Saturday 2nd October - Harlington/Westoning walk led by Tony Roberts 5.5 miles

This walk should have taken place during June but had to be postponed as Tony was unable to lead it at that time. The walk started from Harlington Village Hall car park which was very full due to junior football games and also a children's party. The walk would have been much better in June as originally planned as marked paths existed between crops at that time. Unfortunately we could not leave it until 2022 as a large housing development is planned for the first section of the route.
Seven of us started at 9.45 am and walked past the station before leaving the road on a footpath across a newly ploughed field. Another ploughed field followed before we came to the new footbridge and then crossed the busy A5120. We then headed for Harlington Woodend  across more ploughed fields but turned right at the large oak tree. We eventually left the ploughed fields to everyone's delight and entered grassy fields. Two of these brought us to Woodend Lane which we followed to the Tingrith Road which we crossed into another field. Thankfully although the footpath went across a growing crop we followed a track and through a break in the hedge into the next field, which contains a woolen horse track.This we crossed and then crossed a footbridge over River Flit into some woods. After leaving the woods we followed a good fenced track to a gate.

Tony R, Penny, Vivienne & Tony P with John, Mary & Sue bringing up the rear.

We then continued into Westoning, past the church, whose toilets were sadly locked, to the A5120 which we crossed at the lights. We continued up Samshill Road and stopped under the railway bridge for our coffee stop. When we restarted our walk the rain had become heavier but we decided against shortening the route as that meant more ploughed fields which we all disliked. Therefore we continued up Samshill road to the crossroads where the track to Sharpenhoe turned off. We followed this track for about 3/4 of a mile before turning right past the back of  the Lovett Green houses. We continued past Bunyan's oak up the hill to emerge on to the road at the top of Abbot's Hill. We then followed Barton Road, past Sue's house, to Bury Orchard and hence the car park.

Track of walk, walked in clockwise direction.