Retrace your route through and continue To return to turn round and turn right at west on Barford Road to Bridge (10). the junction onto Barford Road. After approx. half Pause at meadow by traffic lights for view of bridge and a mile bear left onto the cycle path (Route 12). ice | east of by Anchor Inn on north side of river. This takes you back to the Willington to Blunham Parts of this impressive Great Barford Bridge date from cycleway (Route 51), where you can retrace your the 16th century. It was extended in the 17th and 18th steps to the station. centuries and widened in the 19th century. ICE 200

A421 Great 12 Cycle ride around Barford 8 9 10 Blunham historical engineering works in B660 A4280 A421 Explore engineering route 12 7 A4280

BEDFORD 2 6

1 3 Moggerhanger

Start and Finish point institution of civil engineers A6 institution of civil engineers 5 Explore engineering route 4

Bedford Rd A421 Cardington Cross National Cycle Route 51 A5134 A421 Budna Cardington Sustrans

Further details of most of these structures are given in A longer ride is possible on minor roads from Great “Civil Engineering Heritage: Eastern & Central England” by Barford through , past Milton Ernest Water E A Labrum, Thomas Telford, first published 1994, reprinted Tower, over Radwell, and Harrold bridges 1998, ISBN 07277 1970 X and in “Bridges of Bedfordshire” to Windmill and Bromham mill and bridge by A Simco and P McKeague, 1977. before returning to Bedford on cycleways, but It is 42 miles overall.

Area covered by Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 208. Want to know more about civil engineering? t: + 44 (0)1223 842 067 e: [email protected]

@ICEEoE

© Institution of Civil Engineers. Registered charity number 210252. November 2017. Charity registered in Scotland number SC038629. Explore Engineering

ice.org.uk Start and Finish: Bedford Rail Station Turn right carefully onto Stannard Way then straight ahead Afterwards bear left at signs commemorating the Approx. 19 miles at two roundabouts (the second one under the A421 has a to Railway line. signposted cycle route) towards Cardington. Immediately on Turn right out of the station and onto Midland Road your right after the second roundabout is Cardington Cross The Oxford to Cambridge (A5141), turn right at the roundabout then follow Prebend (4) and ahead is Smeaton’s bridge (5) with distant views Railway line closed in 1967, Street (A5141) to County Bridge (1) and over the river. of Cardington airship sheds. There is a better view of the not as a result of the Beeching airship sheds and maybe AirLander from the minor road Report, but due to travel beyond Cardington, but it’s nearly an extra mile each way. between Oxford and Cambridge being quicker via . Cardington cross was first recorded in the 14th century. It has been replaced, at least twice, most recently on Just over half a mile from Church End the path turns County Bridge was originally built in 1884 and rebuilt 1837. It was moved in 1994 from the route of the sharply right. On your left is Gadsey Brook Weir (7). in 1985. It carries the A5141 over the . Bedford Southern By-Pass (A421). Gadsey brook and the weir after it re-joins the river, Follow signs for cycle route 51 on your left onto Smeaton’s bridge is a small helps to regulate the water levels in the river. the towpath on the south side of the river. Cycle five arch bridge over the Follow the cycleway for about a mile to new estate (Old downstream on towpath to Town Bridge (2), noting the stream north of Cardington Station Court) on outskirts of Blunham to another minor new steel footbridge. built in 1778. John Smeaton road where cycleway is signed to the right. was the first self-proclaimed Turn left here and follow Station Road into Blunham, civil engineer, responsible for turning right at T junction onto The Hill, sign posted much of the canal network and fen drainage. There is Tempsford 2. Follow the High Street and then bear right an information board nearby about his other works. onto Tempsford Road to Blunham Bridge (8) and the The eastern airship shed was built bridge across the Navigation (9). The first stone bridge in Bedford is said to have been built in in 1916-17 before Blunham Bridge has five in 1224 using material salvaged from Bedford Castle. The being moved to Cardington and roughly semi-circular original bridge was too narrow so a new bridge was built enlarged in 1927. The western stone arches that look in 1812. Even after County Bridge was built the town shed was enlarged in 1924. medieval, but probably bridge had to be widened from 9.15m to 16.46m in 1940. 3,700 tons of mild steel were date from the 17th used to build each shed. The new footbridge was installed in 2016 and links the century. It carries the Riverside North public square with St Mary’s Garden on Retrace the route to Cardington sluice and east side of road across the river Ivel. the south bank. Priory lake back to then Bedford to Sandy cycle way at The cast iron bridge over Continue on the towpath, pass under A5140 (Longholme north side of Priory Park. the River Ivel Navigation, Way) then find the cycleway on the disused railway line Follow signs for Willington and Sandy, passing over new 50 metres to the east, and follow signs for Priory Park and Willington. dual carriageway (A421). Just before Willington, a short dates from 1823 and has At Priory Park, follow signs south for Priory Business Park excursion may be made to Willington Dovecote (6) & back. some of the earliest cast and Cardington, head past the cafe (which has WCs) iron beams. Willington Dovecote is a 16th century stone building and follow the path around Priory Lake to cross the lock owned by the National Trust. From April to September, by Cardington sluice (3). it is open on the last Sunday of the month from 1pm to Cardington Sluice is part of the first artificial canoe 5pm. It is home to 1,500 resident pigeons and a nesting Explore Engineering slalom in the UK and has a dual role as both a flood site for barn owls and kestrels control structure and a white water course.