Promoted Suitable for Cyclists & Pedestrians. Route Starting from the Millennium Country Park take a trip on the Bletchley Railway line for a Let us keep you informed short journey between Millbrook & Ridgmont 6 the walk/cycle up onto the Clay Ridge with views across the Marston Vale & the Greensand Ridge beyond. Access information You will walk across surface types ranging from hard & firm without stones to uneven cultivated ground and the steepest linear gradient is 1:6 with cross falls between 1:10 and 1:15. At Hill Farm there is a restricted width of 900mm. Barriers along the path include stiles and kissing gates. Public toilets are available at the Forest Centre and Bromham Mill. For further information on all parts of the Forest of Marston Image Credit: Adrian Fett Vale, our activities, and the facilities of the Forest Centre Facilities please visit: The Forest Centre has www.marstonvale.org ample parking, toilets & a café bar, refreshments Receive news about the are available at Ridgmont Forest including what’s on Station and Cranfield and (either by post or email) by Bromham has numerous signing up via our website public houses & shops. or by calling the Forest Bromham Mill Centre. Let the train take © Adrian Fett the strain! The Forest Centre From Bedford or Station Road Bletchley alight at Millbrook Marston Moreteyne Station to start your walk via the country park visitor Bedfordshire, MK43 0PR centre (about 20 mins walk). Please note there is no Sunday service. For timetable details visit www.london- T. 01234 767037 midland.com or ring 08457 484950 E. [email protected] Bus timetable details ring 01234 220030 or visit This leaflet was delivered by the Forest of Marston Vale Volunteers with assistance from The Marston Vale Trust www.travelsmart.com working in partnership with Central Bedfordshire District Council, Bedford Borough Council & The British Horse LetsGo for details of other walks or rides throughout Society and was funded by Natural England through the Paths for Communities Project. Bedfordshire please visit www.letsgo.org.uk Partners: Forest Volunteers, Central Bedfordshire Council, Bedford The Clay Way: Forest Borough Council, The British Horse Society and Marston P3 Group Centre to Bromham Mill This project has been funded under the Rural Development Programme for England The Clay Way: Forest Centre to Bromham Mill From the Forest Centre follow the brick bridge & through concrete blocks, turn Continue, with the wood on your 1 paved path towards the car park to the off the main track to the right, & bear right. After roughly 500m, the field kissing gate & horse stile opposite the slightly left, away from the railway line boundary curves round to the left. roundabout. From the kissing gate turn left turn left into a clump of trees. Go Go through a gap in the hedge here onto the surfaced track to the zebra crossing & through the trees then ascend & straight on past a wooden bench. continue ahead following the perimeter gently towards the ruins of The path goes through some trees, path to Millbrook Station. Take the Round House & a WMP. then into a small meadow & through the train from Millbrook Station The path passes among old a gap into the next field. Again, follow to Ridgmont Station. Cyclists are farm buildings & the Round Bridleway from the field boundary with the Roundhouse permitted to use the train or you House ruins then, just hedgerow on your right. Cranfield can cycle to Ridgmont Station via beyond the larger two-story building airport can be seen ahead & Central Lidlington & Brogborough. take the left h& fork. The path skirts Milton Keynes way off to the left. The path forks the edge of a small wood of mainly right going through a gap & on to an open path Trains are usually every hour but mature Poplar trees. When the track between two fields. A prominent mobile phone please check before travelling. Ridgmont Station turns sharply to the right, take the mast & farm lay ahead. The path goes left of the www.londonmidland.com or smaller path that goes straight on & farm buildings, then through a wooden gate by ring 08457 484950. Pop into the over a partly obscured metal bridge. The path Wood End Farm. Continue along Wood End recently restored Ridgmont Station House for a descends through trees to the old A421 road. Road & into Cranfield village. cup of tea & cake. Cross the A421 with care, then over the On leaving Ridgmont Station, turn left bridge that spans the new dual-carriageway. Continue along Wood End Road & after 2 along Station Road towards the Fruit 3 Continue straight along this road, passing a 4 passing industrial units on the right, take Farm, immediately before the roundabout, row of white painted cottages. Where the the signed BW off to the right which take the bridleway (BW) on the left & follow road bends right, go straight on past a metal passes between some buildings, then bear the path to Brogborough Middle Farm. Past the gate & on to a farm track. Shortly after passing slightly right along the road. After 50m, where farm the track crosses a bridge over the a small copse on your left the path turns sharp the road bends right, take the BW that heads Bletchley Railway Line. Immediately after the right & then left just as you reach a wood. straight on. Pass by a metal gate & straight Maps This promoted route is partially waymarked but the leaflet map is basic so purchasing an ordnance survey map is recommended whenever venturing into the countryside. Explorer Maps 192, 193 & 207 cover this walk. The Clay Way: Forest Centre to Bromham Mill across the field towards some trees & past a a Public Footpath to gate & then down alleyway Following the right hand field boundary, go WMP. path between stable & hedge to lane. Turn right through a metal gate alongside a golf course. At down lane to BW on sharp right h& bend. the end of the golf course the path turns right The path soon emerges from the trees & passes into Hanger Wood. Follow the path through the by a metal gate & on to a side road. Pedestrians & cyclists now use the same route. wood & then alongside the woodland edge. The path leaves the wood & continues between wire At the main Bedford Road turn right & continue Follow BW between trees for roughly fences, eventually passing through a wooden gate for 500m to the junction with Crane Way. 5 100m to a field & follow the field edge & descending to the busy A428. path with the hedgerow on your right Cyclists should turn left along Crane Way, passing through a gap in the hedge, following Cross the A428 with care to the opposite 4a then right onto Bourne End Road. Follow the left hand boundary of the next field. Shortly, 6 BW between houses past some cottages this road for 1.5km. At the T-junction turn by a WMP where the hedgerow turns left, take to Thistley Lane. The track emerges right towards Bourne End then shortly take the the path that leads straight on, across the field at Stagsden Road first right going past a row of houses & a small towards an overhead power line. The path goes in Bromham with red post-box. Carry on to the end of this road directly below a pylon. The path soon reaches a a supermarket past College Farm to a BW. hedgerow end on. on the opposite Pedestrians should cross Crane Way to opposite side of the road. BW between houses & cross Partridge Continue to the right of the hedgerow to a Turn right on to Piece & continue along BW & through gap in hedge then zig zag through hedge Stagsden Road & Moat Farm. Continue along BW & at & continue along field edge & after follow it all the next junction turn left along field edge 1km you will reach Hay Lane. Turn way through right here then almost immediately Bromham Mill path with fence on your right. Through Bromham village © Adrian Fett gate, over bridge & turn right left to BW & continue on towards for nearly 1km following the field edge path to a gap Astey Wood ahead. The path goes until you reach in hedge & waymark post. At next to the right of the wood & continues Bromham Mill & your destination. Bromham has BW junction turn left heading t along its edge. At the end of the wood, two pubs that serve food being the Swan (01234 Bridleway and cross Spring Lane to BW. owards College Farm now following Hanger Woods 823284) & the Prince of Wales (01234 822447). Maps This promoted route is partially waymarked but the leaflet map is basic so purchasing an ordnance survey map is recommended whenever venturing into the countryside. Explorer Maps 192, 193 & 207 cover this walk. Explore the A wildlife haven Grange Estate Ba More than 240 hectares (600 acres) s t of floodplain forest will be created in The Grange Estate To Grea the Park, a rare and valuable habitat for was bought by the Marston Vale wildlife. The Park will provide one of the Jone Derek © ExploreTrust in 2006. New th trailse for walkers, A largestwildlife areas of woodland, have marsh, poolsn Hall on cyclists and horse riders were built in and channels in England; a haven away 2008Gr & 2009ange creating a wonderfulEstate 3 ½ from disturbance by people. Otters, water Dicc © ge mile loop from Route 51 to the north of d Ba voles,More countless than 240 invertebrate hectares (600 species acres) as ri s t n b Willington village. The 120 hectare (300 wellof floodplain as specialist forest wetland will be plants created will in am The Grange Estate n C acre) Grange Estate will see the creation To Grea benefit.the Park, Meadows, a rare and hedges valuable and habitatof course for / was bought by the Marston Vale Maso s of the Park’s first pieces of floodplain ommissio t © Derek Jone Derek © wildlife.