Greensand Ridge - Woburn to Ampthill
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This description should be read in conjunction with the route map.
A link to this map is given below.
Route Map
(PDF, 449kb)
Introduction
The Greensand Ridge Walk is Bedfordshire’s premier long
distance walk. The route spans the county for a total of 40 miles,
following the greensand ridge. The walk is an ideal introduction to
the history, landscape and wildlife of this part of the county.
Section 2, from Woburn to Ampthill, passes through the attractive
Deer Park in Woburn and ends in the historic centre of
Ampthill.
Start/Finish Point
George Street, Woburn. The nearest station is Woburn Sands. You can
use the below journey planner to plan your journey to the start
point.
Access and General Information
Length: 10 miles
Surface Types: You will walk across surface types ranging
from hard and firm with no stones larger than 5mm, to hard and firm
with some loose, variable sized stones, to grass or uncultivated
earth paths with and without ruts and mud, to farmland.
Linear Gradient: The steepest linear gradient is steeper
than 1:6 between points 5 and 6 on the map, from the top of Jackdaw
Hill and also from Sandhill Close (point 6) to St Michael’s
Church. There are gradients of between 1:6-1:9 after point 5 (the
path to Southview Farm). There are also gradients of between
1:10-1:13 and 1:14-1:17 along the route.
Cross Falls: The steepest are 1:9 or steeper between point 5
and 6 (the approach to Southview Farm), and on the woods on top of
and on the descent from Jackdaw Hill. There is also a cross fall of
between 1:6-1:10 between the two lakes in front of Woburn Abbey.
Elsewhere, there are cross falls of between 1:7-1:15 before Wakes
End Farm and Maltings Spinney (point 3).
Width Restriction: There is a ‘V’ shaped
squeezer stile at the entrance to Ampthill Park which has an
opening measuring from 250mm at the bottom, to 450mm at the top,
with a 620mm high stepover. There is also a bridge between the Deer
Park and Eversholt (point 1) with a width restriction of 940mm, and
a bridge at Dove Cottage, Brook End (point 2), with a width
restriction of 920mm.
Steps: The maximum step height is 270mm (5 steps between Ossory
Farm and Ampthill Park. There are also 3 steps with a maximum step
height of 210mm and 5 steps with a maximum step height of 230mm
between the Deer Park and Eversholt.
Barriers: There are five kissing gates with a restriction of
less than 1000mm, 4 kissing gates with a restriction of between
1000-1500mm, one staggered barrier with a minimum restriction of
less than 950mm, 1 one-step stile, 6 two-step stiles, and 6 one-way
opening gates with a width greater than 750mm. (NB: the one-way
opening gate between the Deer Park and Eversholt is only 730mm
wide.) See also the squeezer stile mentioned in the ‘Width
Restriction’ section above.
Refreshments: There are various pubs, shops and cafés
located in Woburn. Refreshments are also available at Woburn Abbey
(admission charges may apply). Eversholt has one pub, The Green
Man. There are two pubs in Lidlington (The Green Man and The Royal
Oak, plus a general stores. There are a range of pubs, shops,
restaurants and cafés in Ampthill town centre, 800m from the
Greensand Ridge Walk.
Public Toilets: There is a public toilet in Woburn in Duck
Lane (accessed off George Street or Leighton Street). They are also
located in Ampthill Park, adjacent to the football ground at the
western end of the park, 500m from the walk route.
Picnic Tables: There are tables at Millbrook playing field
and in Ampthill Park.
Seats: There are 13 seats in the village of Woburn, one at
Woburn Abbey, 13 in Eversholt, 4 in Millbrook and 8 in Ampthill
Park.
Directions
1 Taking care, cross George Street and turn right and walk along
the pavement for 275m. At Ivy Lodge, turn left through the metal
kissing gate into the Deer Park. Follow the waymarked path through
the parkland, passing Woburn Abbey
Leave the Deer Park via the kissing gate and follow the waymarked
path to an iron gate on a road. Please take care to re-latch the
gates when entering and leaving the Deer Park.
2 Turn left along the road and walk into Eversholt village. Bear
left, passing St. John's Church and the cricket field on your left,
before turning right into Brook End. After passing Dove Cottage
turn left across a bridge and immediately turn right to follow the
field boundary. Turn left onto the bridleway and follow to New
Water End.
3 Cross the road and follow the track opposite through the
woodland. On leaving the woodland, continue to follow the waymarked
bridleway past Wakes End Farm and across Cobblers Lane. Continue
straight ahead until turning right at the corner of Mailings
Spinney to follow the path to the footbridge over the M1.
4 Follow the waymarked path to Holt Plantation before turning left
to the A507. Turn right past Flying Horse Farm and after 110m cross
the road with great care. Follow the waymarked cross-field path,
turn right along the road for 20m and take the footpath on the
left.
5 Turn left along the road past Southview Farm and then turn right
along a farm track. Passing Jackdaw Hill House on your left, follow
the waymarked route through the woodland. Bear right around the
back of the pond before turning left to follow the waymarked path
between the golf course and Millbrook Proving Ground.
6 At the road turn right and then right again along Sandhill Close.
Turn left to pass St. Michael's Church and follow the waymarked
route along the lane. At the top of the lane bear right and follow
a farm track.
7 Continue past Ossory Farm, follow a narrow, meandering footpath.
At the junction of footpaths, turn left for 55m and then right and
walk up steps, through the woodland and over the Ampthill New
Tunnel. Pass through a metal kissing gate and follow the waymarked
path through Ampthill Park, passing Katherine's Cross and the war
memorial on your right. Continue on the path to Bedford
Street.
Weather Forecast
Below is the weather forecast for Woburn.
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