Monday 6th August 2012 Ramble 10: Leighton Buzzard/Linslade to Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes

Monday 6^th August 2012

Ramble 10:  Leighton Buzzard/Linslade in Bedfordshire to Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes; a walk of about 8 miles.

The weather was mixed; mostly sunny with a heavy shower part way through.  

We were pleased that Peter, Sue, Hugh and Margaret joined us.

We started our walk by Tesco’s car park in Leighton Buzzard; this is also the official start of the Greensand Ridge Walk (the first long distance walk we did in 2010).

We passed Wyvern Shipping Co., Linslade, the canalboat hire company we have used twice for holidays. Many of their bright blue boats were moored up here at base, so perhaps business isn’t too good this year.

We stopped for a coffee with twee little almond biscuits at the picturesque Globe Inn. From a plaque, high up, we learnt this is part of the Sands of Time Trail. There is a virtual museum on the worldwide web, too, that celebrates the Leighton Buzzard sand industry.  When we set off again we needed our umbrellas and coats on as dark skies threatened rain. 

 Immediately we saw Bridge No. 111 and heard trains passing nearby. It was along this stretch of the railway line that the Great Train Robbery took place 49 years ago and passed into legend for sheer audacity and scale.

The canal follows the meandering course of the River Ouzel with gentle hills rising to both sides, but we only stopped to shelter and not to admire the views, as the rain shower was heavy.

Several bridges along here have marks on the upright edges where ropes have made indentations.

We had our picnic lunch at Soulbury, by the flight of 3 locks.  Some of the lock gates have been renewed and, although not appearing to be all wood, were much less leaky than most other locks we have seen.

Further on a heron, standing ahead of us on the towpath, was aiming to make it lunchtime. Sue slowly moved to within 4 feet of it before it flew away.  

We couldn’t quite make out what was going on here. 

After Willowbridge Marina we sensed that the end was not far off as the area had that ‘Milton Keynes’ look, that is concrete bridges, many new houses, rubbish and graffiti. Parts were pleasant though and many of the boats on the canal were very smart.

The walk finished at Fenny Stratford which means 'marshy ford on a Roman Road'. The Roman road is Watling Street, which went from Dover through London to Wroxeter in Shropshire.