BedfordSandy

Bedsan two
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By _Josh_justJosh on 24 Apr 2022


Distance

16km/10mi

Ascent

-

Descent

-

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Description

Heading straight to the River Great Ouse, you'll follow it all the way out of Bedford, joining the former route of the Oxford to Cambridge Varsity Line. After crossing the A428, you pass Octagon Wood before entering the Grange Estate. Briefly leaving the old railway alignement to walk along the river around the north of the estate you'll rejoin at the Danish Camp. Continuing east, you'll pass Willington Lock and continue on to Blunham. Once across Station Road, there's a short hill to get you back up to the height of the railway embankment and then a long gentle descent down to Sandy

Heading straight to the River Great Ouse, you'll follow it all the way out of Bedford, joining the former route of the Oxford to Cambridge Varsity Line. After crossing the A428, you pass Octagon Wood before entering the Grange Estate. Briefly leaving the old railway alignement to walk along the river around the north of the estate you'll rejoin at the Danish Camp. Continuing east, you'll pass Willington Lock and continue on to Blunham. Once across Station Road, there's a short hill to get you back up to the height of the railway embankment and then a long gentle descent down to Sandy

Status

This route has been reviewed by 1 person.

There are no issues flagged.

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Information

Not verified

Route status - Live

Reviews - 1

Average rating -

Is this route good enough? -  Yes (1)

There are currently no problems reported with this route.

Downloads - 4

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Geography information system (GIS) data

Total length

Maximum elevation

Minimum elevation

Start and end points

Bedford
Grid Ref TL0466449893
Lat / Lon 52.13744° / -0.47212°
Easting / Northing 504,664E / 249,893N
What3Words assure.cave.fast
Sandy
Grid Ref TL1728749209
Lat / Lon 52.12876° / -0.28800°
Easting / Northing 517,287E / 249,209N
What3Words slips.deeply.classmate

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review


Tom Campbell

28 Sep 2023 Autumn

A varied walk starting at the bus station in Bedford and ending at a bus stop in Sandy so you can catch the bus back to where you started. The route follows National Cycle way 51 out of Bedford and picks up route 12 in Blunham so you will be sharing the path with cyclists and sometimes with horse riders too but no cars for most of the way. I live in Bedford and I know this route, it can get a bit whiffy sometimes when you pass the sewage works but most of the time it's OK and strangers may not even notice the works are there.
There are no steps and it's all level apart from where the route crosses the Southern bypass at about 4 miles in. I met someone using a mobility scooter at the top of this gradient when I last walked it and he told me he had no bother getting up the slope. It must be the only walk on the website where there's restricted headroom; that's where the path goes under Bedford bridge and the maximum height is 183cm - OK if you are under six feet tall otherwise you'll have to duck.
It's close to the river and Willington Lock at some points and there are no barriers so it could be a safety issue for kids and dogs.
You can get refreshments and toilets at Danish Camp which is on the route but check the website for opening days/hours. There are also public toilets including a disabled WC and a coffee shop at Priory Park (about 100m from the path).
Terrain is pretty good, mostly tarmac, packed gravel or paved and should be a better option than Bedsan one in wet weather as there are no unpaved stretches to get muddy. Unfortunately, on the day I walked it, there was a fallen tree blocking the path just beyond Danish Camp - walkers and cyclists were able to get round the tree but I don't think wheelchair users would be able to.
There are car parks on the route at Priory Park and Willington (Danish Camp). There are benches but some quite long sections where there are none. Road crossings are all controlled by traffic lights apart from one crossing in Blunham but there is a dropped kerb there.
I spotted a heron and a Muntjac deer on my walk (plus of course the famous Bedford swans).
This route can get busy at weekends and sometimes parts near Priory Park and the Grange estate are used for running events such as Race for Life and the Bedford Half marathon but the path is not closed then just very busy.


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Other Routes for Bedford—Sandy See all Slow Ways

Bedford—Sandy

Bedsan one

Distance

16km/10mi

Ascent

55 m

Descent

53 m

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