Page 66 - Phonebox Magazine May 2011

Rambling away to Woburn
Walk no. 1 This is an easy and interesting circular walk from the car park at Aspley
Heath.
Turn right off the A5130 between Woburn Sands and Woburn in to Longslade Lane, the car park is on the right shortly after Longslade Cottage also on your right hand side.
Duration: circa 3 miles about 1 hour 30 minutes and mostly flat with a couple of slight ascents and descents.
There are plenty of refreshments en-route in Woburn to suit all tastes and purses.
1. From either of the two parking areas within this gated car park walk off along the path to your left walking parallel to Longslade Lane, there is a narrower path that runs slightly higher which is used by mountain bikers but also makes an interesting walk. In about half a mile turn right through a metal kissing gate in to a field with Longslade cottage on your right.
2. Keep to the left and through another gate on to the road, caution here, the next path is across the road and slightly to your left. This climbs up through woodland to a cross ways of paths, keep straight on here to a field turn left here and follow this down through the field and then onto a path that runs down to the track at the derelict Horsemoor Farm.
3. Turn right along this track past the buildings, and then with the hedge on your left in about 1/4 mile turn left across open ground towards woodland. Enter the woods at the left but immediately turn right along the path just inside the woodland (great Bluebells in springtime and sweet chestnuts in the autumn). Eventually take a path to the left and ascend the steps.
4. This brings you into the back corner of the garden of a small round house please keep to the right of way to the right hand perimeter of the garden as instructed (this was once a Windmill from the 16th century). Follow the path down the drive to the road, turn left and then cross the Leighton Road in front of the old Maryland College into a field and then up the hill to the metal kissing gate and in to the top of “Wayn Close”.
5. Proceed over the brow and descend this broad agricultural drive with magnificent views of Woburn Abbey (there are occasionally cattle on this land) this was originally part of the landscaping designed for the Abbey by Humphrey Repton circa 1802. Before you reach the road that passes along the bottom there is a metal kissing gate to your left, this path leads through to the side of the fire station and on to the A5130 turn left here and proceed into the centre of Woburn cross the Leighton Road and then cross the A1530 at the pedestrian crossing.
6. Walk on and turn right on to the A4012 and cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and enter the playing field follow the perimeter to the back right hand corner where there is an exit to the left on a bridge across a ditch in to Birchmore Lane. Turn right along the lane past the interesting cottages on the left, this eventually becomes a track and then a path, at a sort of T junction keep left of the hedge, along the right hand edge of the field and down a few steps cross Aspley Lane into another path alongside a cottage on your left towards Aspley Woods. At the yellow way marker turn left and follow this path to the road, caution here, cross the A1530 and go through the gate.
7. Walk up past Fullers Earth Lodge on your right and shortly take a path off to the left, this path which runs parallel to Longslade Lane leads back to the parking area (in the spring this has a mass of Bluebells to the left).
We hope that you have enjoyed this walk, the beauty of circular walks is that they can always be done in both directions which always gives different views and aspects to the terrain and scenery.
Walking in different seasons always gives a changing aspect to your morning or afternoon out.
Please remember to close all gates after you and to take any litter home.
It should be noted that at 5 there is the possibility of cattle so dogs should be kept on a lead at this time.
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