flowers to flourish. to flowers ildlife by opening up areas to sunlight, enabling woodland enabling sunlight, to areas up opening by ildlife w icturesque villages in Bedfordshire. in villages icturesque p imber and firewood without killing the tree and benefits and tree the killing without firewood and imber t passes through some of the most dramatic countryside and countryside dramatic most the of some through passes 0hcnuy opcn sataiinlmto fharvesting of method traditional a is Coppicing century. 20th border in the north east. The route is 40 miles in total and total in miles 40 is route The east. north the in border coppicing which was carried out in the wood until the early the until wood the in out carried was which coppicing he south west to Gamlingay just across the Cambridgeshire the across just Gamlingay to west south he t re many multi-stemmed oaks in Baker’s Wood the result of result the Wood Baker’s in oaks multi-stemmed many re a state is used to grow Christmas trees. Christmas grow to used is state e the county on the Greensand Ridge from Leighton Buzzard in Buzzard Leighton from Ridge Greensand the on county the h n ftels c g,aot1,0 er g.There ago. years 10,000 about age, ice last the of end the atdfrtme,msl nohahad oeo the of Some heathland. onto mostly timber, for lanted p Bedfordshire’s premier long distance footpath which crosses which footpath distance long premier Bedfordshire’s has been woodland for at least 800 years and probably since probably and years 800 least at for woodland been has Around 100 -150 years ago pine, larch and spruce trees were trees spruce and larch pine, ago years -150 100 Around art of the circular route follows the Greensand Ridge Walk, Ridge Greensand the follows route circular the of art P rea of deciduous woodland in Bedfordshire. Baker’s Wood Baker’s Bedfordshire. in woodland deciduous of rea a the Stockgrove Estate and is now in private ownership. private in now is and Estate Stockgrove the This oak woodland, along with King’s Wood is the largest the is Wood King’s with along woodland, oak This The Greensand Ridge Walk Ridge Greensand The his area of mainly coniferous woodland was once part of part once was woodland coniferous mainly of area his T Baker’s Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest Scientific Special of Site Wood Baker’s Rushmere Park Rushmere eath is particularly important for invertebrates and reptiles. and invertebrates for important particularly is eath h heath habitat is one of the rarest habitats in the world and this and world the in habitats rarest the of one is habitat heath among the wildflowers and grasses. and wildflowers the among ith birch scrub. birch ith w rgam fpn n ic eoa n rzn.Lowland grazing. and removal birch and pine of programme areas you may see green woodpeckers feeding on ants on feeding woodpeckers green see may you areas food for grazing livestock. The Heath has now grown over grown now has Heath The livestock. grazing for food rivately owned, it is being restored to heathland through a through heathland to restored being is it owned, rivately p oat of arms of the Kroyer-Keilberg family. On the meadow the On family. Kroyer-Keilberg the of arms of oat c been cut for fuel and building materials as well as providing as well as materials building and fuel for cut been Rammamere Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Scientific Special of Site a is Heath Rammamere lake for the estate, beside the lake there is a seat bearing the bearing seat a is there lake the beside estate, the for lake ould have dominated this area for thousands of years and years of thousands for area this dominated have ould w noted for its colourful Mandarin Ducks, was once the boating the once was Ducks, Mandarin colourful its for noted Rammamere Heath Heath Rammamere Oak Heath of trees completely. Heathers, gorse and bracken and gorse Heathers, completely. trees of Heath Oak ak woodland, conifer plantations and meadows. The lake, The meadows. and plantations conifer woodland, ak o Unlike Baker’s Wood, our Neolithic ancestors cleared Shire cleared ancestors Neolithic our Wood, Baker’s Unlike ait fwllf aiasicuigalk,mrhs ancient marshes, lake, a including habitats wildlife of variety important marshy areas, such as around Charcoal Pond. Charcoal around as such areas, marshy important h onr aknwcvr 0arsadcnit fa of consists and acres 80 covers now Park Country The Shire Oak Heath Oak Shire well as working to restore areas to heathland and conserve and heathland to areas restore to working as well orld Wars. orld W iding and mountain biking (for which permits are required) as required) are permits which (for biking mountain and iding r was one of the largest