Leighton Buzzard West Side

Join us for a walk of 4,5,7,8, 10 or 15 miles in full. However there are several places where walkers can take a short cut back to give a shorter walk: 1. At Tiddenfoot Waterside Park, back along towpath to town 4.5 miles. 2. Soulbury Road, back down to town 7 miles. 3. Stoke Road back down to town 8 miles. 4. Plantation Road 10 miles. After that the commitment is for the full walk. Lunch stop at Rushmore Cafe. A further stop at Stockgrove cafe on the way back. Full walk with breaks will be 6 - 6.5 hours. This walk will show the full panoply of the countryside in and around Leighton Buzzard, Linslade, and Heath and Reach, including Parson's Close recreation ground and around the quarry. Good views over to the Chilterns and the site of the Grove Priory, then Peace Meadow and over the canal and across Tiddenfoot Waterside Park (1st return point) hopefully observing some of the wildfowl. Some road walking past Cedars School, up Cedars Way and under the railway bridge to Bunckers Lane, then past Southcott, climbing up to the bypass to Rock Lane/Derwent Road (2nd return point). Walk into Linslade Wood and a beautiful drop down to Stoke Road (3rd return point), especially good if the sun is shining through the trees. Then, depending on underfoot conditions, we will either drop down to The Globe and pick up the Greensand Ridgeway Walk over to Rushmere, or walk via St Margaret's Church and the Old Linslade Road to Rushmere(4th return point) and up to the Cafe for a well deserved break. The walk then continues on the Greensand Ridge walk to Black Pond and past Stockgrove House. At Ramemere, continue uphill to Ramamere Heath, traditional heathland usually grazed by sheep (equipped with horns!). Continue to Stockgrove cafe and toilets for a further break, before continuing past the boating lake, up to Lordship Hill and back to Rushmere crossroads, along Plantation Road, The Firs and rejoin Plantation Road. Finish with a riverside walk back to Bridge Street and up the High Street back to the start.