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Approx 3 Miles/4.8 km 1 Time: 1 /2 hours This walk takes in the attractive heaths, ancient woodland, meadows, lakes and streams around Stockgrove Country Park. It follows footpaths and bridleways in and and offers an easy route for a scenic stroll.

Stockgrove Country Park The Coker Way Oak Wood Ferdinand Michael Kroyer-Kielberg KBE purchased the estate The shorter route follows a very old trackway, called the Coker Despite the name, this wood consists mostly of planted conifers in 1928, and proceeded to have a new house built on the site (or Cocoa) Way, lined by banks and ditches for some of its with some scattered oak trees. As with Rushmere’s plantations, of a previous property. The Stockgrove mansion and estate length. These are wood banks, constructed in medieval times these conifers were planted on a heathland, known as The houses were built in a mock Georgian style and the house to mark ownership boundaries and to keep grazing animals out Warren. The Greensand Trust, a local conservation charity, has was one of the largest country houses built between the two of the woods. bought Oak Wood and allows public access, including horse World Wars. riding and mountain biking (for which permits are required) as The Country Park now covers 80 acres and consists of a Shire Oak Heath well as working to restore areas to heathland and conserve variety of wildlife habitats including a lake, marshes, ancient Unlike Baker’s Wood, our Neolithic ancestors cleared Shire important marshy areas, such as around Charcoal Pond. oak woodland, conifer plantations and meadows. The lake, Oak Heath of trees completely. Heathers, gorse and bracken noted for its colourful Mandarin Ducks, was once the boating would have dominated this area for thousands of years and Rammamere Heath lake for the estate, beside the lake there is a seat bearing the been cut for fuel and building materials as well as providing Rammamere Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, coat of arms of the Kroyer-Keilberg family. On the meadow food for grazing livestock. The Heath has now grown over privately owned, it is being restored to heathland through a areas you may see green woodpeckers feeding on ants with birch scrub. programme of pine and birch removal and grazing. Lowland among the wildflowers and grasses. heath habitat is one of the rarest habitats in the world and this Rushmere Park heath is particularly important for invertebrates and reptiles. Baker’s Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest This area of mainly coniferous woodland was once part of This oak woodland, along with King’s Wood is the largest the Stockgrove Estate and is now in private ownership. The Greensand Ridge Walk area of deciduous woodland in Bedfordshire. Baker’s Wood Around 100 -150 years ago pine, larch and spruce trees were Part of the circular route follows the Greensand Ridge Walk, has been woodland for at least 800 years and probably since planted for timber, mostly onto heathland. Some of the Bedfordshire’s premier long distance footpath which crosses the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago. There estate is used to grow Christmas trees. the county on the Greensand Ridge from Leighton Buzzard in are many multi-stemmed oaks in Baker’s Wood the result of the south west to Gamlingay just across the Cambridgeshire coppicing which was carried out in the wood until the early border in the north east. The route is 40 miles in total and 20th century. Coppicing is a traditional method of harvesting passes through some of the most dramatic countryside and timber and firewood without killing the tree and benefits picturesque villages in Bedfordshire. wildlife by opening up areas to sunlight, enabling woodland flowers to flourish. Printed on paper made from 75% recycled post consumer waste waste consumer post recycled 75% from made paper on Printed

P

H O 237760 01525 T

O

S tion please contact contact please tion ma or

: inf

C

or F . harity c vironmental E en N

T

R www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk pendent inde an ust, r A T

L

B y The Greensand The y b ed g mana G

E people other Consider

D

k is k ar P y Countr e v ro kg F Stoc

O G lose control lose c under gs do eep R K

D

S

.uk .uk .org o .letsg www

H G otect plants and animals and plants otect Pr our litter home litter our y e tak and

I ,

R

E

y visiting visiting y b ks par y countr and

C G ou find them find ou y as ty oper pr and tes a g e v

O Lea

es v reser ture na as ell

U w as routes

N

G

signs y an w ollo f and ahead e-plan

C saf Be alking and riding and alking w s dshire’ or

I Bedf

L

G VE O OCKGR T S

2

Countryside Code Countryside

bout more of more bout 0 a out Find

1 0

Other walks Other

tions sta petrol some and bookshops local from ble vaila a .

