Ouse Valley Way

Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Norfolk, Northamptonshire

Access to the path from Newton Blossomville to Cold Brayfield will be closed this summer (2017) because the bridge across the Ouse is being removed and rebuilt slightly further upstream. This will mean a detour along the road of a couple of miles. Work is due to begin in May I believe and is expected to last 2/3 months.

A source-to-sea route on one of England’s longest rivers, it follows the River Great Ouse on its meandering passage from close to its source to the tidal river at Kings Lynn, linking many towns and villages. It passes through Stowe Park to reach Buckingham, then fringes north of Milton Keynes and Newport Pagnell. It heads via Emberton Country Park to Sharnbrook (with H E Bates connections) and visits Bedford’s Priory Park and passes a Danish Camp at Willingdon, then links St Neots, Huntingdon (Cromwell’s birthplace), St Ives and Earith. After Earith, the Dutch engineer Vermuyden worked to shorten the river across the Hundred Foot Washes, while the Way keeps along the Old West River where the Stretham Old Engine tells the story of the draining of the Fens. Before Ely, with its cathedral visible on the skyline, it meets the River Cam, and after Ely it runs in common with the Fen Rivers Way, crossing the Bedford Level to Downham Market and Kings Lynn, where the river finally flows out into the Wash.

As it passes from rolling Buckinghamshire countryside to reach open black-soiled fenland landscapes, now sunk some 10ft below the elevated riverbanks, it offers a mixture of riverside and canal walking, sections alongside old flooded gravel pits, and gentle countryside with few other climbs. Some stretches leave the river to avoid areas flood-prone in winter and there is some road walking, some alongside busy roads.

The former Ouse Valley Walk (13 miles) follows the River Great Ouse between Buckingham and Milton Keynes and connects with the North Bucks Way at Iron Viaduct.

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Details:

Path Type:	Paths Marked on OS mapping
Waymark:	Named discs with two swans on water (Beds); swan, water and tree logo (Cambs)
Attributes:	Easy Canal River Heritage Industrial History Literary
Start:	SP631415 - King's Head Pub, Syresham, Northamptonshire
Finish:	TF617198 - Kings Lynn, Norfolk
Open Date:	2004
Web Sites:	Huntingdonshire DC - Ouse Valley Way Ouse Valley Way blog posts - Griffmonster LetsGo! - Ouse Valley Way : Bedford to Great Barford LetsGo! - Ouse Valley Way : Great Barford to St Neots LetsGo! - Ouse Valley Way : Stevington to Bedford LetsGo! - Ouse Valley Way : Turvey to Sharnbrook

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Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook	Ouse Valley Way: Bedford to St Neots  (Bedford Rural Communities Charity  - 2004 )
External PDF	Ouse Valley Walk  (Buckinghamshire County Council  - 2008 )
External PDF	Ouse Valley Way : Stevington to Bedford : map  (Marston Vale Trust )
External PDF	Ouse Valley Way : Turvey to Sharnbrook : map  (Marston Vale Trust )

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