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Woburn Abbey, Eversholt & Milton Bryan

Bedfordshire Walk

County/Area - Bedfordshire

Author - Tony Harding

Length - 9.6 miles / 15.6 km    Ascent - 580 feet / 176 metres

Time - 5 hours 20 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

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Ordnance Survey Explorer 192Sheet Map1:25kBUY
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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Woburn Abbey, Eversholt & Milton Bryan
Click image to see photo description.

This route is based on Walk 1351. Tony Kellet has suggested some modifications which has extended the walk to include lunch at the Red Lion in Milton Bryan, "which was very good". In addition, towards the end of the route there have been some changes to include more walking in the Deer Park and less on the road.

From the main car park, opposite St. Mary's church (Grid Ref: SP951332), turn right towards the park, at Lion Lodge bear right and follow the Public Footpath (PF) past the lake on your left. Look out for rare black squirrels here. At the next cattle grid walk straight ahead to the left of the buildings. Turn left onto the PF passing between the pond and the unused Moat House, then turn right towards the trees in the distance (Stump Cross). The footpath runs almost parallel with the road on your left. Cross 2 estate roads and head towards the cattle grid at the park entrance.

Cross the road and follow the PF, which passes through bracken and trees. Follow the way mark posts, rising gently to the road at the top of the hill and bear right along the roadside. The high safari park fence on the left separates you from the lions and wolves! Red deer often graze in this area. Turn right at the white house, taking the PF alongside Hey Wood. Follow the track to the high wooden fence then right up to the woods. A path through the wood brings you to a lane, turns right then left at the road junction. Walk along the roadside to the Tyrells End junction on the right, cross the road and take the PF across the field to enter a small conifer wood. Exit the wood, cross the field corner and bear left along the field edge to a wide track.

Turn right along the track and follow the Greensand Ridge Walk (GRW) signs to Eversholt. At a stream the path goes to the right across 2 fields before rejoining the track again on the left. The Millennium Pond at the road junction is a good place for a quiet lunch stop, or turn left for the Green Man pub opposite the church. Continue past the church to the road junction on the left, pass through the gate onto the PF, crossing the cropped field diagonally on a gentle rise. Pass through another gate in the corner and bear right up the hill aiming to the right of the highest point. From there you will see a gate at the entrance to Palmer's Shrubs wood (Grid reference SP983317). Walk through the wood, passing the wooden deer stalkers tower to exit the wood across a footbridge (Grid reference SP988313). Bear right to a gap in the hedge, the path now goes through the middle of a long cropped field to a tree trunk across the exit.

Turn left along the roadside to Milton Bryan. Almost immediately on the left (grid ref. SP976311), turn left onto a footpath ignoring the bridleway also on the left. This path goes half right across fields to reach a lane (grid ref. SP975303). Turn right along this lane and the Red Lion is on your right. The walk continues by following the road through Milton Bryan to a T-junction (grid ref. SP969307). Turn right, taking the PF on the left opposite St. Peter's church.

Follow the old concrete path, which passes through a Boy Scout camping area to a derelict building on your right. This building was once a wartime Propaganda Station, built in 1942 as a studio for the Political Warfare Executive. Live radio broadcasts were beamed at the German Forces, specifically the U Boat crews. Return to the end of the path which now goes down hill to the right of a field, turn left at the bottom, after about 100 yards turn right and pass through a gate in the high wall to re-enter the Deer Park. Follow the wooden fence on your left, which passes behind the Paris House Restaurant. Originally built in 1878 for the Paris Exhibition, Paris House was dismantled and brought back to England by the 9th Duke of Bedford and rebuilt, piece by piece, timber by timber, on this spot in the Woburn Estate.

Follow the left-hand side of the road ahead, just before the bridge at Basin pond, the path veers to the left through the trees, indicated by way marker posts. White fallow deer often graze on the open grass here. Soon a large metal gate is reached, pass through the gate, this rejoins the GRW path. Turn half right and walk north-east following a clear wide path that leads to the western side of Shoulder of Mutton Pond. Continue ahead passing Horse Pond on your right. Reaching Park Farm, continue to your left to rejoin the outward route and return to the parking area.

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