Walking a route around my hometown
Bedford Bridge, Bedford town centre, opened in 1813, replacing a medieval bridge which previously stood on the site
I start my walk at the bridge, walking by the river and in front of the sailing club house and bar, following the river. Usually, I take the least populated paths; I prefer my walks to be peaceful and solitary. I walk downstream with the river on my left.
The river has been described as the jewel in Bedford's crown and there is a lot to be admired there. I find myself stopping to admire the heron (Ardea cinerea), Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca), and the mute swans (Cygnus olor). Unfortunately, it is also a spot where one can spot plenty of rubbish, either in the plants or floating on the water.
Grey heron, down by the river
After walking for some time, the path splits and I can walk to my left, over a footbridge and onto the opposite side of the river, or I can carry on straight ahead, towards a leisure park (cinema, restaurants, bowling, etc.). Or, I can take a right turn and find myself on a path that follows the route of an old railway line. And that is where I want to go.
It's at this point that I might also make a visit to the Tesco supermarket that is close by - I can make a "meal deal" purchase if I haven't packed any food to bring along with me and, to be honest, it's the last chance I'll get to visit an actual toilet for the next couple of hours. After that it's trees and bushes, I'm afraid!
Now, a walker can follow this path, the tarmac path that follows the route of the old railway line, until they reach the Priory Country Park, and this country park is worth a visit, but I normally avoid it. I prefer a quieter and less crowded route.
So, instead of following that tarmac path to the park, I cut through a gap in the trees that line the route and take a path through a grass meadow. This takes me to a small wooden footbridge and onto a path that skirts around the country park.
The small wooden footbridge
Once over the bridge, I turn right and follow the dirt path, keeping the river on my right. Now and then I might pass a fellow walker or two, but less frequently than I would if I had walked through the park. And I keep following this path, beside the river, straight ahead, eventually crossing Cardington Sluice Bridge, and then Cardington Lock Bridge. Then, keeping straight on still, I emerge from the park and out into, well, a different kind of park - Cardington Business Park.
The business park is not particularly exciting for a walker that prefers nature, wildlife, and countryside. Still, I am only passing through! Besides, even here, a walker can spot butterflies and dragonflies in the summertime!
Once the country park is truly behind me and the business park is in front of me, I turn right and follow the path towards a set of traffic lights, crossing the road, I follow the signs that point towards Cardington.
There is a pub in Cardington for those that might like to split this walk in two and get some refreshments. But my route doesn't really take in much of Cardington because, once I have gotten in to Cardington proper I almost immediately turn away from it again. Turning down Harrowden Lane.
From here, as I walk, I can see the Cardington hangars, built in 1915, which have a long and varied history. As well as being used by military, the site has been used for the development of airships and even for filming - the site features in the Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, for example.
After about three quarters of a mile, I reach a cross roads. Here, I need to cross and go straight ahead, down a narrow lane which will lead me towards Bunyan Farm. However, I do not visit any farms on this walk, instead, I turn right along an enclosed track just before the gate for Bunyan Farm.
As a side note, it was in this location that I first heard the call of a lapwing (Vanellus vanellus). I was fascinated by this call that, to my ear, sounded like some kind of alarm or the sound effects from some old video game. I remember looking skyward and seeing this bird flying above me and just being entirely captivated by the sight and sound of something I had never seen or heard before. That was only a couple of years ago, to be honest, and I haven't seen or heard one since, despite looking and listening for them. If you have the chance to stop and listen to the call of a lapwing, I entirely recommend you do so.
Lapwing; image sourced from the RSPB website
Following the track described above, I pass under the A421 and emerge on to a path beside a road. I cross the road and turn right, and then left down a footpath that takes me diagonally through a meadow. It is about here that I start to notice discarded rubbish once again.
Through the meadow I follow a path through a small wood towards Elstow. It really is a shame, but I am not particularly surprised by some of the rubbish that I see left in the trees of the wood. It's not an uncommon sight there. I have taken a couple of bags and some litter pickers out in the past. But it is disheartening to realise that, despite having filled two or three bin bags by yourself, you don't have to walk too far to find more rubbish heartlessly left behind.
Into Elstow, you can stop at the sixteenth-century Moot Hall, and I sometimes do if I have a sandwich with me and I am feeling hungry. It isn't that far now until I am back in the town and the green outside the hall is a good place to stop and have a little rest and bite to eat. Bins are available to dispose of rubbish.
Walking through Elstow, it's a pleasure to take in the old timber framed cottages before heading back into town. Still, having said that, Bedford has some nice Victorian buildings and fine medieval churches, if you care to stop and take the time to admire them.
From Elstow and back into Bedford, I usually make my way homeward via a route that gives me one last look at the river. There's a chance that I might spot a plastic bag or beer can floating down there, but I have seen grass snakes (Natrix helvetica) and kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) by the water too. I hope to see the latter pair each time I visit, and I pray that one day the former pair no longer contaminate those waters.
If you enjoyed joining me for this walk, you can buy me a coffee on ko-fi - it fuels the walking and the writing! Thank you for reading!
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