Walking in Bedfordshire

A detailed guidebook to walking in Bedfordshire’s lowland landscapes, from chalk downs near Dunstable to clay country and marsh and fenland in the east. 32 circular full- and half-day walks for all seasons along rivers and higher ground, with copious local-interest information for both visiting and local explorers.

Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire, in south central England, is one of the country’s smallest counties, with an area of just over 300,000 acres (116,280 hectares) or 477 square miles (1235 square km). It is essentially a lowland county, although the chalk hills of the south rise to over 800ft (244m) above sea level. The county is principally rural in nature with agriculture a major industry. The soil is generally fertile so it is not surprising that wheat-growing and dairy farming are major occupations. Other industries are largely concentrated in the towns of Luton, Bedford and Dunstable. The population of the county in the 1991 census was 524,000.

The term Bedfordshire was first used in 1011 in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and although its boundaries have altered since then it has retained substantially the same shape: an irregular rectangle lying roughly north to south with a bulge on the eastern side jutting into Cambridgeshire. The county is 36 miles (58km) at its greatest length and at its widest only 20 miles (32km). It is one of the driest counties in England, although it can be difficult to believe this when walking in the winter months, when the fields are often very wet and muddy!

Bedfordshire is bordered by Buckinghamshire in the west, Northamptonshire in the north-west, Cambridgeshire in the north-east and Hertfordshire in the south-east (Map 1).

Bedford was an important trading and religious centre during the eleventh century. It was invaded by the Danes before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Norman barons were the first owners of large estates in Bedfordshire, with castles at Bedford (Walk 22), Thurleigh (Walk 27), Eaton Bray (Walk 2) and Yielden (Walk 32). Once these estates were broken up there were no large estates until the Greys at Wrest (Walk 10), with their gardens and buildings taking shape in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

In the north of the county an estate was developed by the St Johns, with an eighteenth-century house at Melchbourne (Walk 31). In the south-west of the county the Russells came to Woburn, adapting the former Abbey site and creating a large Park in the eighteenth century, so creating Bedfordshire’s most famous stately home (Walks 8 and 9). The large house in Ampthill Park (Walk 11) was the centre of the Ossory estate, whilst in the south of the county the Marquess of Bute built Luton Hoo (Walk 3), a Robert Adam mansion with parkland by Capability Brown, in the late eighteenth century.

In humble cottages in the north and west of the county from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century pillow lace was made. Examples of the old lace and the bobbins used will be found in the museums at Bedford (Walk 22) and Luton (Walk 3). In the south and east straw plaiting was the main craft, examples of which can be found in Luton Museum. Some of the walks pass areas where clay, chalk or sand have been excavated, and brick-making was an important activity in Bedfordshire until well after World War II.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the county received many Protestant immigrants from the continent. The region was a centre for Protestant radicals, and many Wesleyan chapels will be seen in the county today. Bedfordshire’s most famous son was undoubtedly the seventeenth-century religious reformer and writer John Bunyan (Walks 11, 14 and 22). In the 1660s and ‘70s Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) while imprisoned in Bedford Gaol.

Bedford and Luton are the principal towns, each very different in character. Bedford (Walk 22), the county town which lies on the River Great Ouse to the north, is the administrative centre, a market town for the surrounding agricultural area. Manufacture includes vehicle spare parts, agricultural implements and electrical equipment. It is a renowned educational centre with four schools operated by the Harpur Trust (endowed originally by Sir William Harpur, c.1496–1573). Of note in the town are the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and the John Bunyan Meeting House (1850). The population of Bedford in 1991 was 89,200.

The larger town of Luton (Walk 3) on the River Lea is situated in the south. Luton is an industrial centre whose manufacturing output includes motor vehicles, metal products, ballbearings and clothing. It was famous for its hatting and straw-plaiting industries from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Luton Airport (Walk 3) is a principal secondary airport for London. Luton’s population in 1991 was 171,700.

Improved communication with London and the development of nearby Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire resulted in a significant increase in the population of Bedfordshire in the second half of the twentieth century, from 319,000 people in about 87,000 dwellings in 1951, to 524,000 in 210,000 dwellings in 1991. At the start of the twenty-first century Bedfordshire remains essentially an agricultural county.

The county shows a strong north/south divide. In both landscape/geology and in social attitudes, Luton and the south has more of a ‘feel’ of London and the south-east about it, whilst north Bedfordshire owes more to its proximity to the East Midlands and Cambridgeshire.

For general tourist information on Bedfordshire visit the Bedfordshire website on http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/~steve/bedford/bedfordshire.html or use one of the search engines to find ‘Bedsweb’.

