Leader: Wahid Khan

19 miles, 12 walkers and Gromit

What a wonderful day for our walk around Bedford with Wahid.  The countryside looked lovely in the sunshine with dry paths winding through woods and round  fields, and the may in blossom, cow parsley and the last of the bluebells.

From Priory Park we walked a little way eastwards along the old railway line before turning north to circle anti-clockwise around Bedford,  By our mid-morning break at Mowsbury Park it was warming up nicely.  We walked on round the north of Bedford, across the golf course above Clapham and down Green Lane into the village. Wahid took us for a look at the ford which he had planned to use before a local told him it could be up to 8 feet deep in the middle!  Our lunch stop was Clapham's Horse and Groom where the landlord had kindly said we could eat our sandwiches in the garden.  A stretch of road walking (the only way to get across the Ouse) took us through Clapham and Oakley before we picked up paths again to Bromham and Bromham Mill, crossing the Ouse and passing close by Great Denham to reach to the river again.  It is a lovely stretch of the river here, meandering between the trees, Honey Hills it used to be called. As we got closer to the centre of town the river was busy with youngsters from the Bedford Schools training, rowing and sculling. Lots to look at along here, before walking on along the river and back to Priory Park.

It was just a perfect day and a lovely walk, thank you Wahid and Esin.  Photos from DFH plus two from M, and more  from Wahid (keep scrolling down)

DFH's photos