country houses built between the two the between built houses country largest the of one was of the woods. the of bought Oak Wood and allows public access, including horse including access, public allows and Wood Oak bought houses were built in a mock Georgian style and the house the and style Georgian mock a in built were houses mark ownership boundaries and to keep grazing animals out animals grazing keep to and boundaries ownership mark o t arn h resn rs,alclcnevto hrt,has charity, conservation local a Trust, Greensand The Warren. f a previous property. The Stockgrove mansion and estate and mansion Stockgrove The property. previous f a o length. These are wood banks, constructed in medieval times medieval in constructed banks, wood are These length. hese conifers were planted on a heathland, known as The as known heathland, a on planted were conifers hese t in 1928, and proceeded to have a new house built on the site the on built house new a have to proceeded and 1928, in o oo)Wy ie ybnsaddthsfrsm fits of some for ditches and banks by lined Way, Cocoa) (or with some scattered oak trees. As with Rushmere’s plantations, Rushmere’s with As trees. oak scattered some with Ferdinand Michael Kroyer-Kielberg KBE purchased the estate the purchased KBE Kroyer-Kielberg Michael Ferdinand he shorter route follows a very old trackway, called the Coker the called trackway, old very a follows route shorter he T Despite the name, this wood consists mostly of planted conifers planted of mostly consists wood this name, the Despite tockgrove Country Park Country tockgrove S The Coker Way Coker The Oak Wood Oak route for a scenic stroll. scenic a for route Stockgrove Country Park. It follows footpaths and bridleways in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire and offers an easy an offers and Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire in bridleways and footpaths follows It Park. Country Stockgrove This walk takes in the attractive heaths, ancient woodland, meadows, lakes and streams around streams and lakes meadows, woodland, ancient heaths, attractive the in takes walk This hours / ie 1 Time: 2 1 Approx 3 Miles/4.8 km Miles/4.8 3 Approx CIRCULAR WALKS Planning your Walk Tips for enjoying your walk Stockgrove Country Park is the suggested starting point for the Parts of the walk can become muddy especially after heavy Stockgrove walk, which is described in a clockwise direction. However, you rain, so strong waterproof footwear is recommended. Take can walk in either direction and can shorten the walk to care where conditions are rough and do let someone know Country Park 1 approximately 2 /2 miles/4 km; details shown on map. where you are going. Please be aware that much of the walk Approx 3 Miles/4.8 km is unsuitable for wheelchairs and difficult for pushchairs. 1 Time: 1 /2 hours Refreshments, Parking and Toilets You can park at Stockgrove Country Park throughout the year. Did you enjoy the walk ? There is a café serving hot and cold drinks and snacks, and If you have any comments about the walk or encounter any there are toilet facilities. There are shops and public houses in problems please contact the Rights of Way Section, Heath and Reach village. Countryside Access Service, Central Bedfordshire Council, PO Box 1395, Bedford MK42 5AN or email Public Transport [email protected] For information contact Traveline – 0871 200 22 33. The closest train station is 2.7 miles away at Leighton Buzzard. This is one of a series of circular walk leaflets produced by Central Ordnance Survey Maps Bedfordshire Council. For further The route is covered on Ordnance Survey Landranger Series information and availability please map 165. It is also shown on Explorer map 192. Both are contact us on 0300 300 8085 available from local bookshops and some petrol stations. Other walks 0 1 Countryside Code Find out about more of 0 G STOCKGROVE 2 L Bedfordshire’s walking and riding I G Be safe-plan ahead and follow any signs C N routes as well as nature reserves U Leave gates and property as you find them O G and country parks by visiting C E R Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home I G www.letsgo.org.uk H S D G Keep dogs under close control R O Stockgrove Country Park is F D G Consider other people managed by The Greensand E B L www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk Trust, an independent A R T N environmental charity. For E C information please contact : S O T 01525 237760 O H Printed on paper made from 75% recycled post consumer waste P flowers to flourish. to flowers ildlife by opening up areas to sunlight, enabling woodland enabling sunlight, to areas up opening by ildlife w icturesque villages in Bedfordshire.