Book 1 Walk 41 - Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard
Length: 14.7 km (9.1 miles)
Toughness: 4 out of 10
London Euston: 10-15 hrs West Midlands service to Crewe and Rugeley Trent Valley
Arrive Bletchley: 10-49 hrs Change trains
Leave Bletchley : 11-01 hrs Bedford branch line service
Arrive Bow Brickhill: 11-08 hrs
Return
Leighton Buzzard to Euston: 16-34, 16-54, 17-07, 17-34, 17-55 and 18-09 hrs
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Bow Brickhill
The start of this walk is the same as for Bow Brickhill to Woburn Sands (Book 1 Walk 17), that is , the route takes you up into Back Wood, which in winter can be muddy (of the slubberdub variety).
Once out of these woods the walks are totally different, with today's walk taking you through more woods (Buttermilk Wood then Duncombe Wood) on the level (and dryer underfoot) then through a farm until you head down a road into the village of Great Brickhill, where you stop for lunch at the Old Red Lion pub, which serves good, honest pub grub. There are wonderful views from the pub's back garden terrace, but it might be a bit nippy to dine on the terrace today, so you might prefer to have lunch in the comfy indoor seating area by the bar or in the spacious restaurant cum dining area.
After lunch the walk continues through Rushmere Country Park, where you should be able to enjoy the last of this autumn's leaf colour, either from foliage still on oak and beech trees, or from carpets of leaves underfoot. This leg of the walk at this time of year is quite lovely. Onwards then to exit Rushmere Country Park to pick up the Greensand Ridge for a while. You then walk on a track above the River Ouzel before dropping down at Corbetts Hill farm to cross water meadows, which can be soggy in winter. You now head up a bank to join the Grand Union Canal, for a relaxing canal-side walk all the way into Leighton Buzzard. At the start of your canal-side walk you come to the Globe Inn, your suggested tea stop (there are slim pickings in Leighton Buzzard). On reaching the town you encounter the only duff bit of today's walk - the mercifully short leg through the town's suburbs to the railway station.
This walk does not get many postings - so do enjoy it today.
T=1.41
Your Walk Directions are here: L=1.41
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A reasonably good weather forecast attracted n=10 to attend today's walk between Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.
It was w=mild-with-hazy-sunny-spells and a gentle breeze in the afternoon, making for very pleasant, late autumn walking conditions.
Back Wood early in the walk was muddy, as anticipated, but otherwise mud levels were very manageable all day, and it was mostly dry underfoot.
5 of us dined at the Old Red Lion pub in Great Brickhill. A table was reserved for us by the friendly staff in the cosy bar area, close to the fire, and we enjoyed our meals, washed down with some excellent draught beer. One sandwicher joined us for a coffee at our table as the other four sandwichers set off on with the afternoon leg of the walk.
Said afternoon leg was a delight today: the last of this year's lovely leaf colour was highlighted by the sun shining through the oak and beech trees in Rushmere Park and along the Greensand Ridge. We found the water meadows of the river Ouzel to be neither soggy nor too muddy before we joined the Grand Union Canal. Just along the canal the luncheoners met up with the sandwichers at the Globe Inn as the latter were preparing to leave after enjoying a refreshment stop: it was nice to say hello to them before they set off along the canal. Three of us luncheoners stopped for tea at the excellent, friendly Globe before we in turn set off along the canal at a steady pace, now in failing light. The dreary suburbs of Leighton Buzzard were quickly negotiated and the 16.34 hrs train for Euston was pulling in at the platform as we arrived at the railway station.
I believe we all enjoyed today's walk - I certainly did.
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