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Bedford Circular Walk

An almost entirely flat walk north of Bedford, never far from the Great Ouse or the John Bunyan Trail, following the river out of Bedford, then pass through the interesting villages of Bromham and Stevington.

Bedfordshire Circular Long

History

Club walks since April 2015, and a summary which goes back to Jan 2010.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sat, 16-Aug-25 Bedford Circular - Along the meandering River Great Ouse with some fine vistas and with the Bunyan Trail through some quaint villages. [New Walk] 4
Thomas G

DAC is away

Length : 25.6 km (15.9 mi)
Ascent/Descent : 135m
Net Walking Time : about 5 ½ hours
Toughness : 3/10

Take the 09.15 Corby train from London St. Pancras’s East Midlands Railway platforms (calls Luton Airport Parkway 09.37), arrives Bedford 09.55.
Alternatively, the 08.51 Thameslink train to Bedford gets you to Bedford for 09.52.
Fast Return trains are on xx.10 and xx.41. Thameslink services to Brighton depart every 15 minutes.
Boundary Zone 6 Tickets are not valid on the EMR trains!

An almost entirely flat walk which takes you North of Bedford, never far from the Great Ouse or the John Bunyan Trail. You follow the river out of Bedford, then pass through the interesting villages of Biddenham, Bromham and Stevington. This is followed by the best riverside section, leading to Pavenham. You visit the more modern developments of Oakley and Clapham, but the return to Bedford is largely through woods and parks and takes you past a wide selection of cafes in the pedestrianised town centre.
Walk Options :
A shortcut is described from Stevington to Clapham (reducing the distance by 5.9 km), which starts well but once over the Great Ouse it is largely on road and also misses out the best parts of the main walk.
Any number of buses offer dropouts in the 2nd half of the walk. See the webpage, the pdf and the route map for details.
Elevenses: The Mill Coffee Shop , Bromham (6.9 km). Recommended.
Lunch : The Royal George , Stevington (11.1 km) or The Bedford Arms , Oakley (17.9 km, 600m off route).
Tea: Many places in Bedford. See the webpage or the pdf for details.

For a summary, photos, height profile, gpx/kml files and the walk directions pdf click here .

  • Mike
    Aug-25

    2 important points on this walk.

    On Section 4, para 4, a reliable source of Germanic origin has come up with alternative directions which will reduce the road walking ahead. I haven't checked this out myself, so for all I know there could be unexploded land mines, but here is the new route:

    The path follows the field boundary right and left, twice, then in 450 metres runs close to the river again. In 350m, just after the field boundary has veered to the left and with the sound of passing traffic along a road ahead, turn right through a gap in the boundary growth and through a narrow belt of trees along an (unmarked at this end) Permissive Path. In 20m go through a couple of metal gates either side of a plank bridge across a ditch with JBT markers on each gate and continue across a pasture in the same direction, with a wood away to the right. In 60m turn left along the river, still in the pasture. The road heard earlier is becoming more and more audible as it converges with the river and in 600m you go through a metal kissing gate into a wooded belt. In 25m pass a 'Permissive Path' note on a post, cross a plank bridge and go up some steps to the road level. Turn right along a tarmac pavement to immediately cross Stafford Bridge over the Great Ouse, with views of a railway viaduct to the left.

    On lunch, the trouble with the Bedford Arms is it involves a long out and back road detour. I would urge pub goers to try the Roya George at Stevington. They don't normally do food but are opening by special arrangement so it would be good to make it worth their while. They have asked us to phone from Bedford with numbers and if possible orders. I have listed the menu below so you can make your pick

    Lunch Menu

    Scampi, Whitebait Served with Chips and Peas, Gammon served with Chips and Eggs, Beef Lasagne, Vegetarian Lasagne Served with Salad and Garlic bread, Cajun Spiced Chicken, Meat Balls in a spicy tomato sauce, Rack of Ribs,

    Bratwurst with Fried Onions Served with Chips and Salad or Onion Rings

    Sandwiches: Bacon and Brie, Coronation Chicken Sandwich,

    Pastrami, Cheese (Onion/Pickle/Tomato), Ham (Tomato/Mustard)

    Chips, Cheesy Chips

  • Jane from Kew
    Aug-25

    I managed to do some of this walk today and the part I experienced was excellent.Windmills and ancient water Mills and the River Ouse. Well up to the usual excellent standards we have been lucky enough to enjoy as Saturday Walkers.Well done Mike Jane

  • Mike
    Aug-25

    Only 4 of us on this walk and only 2 went to the pub at Stevington, which had opened early for our benefit. We navigated without the aid of the sun and tried out some improvements, including the riverside path to Stafford Bridge and a path through the cemetery in Bedford. The start and finish are very suburban, but in between some good walking. We got back to Bedford station at 4.20, so 6 1/4 hours including lunch.

  • Thomas G
    Aug-25

    4