Woburn Walk

 

                            St Mary's Church Gargoyles

Today's walk I am told is going to be a little different ! We are off to a good start at least, ample free parking opposite St Mary's Church. Some friendly looking Gargoyles are smiling down on us from the church tower, on what is a pleasant sunny morning. We turn left along George Street leaving the lovely town centre behind us. 

 

 

The  route guide that we were using said that the walk was 8 miles. However a friend who completed it  recently came in at 11.7 miles. So we shall see ? We continue walking along the perimeter wall of what must be Woburn Abbey.We reach the entrance to the Deer Park at Ivy Lodge.   

We are now officially on the Woburn estate! As long as we stay the 'right' side of the yellow marker posts and don't deviate. Set within 3,000 acres of Deer Park, home to nine free roaming species of deer.The Red Deer and the Roe Deer are most prominent.include the Milu, or Pére David's Deer. Sika, Axis and Barasingha, and the rare and shy Rusa Deer. We might also see small Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer roaming freely.

I did venture onto the bridge that takes you towards the driveway. The Park was landscaped in the 19th century by Humphrey Repton, and stayed largely unchanged. The magnificent ancient trees and ornamental ponds make for a spectacular vista.Near basin pond is a tree known as 'Abbots Oak' said to be where Abbot Robert Hobbes was hanged. All part of the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.

We exit the Park after passing a lover Tudor style building to our right. We meet six other walkers coming the opposite way. They know the route well and warn of how muddy the next part of the route becomes in the winter. But today it is fine and we make good progress through a mixture of woodland and open fields to the village of Eversholt.   The village name means 'wood of the Boar' be great to see one !

Blue plaque to Frank Wild

Eversholt Cricket Pitch

Eversholt is a pretty village with a Village Hall overlooking the cricket pitch. The village pub 'The Green Man' is just opening as we arrive. We stop for a break , a refreshing pint of Blackpit Ruby Ale 3.7% goes down well. Brewed on the North Bucks and South Northants border at Stowe. 

The pub is leased by former 'Bake off'' winner Candice Brown. 

 

The Domesday book of 1086 lists Hugh de Beauchamp as Lord of the Manor for Eversholt whose descendants owned property there until the 13th century when the land passed to Woburn Abbey.  

Entering the village I notice a blue plaque on the wall to Frank Wild 1873 - 1939. An English sailor and explorer.e participated in five expeditions to Antarctica during the Age of Antarctic Exploration. Originally from the North Ridings in Yorkshire his family moved to the area and was educated at Bedford. He was regarded as Shackleton's right hand man on the 'Endurance' that sailed to Antarctica in 1914. 

Leaving Eversholt we pick up the Woburn Road and go up a steep road in the direction of Froxfield. This takes us back into the Deer Park again. A few confused safari park drivers seem a bit lost and ask for directions.Taking a sharp right it's a case of following the marker posts again. We find a good place for our pic-nic. 

The path will again take us close to the perimeter fence of the park.

Safari Park in the distance

 

Right against the fence was a Black Bear ! Quite a way from the circling cars of the visitors. In the far distance there are Elephants. I try and get a closer look while avoiding the CCTV cameras scattered around.I'm so focused on the horizon I don't see the huge pair of antlers rising out of the ferns....

A huge Deer is just a few yards ahead , I don't want to upset it so back away very cautiously. 

Following the path we go over a cattle grid and exit the Deer Park . We turn left through a lovely wooded area . Lots of interesting Fungi around at this time of the year as we move into Autumn. 

We exit the woods to the entrance of the safari park. A couple of inquisitive Zebras come for a closer look.

To the left is the entrance to the Safari Park so walk towards it & then turn right down the road past an old red Telephone Box. I notice that it is now £26.99 fee for an adult. Seems expensive , however the upkeep of the park must be colossal. 

Seems today we are going to see a lot of it for free.

There are two huge lion statues marking the entrance.First opened in 1970 as a means to help improve the financial position of the estate & restore the Abbey, which had fallen into disrepair.

The Safari Park itself covers 360 acres (150 ha).The park lets animals roam freely while visitors drive through their enclosures.

The path runs between the road you drive around the Safari Park on and the elephant (Asian) enclosure. Further behind two white Rhinos show some interest in the passing cars. We see various other animals including Giraffes, Ostrich and Bactrian Camels.  We leave through a gate into a shady wooded area, but still the animals can be seen. To our left is an enclosure with Wallabies of various shapes , size and colour. This is also the 'Go Ape' area where the public can have a treetop adventure on zip wires. 

Sadly we are nearing the park exit and arrive at the huge gates. There is nobody around and the gates seem to be locked.....This is not looking good. 

Fortunately despite their size there is a knack to opening them and with no small amount of relief we cross the main road and turn first left up Horsepool Lane.From here on it is largely fields all the way back to Woburn.

It's still lovely and warm and sunny and we finish off our picnic. 

The excitement hasn't quite finished as we have a bit of a run in with a log cutting vehicle that blocked the path. The operator it seemed didn't believe in stopping for walkers .Clearly no health and safety ethics....

Finally the path turns left to Birchmoor Green.

We pass through a small hamlet of houses on our right . One of which had this old fashioned washing wringer outside. A bit of local history as it originate from 'Gibson Andrews' of  Woburn.

Sadly as we near the end of the lane there is the horrible sight of fly tipping. It seems so prevalent now more than ever and is a complete eyesore.

It is something that blights our beautiful  countryside and completely disgraceful. If I had a pound for all the tyres I've seen dumped this Summer I would be a rich  man.
 

At the main road we turn left back in to Woburn and the re-assuring sight of my old friends the Gargoyles.

At the junction we turn left back into Park Street & to the car park where we started from. It's been a fantastic walk and according to my timing device 9.66 miles. I look forward to doing this walk again maybe late Autumn or Winter , who knows ?

 

 

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