Saturday 25th January Great Linford walk led by Tony R

This walk was put on n an attempt to boost numbers on Saturday walks as the exact walk held last June had a good attendance & a winter repeat was requested. However despite this there were only 5 walkers who left Stonepit Field to walk down to the old Bletchley / Newport Pagnell railway now sadly closed but in use as the Swan's Way walking route. We walked along this well surfaced path for about a mile passing the old Bradwell station platform en route. When we came to Nightingale Crescent we turned left & went up to Bradwell Window where some photos were taken. 

Bradwell windmill

We left the windmill & crossed the road & then the Grand Union canal by the Millennium Bridge. On out left we saw the Grafton Street aqueduct which was, at one time, the latest aqueduct to be built in Great Britain. However we turned right & followed the canal for about another mile before turning off into Stanton Low Park, an area of open grassland. We followed a track to the ruin of St Peter's church where we stopped for a coffee break. 

We followed a track across the open grassland for about half a mile before crossing the site road & entering a greenlane with bushes either side. Some of these had obviously been affected by the previous few days wind. We then joined the canal again & followed it for another mile before climbing some steps onto a bridge crossing the canal where we took some more photos. 

Geoff, Sue, Tony & John

We then left the canal & followed a path signposted Great Linford until we reached Manor Drive which we crossed to enter Great Linford Manor Park. We walked across the grass to see the wooden sheep where again we took some photos. After seeing the sheep we went to see the giant horseshoes in an area called the Wilderness, which had been found by Ruth the previous year. Again some photos were taken. 

Tony R, Sue, Geoff, Janet & John by the giant horseshoe.

We continued through the wilderness stopping at the Linden tree which is claimed to be the oldest tree in Milton Keynes. We passed the Doric Seat & the Lime Leaf chair before arriving at seats overlooking the almshouses & ponds. Here we stopped for our picnic lunch.

After lunch we walked between the ponds, stopped briefly at the bench mark & the quarry before going under the old railway bridge & joining the canal towpath for a short distance before turning of into Stonepit Field. We passed the half sone circle before returning to our cars. A good interesting walk on a lovely sunny January day, sadly missed by most members.

Track of walk, walked in clockwise direction