Promoted A walk through the eastern part of the Vale Route with views of the Greensand Ridge and the Cardington Sheds with the opportunity to Let us keep you informed explore King’s Wood, Glebe Meadows, 5 Conquest Wood, and Shocott Spring before catching the train or bus back to the Forest Centre.

Access information You will walk across surface types ranging from hard and firm without stones to uneven cultivated ground and the steepest linear gradient is 1:17 with minimal cross falls. Steps are located at the A6 crossing. Barriers along the path include a number of kissing For further information on all parts of the Forest of gates. , our activities, and the facilities of the Forest Centre please visit: Facilities www.marstonvale.org The Forest Centre has Receive news about the For- ample parking, toilets and The Bell public house at est including what’s on (either a café bar. has a by post or email) by signing up shop, Houghton Conquest via our website or by calling and have a shop and 2 the Forest Centre. pubs whilst Cotton End has the Bell pub. If venturing The Forest Centre into then you will find numerous eating and Station Road shopping establishments. Marston Moreteyne , MK43 0PR

Let the train take the strain! T. 01234 767037 From Bedford or Bletchley alight at Millbrook Station E. [email protected] to start your walk via the country park visitor centre (about 20 mins walk). Please note there is no Sunday service. For timetable details visit This leaflet was delivered by the Forest of Marston www.londonmidland.com or ring 08457 484950 Vale Volunteers with assistance from The Marston Vale Trust working in partnership with Central Bedfordshire District Council, Bedford Borough Council & The Brit- Bus timetable details ring 01234 220030 or visit ish Horse Society and was funded by Natural www.travelsmart.com through the Paths for Communities Project.

Let’s Go for details of other walks or rides throughout Bedfordshire please visit www.letsgo. Partners: Forest Volunteers, Central Forest Centre to Bedford Bedfordshire Council, Bedford Borough Council, The British via Shocott Spring Horse Society and Marston P3 Group (13.5 miles) Forest Centre to Bedford via Shocott Spring

Following the Timberland Trail discs turn Ampthill Road. Through gate follow path straight ahead to Rectory Lane. Turn left and follow 1 right outside the Forest Centre and pass Turn right walking along road verge for 6 Rectory Lane to roundabout & turn right in front of the cycle hire to the junction 100 metres. Cross Ampthill Road at 4 onto the High Street and then Chapel End Road of paths & turn right following the made up path footpath sign in hedge opposite. Continue to a T-junction, turn left and follow the path heading past the Royal Oak to follow Timberland Trail discs to WMP & between the railway and the lake and exit the Pub and playing pass through 2 kissing gates, exiting onto road- park at the Water Sports Club entrance. field. The entrance way. Turn right and pass to right of gateway to Conquest Turn right onto Green Lane crossing over ahead. Follow the drive to WMP on your right. Wood is opposite 2 the railway line and heading for Stewartby. Go through the gate and across field to gate the playing field. Continue along Green Lane to ahead. Turn left onto track and follow keeping roundabout taking third exit onto Stewartby the field on your right to the trees in the After visiting Way and proceed over another roundabout corner of the field. Note the view of 7 Conquest Houghton House on the skyline. Wood until you reach a railway bridge. Exit Stewartby Conquest Wood Way via footpath & steps adjacent to the bridge Go through gap and turn left. At cor- continue along and walk alongside the railway to a concrete pad 5 ner turn left, cross footbridge then turn Chapel End Road & turn left through the arch under the railway. right. Follow path round fields keeping and out of the village, turning left down Chapel End Lane past farm buildings then right at At waymark post (WMP) bear right and the hedgerow on your right. Continue fol- lowing WMP past bottom of Kings Wood. At finger post. Continue forward passing through 3 follow footpath to hedge continuing to hedge to left of the conifers. Continue follow the Timberland Trail discs. Cross second yellow marker post turn left (don’t go into trees and stop following Timberland Trail following WMP keeping hedge to your right. footbridge heading diagonally across the field discs). Continue following WMPs. At corner Where the hedgerow turns right continue to WMP to the right of Manor Farm. Cross go through kissing gate then left through next straight forward across field to WMP in footbridge and turn right to next WMP. Go kissing gate. Bear right to gate visible in hedgerow opposite. Cross footbridge and through hedge and with the hedgerow on your hedgerow opposite to the left of the church pass through gate. Bear left towards WMP to right continue to next WMP. Turn left diagonally tower. (Information panel for Kings Wood and the left of the telephone mast. Follow WMPs across field to finger post visible in hedge by Glebe Meadows.) through gap and then to kissing gate onto A6.

Maps This promoted route is not waymarked and the leaflet map is basic so purchasing an ordnance survey map is recommended whenever venturing into the countryside. Explorer Map 208 covers this walk. Forest Centre to Bedford via Shocott Spring

Down steps cross the road to WMP to the A600, crossing with care and turning left Continue straight crossing Meadowsweet 8 your left. Up the steps go through kissing along footway. B Drive and back over the A600 to access gate and follow WMP down steps. public footpath called Canvin Way that Follow pavement straight to gap in fence. Continue along the High Street (A600) leads to Jubilee Park. Keep to left of park and Continue along path, cross Vicarage Lane and 11 passing the Bell pub and cross the A600 follow paths and Canvin Way to edge of park follow finger post into churchyard. Go straight opposite the turn for Hermitage Gardens and turn left down Oak Road to London Road through the churchyard and along Chapel Lane to finger post on left and entrance to Shocott (A600). Cross London Road and continue for a to cross roads. Spring. mile to large roundabout. Cross over roundabout using zebra crossing and turn left up Cross over into Cotton End Road. Shocott Spring to Bedford hill onto Ampthill Road for entrance to Bedford 9 Follow road then turn right into St Johns station. If catching the bus continue Whitworth Way. At end of playground After exploring Shocott Wood leave by forward along Kingsway to bus stop at end for turn right and go forward onto footpath turning one of the two exit points and turn left number 52 bus back to Marston. left at T junction. Follow WMPs alongside arable/ A along the A600 footway. Continue grass fields ignoring paths leading to left and right. Continue until you have to turn left then following A600 noting the Cardington Sheds to Notes right to cross over footbridge with V barriers. your right and into passing ‘Buses Continue following WMPs through 2 kissing Only’ sign. Continue down hill to signpost for gates. Go through gate into field, turn Harrowden, turning left and immediately right and follow edge of field behind follow Harrowden Lane past farm buildings. Go through gate and turn left College Farm. At farm turn down Elms Lane to Cotton End Road. right down bridle path named Bumpy Lane and use underpass Turn right and follow Cotton End Road, to Abbey Fields. Cross over 10 passing a bridleway to your right and bridge and turn left down round bend to finger post on left. bridleway path that leads

Follow path and WMPs along the field edge to straight through houses. Cardington Sheds

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© Lafarg © Footpath e OS OpenData Crown youCopyright could get involved. BoatFootpath Trip s Farmland, quarry & grassland areas & Cycleway Proposed Rowing Lake Canoeing Infrastructure e Footpath & grassland areas All Rights Reserved.OS data used under license no. 100042098. © Lafarg © & Cycleway ProposedMaps Rowing Lake All Rights Reserved. OS data used under license no. 100042098. © Lafarg © This promoted route is not waymarked and the leaflet map is basic so purchasing an ordnance survey map is All Rights Reserved. OS data used under license no. 100042098. recommended whenever venturing into the countryside. Explorer Map 208 covers this walk.