Saturday 23rd September Old Warden - Ickwell walk led by Beryl & Sharon

 This 8 mile walk started from Old Warden church & had 7 walkers

Sue, Lynn, Beryl, Sharon, Tony P, John D & Tony R

Sue with a wooden deer

Lynn and Sue during picnic stop

Track of walk, walked in clockwise direction.

 

Thursday 21st September Marston Thrift > Cranfield walk led by Shelia & Mike Briggs

 This 3 mile walk had 9 walkers and started from the car park at Thrift Lodge.

Track of walk, walked in clockwise direction

Saturday 16th September Cranfield walk led by Sue & John Poole

 This 5.5 mile walk had 8 walkers and started from Partridge Piece in Cranfield.

We stopped at the BikeBus cafe for  refreshments.

Track of walk, walked in anti-Clockwise direction.

Thursday 14th September Hexton > Lilley Hoo > Mortgrove Farm walk led by Tony P

This 7 mile walk had 12 walkers and started on Mill Lane Hexton, on a nice bright sunny autumn morning. Walking through the village, taking the track that led us out past the old water mill and then the fields on towards Pegsdon.

 

 

Reaching the Pegsdon hills nature reserve, a side track was taken bringing us out at the bottom of Telegraph hill, where we stopped in the shade for our coffee break,

Continuing on up the slight incline, we made it onto Lilley Hoo, where we followed along the tracks until we came to the permissive path leading us onto Kingshill Lanes.

Following the lane , it wasn't long before we joined our old friend the John Bunyan trail running along Lilley Bottom.

 Joining the Icknield way trail, we made our way to the turn for Mortgrove Farm. 

 

 Our picnic lunch was taken on the logs beside the track and once we were all suitably refreshed we started on our return.

 

 Passing through Mortgrove Farm, some road walking was required before we entered the field & plantation that would lead us back towards Hexton and the end of a walk enjoyed by all on a very sunny & hot day.

Track of walk, walked in clockwise direction

 

Saturday 9th September Woburn walk led by Hilary

This was a repeat of Hilary's previous 3 mile walk but in the opposite direction.
On a very hot day seven of us started out from Woburn car park, into the park past the pond where we stopped for a photo,

After passing the farm buildings we turned off up the slope towards Froxfield. On reaching the estate road we turned left before stopping under a tree for a water break. We could see extensive earthworks which Hilary explained was to drain the car park. We remarked on the absence of deer in the park. We saw the front of the Abbey covered in scaffolding. It has been shut for several years now due to asbestos found internally. The Duke now living at Birchmore Farm as witnessed by our recent walk past there.We descended the hill between the lakes which has a nasty green scum round the edges. The resident swans did not seem to worry. On family had 3 large cygnets on one of the ponds.

Hilary, Beryl, Wendy, Linda, Tony R, Anna & Richard W

 At the bottom of the hill we turned right, all except Beryl taking a short cut across the grass.. On approaching the lower ponds we noticed a herd of stags grazing & drinking. These were the first deer we had seen all morning, however there were no hinds in sight. 

 A kind park ranger took a group photo for us before we returned to the walk start.

Track of walk, walked in clockwise direction.

Thursday 7th Spetember Maulden walk led by John & Janet Y

On a very hot day 10 ramblers met in Maulden. We walked up Moor Lane and The Brache to cross the road into the fields where despite the warning sign there were no cows in the first field! There are quite a few fields to cross before the ridge near Kings Wood

 We stopped for a short break before entering the woods for some welcome shade. 

 We then walked downhill quite a way through more fields crossed a quiet road and on to Maulden woods where once again the shade of the trees was most welcome. 

 

Up on the Heath we had a picnic stop with a few of us remarking it would be nice to have a nap! Walking on past Green End and through the allotments we arrived back to the start a little hot but all agreed a pleasant pretty walk. Total of 7 miles

Track of walk, walked in clockwise direction

 

Saturday 2nd September Great Barford walk led by Celia & Bob

We were pleased to have 10 ramblers for our walk from Great Barford. We started by following the River Ouse towards Roxton where we saw 3 ladies swimming in the river.

One of the ladies swimming in the river

Shortly afterwards we stopped for a drinks break.

We then diverted to walk through Roxton village.. At Roxton Lock we were pleased to find the bridge open, as it had previously been closed for some time. 

We walked through Tempsford, stopping to look at the War Memorial. 

Everyone at the memorial

Then we joined up with the River Ivel for a very pleasant walk to Blunham weir. We stopped at "The Trap" for our picnic lunch break with some very convenient seats. 

Tony P, Beryl, Geoff, Ruth, Tony R & Bob having lunch

 

Lynn, Torunn & Sharon after their lunch

Beryl at the weir.

 We then followed field paths to return to Great Barford, having completed 8 miles.

Track of walk, walked in clockwise direction.

 

Thursday 31st August Bedford walk led by Liz & Pete

Nine of us enjoyed a leisurely walk from the Swan Hotel along the embankment in Bedford enjoying the beautiful flowers along the River Ouse. We then took the footpath to Priory Park where Beryl and Nita joined us. We managed to see a heron close up and lots of swans and ducks. 

The weather was dry and warm so we all sat and enjoyed tea, coffee and cakes together outside the cafe in the park and had a good catch up. 

 

On our return we walked on the opposite side of the embankment past the boathouse and the Archimedes Screw and back to the Swan Hotel. It was a very enjoyable morning.  In total we walked 4 miles.