Both are Both 192. p ma Explorer on shown also is It 165. p ma

contact us on 0300 300 8085 8085 300 0300 on us contact

er Series er ang Landr y e v Sur Ordnance on ered v co is route he T

bility please bility vaila a and tion ma or inf

Ordnance Survey Maps Maps Survey Ordnance ther fur or F Council. ordshire Bedf

al Centr y b produced leaflets alk w

t Leighton Buzzard. Leighton t a y a aw miles 2.7 is tion sta ain tr losest c The circular of series a of one is This

eline – 0871 200 22 33. 22 200 0871 – eline v a r T contact tion ma or inf or F

.uk v .go ordshire albedf y@centr a Rightsofw ransport ransport T Public

ord MK42 5AN or email or 5AN MK42 ord Bedf 1395, x Bo PO

ordshire Council, ordshire Bedf al Centr , vice Ser Access yside Countr . e g villa h eac R and th Hea

y Section, y a W of Rights the contact please problems There are shops and public houses in houses public and shops are There . facilities toilet are there

y an encounter or alk w the bout a comments y an e v ha ou y If and , ks snac and drinks cold and hot ving ser café a is There

k throughout the y the throughout k ar P y Countr e v ro kg Stoc t a k par can ou Y . ear Did you enjoy the walk ? ? walk the enjoy you Did

oilets T and arking P Refreshments,

hours / ie 1 Time:

2

. s hair pushc or f ficult dif and s hair wheelc or f ble unsuita is 1

Approx 3 Miles/4.8 km Miles/4.8 3 Approx

. p ma on shown details km; miles/4 / tely 2 tely xima ppro a k l a w the of h muc t tha are aw be Please . going are ou y where

2 1

Country P Country ark care where conditions are rough and do let someone know someone let do and rough are conditions where care to alk w the ten shor can and direction either in alk w can

ecommended. r is ear ootw f proof ter a w strong so ain, r ou y , er v e w Ho direction. kwise loc c a in described is h whic alk, w e ak T

y especially after hea after especially y mudd become can alk w the of ts ar P the or f point ting star ested g sug the is k ar P y Countr e v ro kg Stoc vy ove Stockgr

Tips for enjoying your walk your enjoying for Tips alk W your Planning

ALKS W CIRCULAR

Approx 3 Miles/4.8 km 1 Time: 1 /2 hours This walk takes in the attractive heaths, ancient woodland, meadows, lakes and streams around Stockgrove Country Park. It follows footpaths and bridleways in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire and offers an easy route for a scenic stroll.

