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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Wednesday 21 November 2018

Wednesday Walk Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard - Back Wood, Great Brickhill, the Greensand Ridge and River Ouzel

Book 1, Walk 41 - Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard

Length: 14.7 km (9.1 Miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10


Either:
London Euston:  10-13 hrs   Birmingham New Street service
Arrive Bletchley: 10-49 hrs  Change trains
Leave Bletchley: 11-01 hrs    Bedford service
Arrive Bow Brickhill: 11-08 hrs

Or (suggested for senior railcard holders)
London Euston: 09-49 hrs   Birmingham New Street service
Arrive Bletchley: 10-23 hrs   Change trains, then have a coffee in the station foyer caff
Leave Bletchley: 11-01 hrs   Bedford service
Arrive Bow Brickhill:   11-08 hrs

Having missed the connection at Bletchley at least twice in recent years due to the late running of the Euston service, these days I always take the earlier train.  But if you take the later train all is not lost if you miss the connection at Bletchley as the taxi fare to Bow Brickhill station will not break the bank. However, if you are one of SWC's cheepos unwilling to contribute to the taxi fare, best not start your walk at Bletchley station as routes out of town are mighty dull.

ReturnLeighton Buzzard to Euston: (F) = fast service:  15-59, 16-34, 16-53(F), 16-59, 17-33(F), 17-59, 18-33, 18-53(F)

Rail ticket: buy a day return to Bow Brickhill

This is a late autumn favourite walk of mine between Bucks and Beds as often the woods (particularly the oak woods after lunch) can still be a blaze of colour.

Paths in Back Wood at the start of the walk are gradually recovering from horrendous damage caused by forestry operations two years ago. Your way is now navigable, albeit it can be muddy in places. Then you enjoy legs through the less muddy Buttermilk Wood and Duncombe Wood before you pass through a farm then out onto roads which descend to Great Brickhill, where you stop for lunch at the Old Red Lion, which seldom disappoints. If the weather temperature permits, the outdoor seating area is pleasant with nice views. Indoor seating near the bar is cosy and there is also a restaurant area. If more than four of you wish to dine it's best to 'phone ahead with numbers: your e.t.a is 12-55 hrs. Tel: 01525-261715.

After lunch you follow Greensand Ridge marker discs through oak woods, passing signs to Rushmere Park. Your way descends to Rushmere House, then you follow a bank in woodland, to go up a field before dropping down to follow a broad track with the River Ouzel down below you on your right. At Corbetts Hill Farm the main route takes you down to water meadows, which in winter can be water logged. Should this be the case, an alternative, dry route is shown in the Directions. Otherwise you cross the meadows and arrive beside the Grand Union Canal. Your come to your tea stop, the Globe Inn on your left. After tea you enjoy a relaxing stroll beside the canal for a mile plus before you arrive in the centre of Leighton Buzzard. The walk to the railway station does not excite, but this is the only dull bit on the entire walk.
T=1.41
Walk Directions here: L=1.41


1 comment:

David said...

n=7 walkers showed up on what turned out to be a w=sunny_but_somewhat_chilly_day. Two walkers caught the earlier train out of Euston, which was packed, possibly because it was the first off-peak departure of the morning, but perhaps also because of the Warner Brothers studio/Harry Potter tour for which Watford Junction station is the point of assembly. The other five walkers caught the later train which, happily, arrived at Bletchley on time. A cautionary note: one of our number purchased tickets on the train and had to pay £14 rather than the correct £11.90 (senior return fare from Boundary Zone 6). There's a moral there somewhere. The walk itself was a mixture of skirting round fields, crossing stiles and walking through woodland. There was some mud, which was generally not problematic, though one of two uphill stretches were a touch slithery. Five of the walkers arrived at the Old Red Lion pub in Great Brickhill after an hour and a half of walking. I'm not sure whether the other two turned up later. I had to press on towards Leighton Buzzard after a quick drink. Others might like to comment on the food. At Corbetts Hill Farm, I chose discretion over valour and opted for the wet weather diversion rather than risk possibly waterlogged meadows. There was some road walking towards the end, but a pleasant stretch along the Grand Union Canal. I caught the slightly late-running 14.34 train back to London