Topography and Walking in Bedfordshire

The numerous habitats in Bedfordshire include chalk downland (Walks 1, 5 and 6), parks and gardens (Walks 8, 9, 10 and 11), farmland and heathland (Walk 7) and marsh and fen (Walk 14). The character of the various land areas is determined by its underlying geology. In the south is the chalk downland of the Chilterns. These low chalk escarpments, for example the Barton and Pegsdon Hills (Walk 5), Dunstable and Whipsnade Downs (Walk 1), the Sundon Hills and Sharpenhoe Clappers (Walk 6), form a small part of the Chilterns, a major band of chalk hills, most of which lies further west in Buckinghamshire. Just to the north of the Chiltern chalk is a fairly thin band of gault clay, running south-west to north-east, the so-called southern Clay Vale. The nature of the soil in these parts is reflected in some of the placenames, such as Barton-le-Clay. To the north of the clay band and also running in a general west–easterly direction is a ridge of Lower Greensand with its pines and heath (Walks 7, 12 and 15). Much of the northern county, north of the Greensand Ridge, is composed of Oxford Clay, with a patch of Great Oolite in the extreme north-west. North Bedfordshire is characterised by numerous villages with stone houses and churches, and thatched cottages (Walks 25, 28, 29 and 32).

Bedfordshire’s major river is the Ouse, which follows a meandering course through the north of the county, passing through the centre of Bedford itself (Walk 22). In the east the Ouse is joined by the smaller River Ivel (Walk 19). In the south is Bedfordshire’s third major river, the Lea, which rises north of Luton (Walk 3) and flows south for 46 miles (74km) to join the River Thames at Blackwall in London. The River Lea is the source of much of London’s water supply.

In 1794 William Stowe, the Duke of Bedford’s land agent, published A General View of Agriculture in the County of Bedford. Some figures published in it make interesting comparison with similar figures published in the late twentieth century showing the nature of the land in Bedfordshire and how land use has changed over two centuries. The total area of the county in 1794 was 307,200 acres (119,070 hectares) compared to the 302,000 acres (117,060 hectares) of today. Meadowland in 1794 made up 68,100 acres (26,395 hectares) compared with only 27,000 acres (10,465 hectares) today. Woodland made up 21,900 acres (8490 hectares) in 1794 compared with today’s 13,000 acres (5040 hectares). The enclosures of the villages came quite late to Bedfordshire: the first enclosure was of Sutton parish in 1742, and the final one was not until 1891 when Totternhoe was enclosed.

The M1 motorway and the A5, A6 and A1 major trunk roads, together with two mainline railways, cross the county from north to south; communication east to west is far more tortuous on relatively small, winding roads.

From the range of landscapes in Bedfordshire it is evident that the walking is very varied, with bracing romps over the springy turf of chalk downland, traverses of low greensand hills, ridges and heathland; strolls across elegant parkland and past historic stately homes; ambles along tranquil riverside paths and past prehistoric earthworks; town walks full of historical interest; paths through numerous pretty villages with ancient stone churches and handsome thatched cottages; and many field headland paths across hill and along dale. The landscape is never difficult to traverse – unless you consider wet and muddy paths to be hazardous – and is suitable for all ramblers, from the experienced to the novice, from small family groups to large parties of rambling clubs and, of course, for the lone walker in search of peace and tranquillity.

No special equipment is required for walking in this lowland county. Wet weather gear at any time of the year is essential and warm clothing is necessary during the colder months. Walking boots are strongly advised, but not heavy mountain boots. Some prefer good quality walking shoes or trainers in the summer, particularly on the dry chalk downland areas, although bear in mind that they do not give ankle support. Take a small rucksack for your picnic lunch, spare clothing and maybe a camera.

Mention should be made of the underfoot conditions of some of the paths in Bedfordshire. The nature of the soil, often clay based, tends to lead to wet and muddy paths, a problem that is largely, but not solely, confined to winter. The nature of the mud is such that it tends to cling to boots, rapidly increasing their weight! This problem has to be accepted, unfortunately, though you will find a few walks which tend to have dry paths throughout the year and are mentioned as such in the introduction to the walk. But an area may be relatively dry one year, whilst in another the paths may degenerate into near quagmires. In wet conditions it is best to keep to the chalk hills and the sandy heaths and greensand areas.

A feature of Bedfordshire is its many delightful rural churches, and a visit to some of them adds interest to the day. Sadly, several of the churches in the county are kept locked, but a friendly enquiry at a local shop or pub will often locate the person who holds the key, who will usually be only too willing to let you enjoy the church.

A rather curious local animal is the Muntjac deer (Muntiacus) which is a native to Southeast Asia – a long way from Bedfordshire! This small mammal escaped many years ago from the Duke of Bedfordshire’s collection at Woburn and found the environment of Bedfordshire and neighbouring counties to its liking. They have thrived and are now a common animal in the locality; their numbers in fact appear to be on the increase. Muntjac deer prefer woodland cover, and unlike most other species of deer they do not herd together; if you see more than one at a time it will probably be a mother and her young. Also unlike other deer they breed all year round. When very young they are left hidden in woodland whilst the mother forages for food. Anyone who walks regularly in Bedfordshire is almost certain to encounter Muntjac deer. They are a small species of deer; the buck has short spiked antlers, with two short canine teeth forming tusks.