Stockgrove Country Park The Coker Way Oak Wood Ferdinand Michael Kroyer-Kielberg KBE purchased the estate The shorter route follows a very old trackway, called the Coker Despite the name, this wood consists mostly of planted conifers in 1928, and proceeded to have a new house built on the site (or Cocoa) Way, lined by banks and ditches for some of its with some scattered oak trees. As with Rushmere’s plantations, of a previous property. The Stockgrove mansion and estate length. These are wood banks, constructed in medieval times these conifers were planted on a heathland, known as The houses were built in a mock Georgian style and the house to mark ownership boundaries and to keep grazing animals out Warren. The Greensand Trust, a local conservation charity, has was one of the largest country houses built between the two of the woods. bought Oak Wood and allows public access, including horse World Wars. riding and mountain biking (for which permits are required) as The Country Park now covers 80 acres and consists of a Shire Oak Heath well as working to restore areas to heathland and conserve variety of wildlife habitats including a lake, marshes, ancient Unlike Baker’s Wood, our Neolithic ancestors cleared Shire important marshy areas, such as around Charcoal Pond. oak woodland, conifer plantations and meadows. The lake, Oak Heath of trees completely. Heathers, gorse and bracken noted for its colourful Mandarin Ducks, was once the boating would have dominated this area for thousands of years and Rammamere Heath lake for the estate, beside the lake there is a seat bearing the been cut for fuel and building materials as well as providing Rammamere Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, coat of arms of the Kroyer-Keilberg family. On the meadow food for grazing livestock. The Heath has now grown over privately owned, it is being restored to heathland through a areas you may see green woodpeckers feeding on ants with birch scrub. programme of pine and birch removal and grazing. Lowland among the wildflowers and grasses. heath habitat is one of the rarest habitats in the world and this Rushmere Park heath is particularly important for invertebrates and reptiles. Baker’s Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest This area of mainly coniferous woodland was once part of This oak woodland, along with King’s Wood is the largest the Stockgrove Estate and is now in private ownership. The Greensand Ridge Walk area of deciduous woodland in Bedfordshire. Baker’s Wood Around 100 -150 years ago pine, larch and spruce trees were Part of the circular route follows the Greensand Ridge Walk, has been woodland for at least 800 years and probably since planted for timber, mostly onto heathland. Some of the Bedfordshire’s premier long distance footpath which crosses the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago. There estate is used to grow Christmas trees. the county on the Greensand Ridge from Leighton Buzzard in are many multi-stemmed oaks in Baker’s Wood the result of the south west to Gamlingay just across the Cambridgeshire coppicing which was carried out in the wood until the early border in the north east. The route is 40 miles in total and 20th century. Coppicing is a traditional method of harvesting passes through some of the most dramatic countryside and timber and firewood without killing the tree and benefits picturesque villages in Bedfordshire. wildlife by opening up areas to sunlight, enabling woodland flowers to flourish. Bedfordshire

6 The walk 1 Approx 3 Miles/4.8 km Time: 1 /2 hours Rammamere Heath 1 Leave Stockgrove car joins a bridleway. Turn right park via the main onto the bridleway and walk up 5 entrance, turn right and hill to a main crossroads of immediately on the right, there paths where the short-cut is the start of a footpath with a route re-joins this main route. kissing gate returning into the Keep straight on at the Country Park. Go through the 4 King’s Wood crossroads leaving the kissing gate and follow the wood as you pass a row of path on the left up the hill with sandstone cottages to the left a fence to the left. Follow this and paddocks overlooked by path through a second kissing the old water-tower of gate, continue then bear left Stockgrove House, to the right. toward the British legion 4 clubhouse at the edge of 5 This bridleway brings you Start point the woods. out onto Brickhill Road. Turn right onto the road take & For the short cut, before 1 care crossing the road and Visitor reaching the club house turn on the next bend, at a small Centre sharp right to follow another parking area, turn left onto a footpath with the ancient bridleway. Follow this sandy woodbank on the right, down a path between two fences and Oak Wood Baker’s Wood steep hill, through a kissing look out for a footpath turning gate back into the Country off on the right at the bottom Park. Keep straight on along of the hill. Charcoal Pond this footpath, crossing a small stream and back up the other 6 Take this path, cross the Stockgrove side of the valley and through track and into woodland Country Park a gate into Oak Wood. with a fence on the left. Continue straight on, there is a Do not take the path that fence and The Dower House continues to the right, this is a Shire Oak Heath to the right, until reaching a private access track; the path crossroads of paths. At this that bears left uphill is a point, re-join the main route permissive route. Follow the 3 (point 4) turning right onto the way marked route, to a kissing bridleway. gate and continue through the meadow to the kissing gate Go around to the front of 2 opposite the Stockgrove the clubhouse and Country Park car park. Rushmere Park immediately turn right down 2 another footpath. Keep straight on along this path into Buckinghamshire a conifer plantation and down a steep hill to cross the stream via a small bridge. Carry on up the other side of the valley, cross over a track and past a Christmas tree plantation. Heath and Reach 3 Turn right at the T- © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Council 100049029 2010 junction to walk along the edge of the wood with fields on the left. Go through the The walk Shortcut N Scrub Parking kissing gate into Oak Wood and continue straight on Footpath County Boundary Coniferous Woodland Picnic Area across the bridge beside Charcoal Pond. Follow this path as it winds up hill and Bridleway Woodland