route passing the Grade I-listed De Grey Mausoleum in Flitton and
the also Grade I-listed Wrest House and Gardens in Silsoe. This is followed by
a longer stretch through rolling fields with views to the Greensand Ridge.
After crossing the Flit near Clophill the walk leads up the Greensand Ridge,
descending for lunch back into Clophill.
After lunch it’s back on to the ridge for a long stretch through and along Maulden Wood, at times with far views south to the Chiltern Hills. The highlight of the return route from Maulden to Flitwick is the passage through Flitton and Flitwick Moors, including a stretch along a narrow path through the very heart of Flitwick Moor.
Walk Options:
Shortcut, as above.
Lunch: The Stone Jug (14.6 km/9.0 mi, food
served to 14.30) or The Flying
Horse (15.2 km/9.5 mi, food all day) in Clophill [or 7.8 km/7.2
km respectively into the walk on the short walk].
Tea: Various options in Maulden (6 km from the
end of the walk) and in Flitwick. For details see page 2 of the Walk
Directions pdf.
For walk directions, maps, height profiles, photos
and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.231
1 comment:
10 off the train, with a further 2 already waiting outside the station, i.e.: n=12.
No mud, w=plenty-of-sunshine, fine far views, gentle but interesting landscape, lowly but sufficient water levels in the Flit River, plenty of fine old buildings to look at, a gem of a village pub, fine company: that kind of sums it up.
There was a shoot going on in the fields between Flitwick and its Moor, and we saw a whole copse's floor covered in snowdrops (by Cainhoe Manor), some turkeys in an allotment (just south of Maulden) and a few muntjac (in the final wood just before Flitwick).
In Wardhedges, the group split 7 to 5 into short walk and long walk, with the short walkers eating at The Flying Horse, then migrating up to The Stone Jug (the much better beer pub but with only sausage rolls as food options), leaving 2 of their lot there and moving on. Us long walkers split into 3 joining the drinkers at The Stone Jug and 2 walking down to The Horse for nourishment. The Jug was very busy despite not serving food, with everyone but us clearly being regulars. Looks like the local car drivers go to the Horse, as it's on an A road junction, while the village folk (and some walkers) frequent The Jug. And what a nice traditional pub it is!
The 3 of us then picked up the Horse folk, while the 2 drinkers continued along the Main Walk route, but 1 of the Horse folk then decided he had had well enough ascent for the day and rather walked back the shortcut route to then retrace the outbound route for an early bath. 4 thus marched on, back along the rest of the short route onto the long route, eventually catching the 2 drinkers at Maulden Church.
On through Flitton and Flitwick Moors, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed, and 5 of us then spend half an hour in The Crown for drinks, while 1 went for the next train. Farewell Drinks to a lovely day out.
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