Thursday 23rd August 2012
Ramble
11: Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes to
Camphill, Willen Park; a walk of about 5 miles.
The weather was just right; warm and sunny, with a slight
breeze.
We were very pleased to have Peter, Sue, Hugh, Margaret,
Russell, Tere, Glynis, John, Ian and Julie walking with us today. All logistics worked out pretty well and it
was certainly nice to have such good company.
We all rendezvoused in Fenny Stratford, walked through some
side streets and down some steps to re-join the Grand Union Canal towpath. The
canal follows the course of the River Ouzel until Woolstone, near
Willen Park, that is practically today’s entire walk. Quite noticeably, too, a
majority of Milton Keynes development was on the opposite side of the canal
from the towpath and we were closer to parks, hedges; a more rural corridor.
Bridge 92A is large, imposing and modern. It carries the A5
London to Holyhead trunk road over the canal. There is a strange mix of old and
new along here, as there are several other modern concrete bridges carrying the
Milton Keynes traffic and then in between, the more familiar, small and hump-backed
brick bridges. Some of the small bridges appeared to have been rebuilt recently
(or maybe just a good clean-up) and a few were skew bridges, built oblique to
the line of the canal.
We stopped to eat our packed lunches in a park alongside the
canal, not far from the site of the Open University at Woughton Park. Refreshed,
we continued, passing many boats occupied with people relaxing and some
travelling on this pretty stretch of the canal. Someone spotted a heron high up in the trees
and we also saw several ducks including the ‘lesser yellow’. One moorhen had an
insecure perch and was moving at speed after a boat passed by (may be fun but not
quite white water rafting!).
Along our route we saw notices up about the Bedford to
Milton Keynes Waterway project. Samuel Whitbread MP in 1810 proposed that a
canal was built linking the River Great Ouse at Bedford and the Grand Union
Canal around this point, and it looks as though it may come to fruition within
the next few years. Now, of course, there are obstacles like the M1 and many
roads to cross, requiring many locks and engineering feats, but a route has been identified and earmarked
for the canal. The 20 mile long canal is the key missing link of a large navigable
waterway ring.
