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Haynes Circular

Bedfordshire Walk

County/Area - Bedfordshire

Author - Donald Morton

Length - 7.0 miles / 11.4 km    Ascent - 200 feet / 61 metres

Time - 3 hours 40 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

Maps Ordnance Survey Logo Anquet Maps Logo

Ordnance Survey Landranger 153Sheet Map1:50kBUY
Anquet OS Landranger 153Digital Map1:50kBUY

Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Haynes Circular
Click image to visit gallery of 3 images.

Haynes is a small village about 7 miles south of Bedford off the A600. It is possible to find a convenient parking space in any of the main roads which radiate from the junction in the centre (Grid Ref TL 097 420). The walk as described commences from the start of North Lane 25yds NE of the junction.

This lane, part of the 70 mile circular John Bunyan Trail, starts as a tarmac cul de sac running NW to North West End Farm with a few remaining older farm buildings in the local vernacular. (En route you might like to come up with ideas for the derivation of the name "Old Pudding Bag Cottage" which you pass.) It continues generally in the same direction up a broad track along the field edge, hedge right. This is big sky country with views ahead right over North Bedfordshire, with Bedford to the east, and beyond to Northamptonshire. Once through the first bridle gate as you descend, still on the field edge, to a second set of gates the country starts getting cosier. After passing Manor Farm, you still go straight ahead but now on a tarmac lane which comes to a T-junction on the outskirts of Littleworth. Turn right and follow the road to the A600. Cross over and continue straight on down the bridle way (with the historic airship hangers of Cardington over to the left). Follow this, crossing a farm access track, until a track junction is reached with a yellow marker post. Currently this shows only the track you have just come from and one going left. Maybe the post is the wrong way round. The OS map shows no path going left but there is a public bridleway going right and this is the one you want. So, just beyond the marker post turn right into the field to gain the field edge with hedge and brook right. Look out for another marker post, not totally concealed, in the hedge. Turn left here at right angles across an arable field. This footpath is apparently not restored after ploughing. If you are having to trail blaze aim for a wide gap in the hedge on the far side with a solitary tree to the right and a clump to the left. On the other side of the gap follow the field edge, hedge left, to a road. Turn right and follow it for about 1.3km to a line of trees where you pick up the Greensand Ridge Walk. (There is some traffic but it is straight with good sightlines.)

If you are doing this walk between 1st March and 1st November, turn right here on the alternative Ridge Walk route (not shown as such on the OS map but seasonally permissive) and follow the track with the line of trees on the right. It remains a clear track as it goes first through Warden Little Wood and then through Warden Great Wood and still straight on (track not shown on Landranger map) along the field edge to the A600 at Deadman's Cross. Dog leg left/ right across the road to pick up a broad track going between arable fields, with a left bend at the end to come out on Northwood End Road. Turn left to reach the Greyhound pub in a couple of hundred yards, or turn right to arrive back at the start of the walk.

Between 1st November and 1st March it is necessary to use the Greensand Ridge Walk route shown on the OS map. That is continue on the lane, take the first right, turn right again at the next two junctions, and then turn right along the side of the A600 to reach Deadman's Cross and at the far end turn left to take the broad track across to Haynes.

Other walks nearby

Walk 1130 Clophill and Haynes Circulareasy/mod6.0 miles
Walk 1985 Houghton Park Circulareasy4.0 miles
Walk 3115 Ampthill & Steppingley Circulareasy/mod9.0 miles
Walk 3513 Ampthill and Clophill Circularmoderate12.0 miles
Walk 2714 Between Beeston and Old Wardeneasy/mod11.5 miles
Walk 2123 Everton & Potton moderate12.0 miles
Walk 3113 Sandy and Everton Circulareasy/mod7.5 miles
Walk 2910 Hill walking from Hextonmoderate12.0 miles
Walk 1625 Hexton circular moderate13.0 miles
Walk 1679 Telegraph Hill & Pegsdon from Hexton easy5.0 miles

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