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How to get there

You can easily reach Wootton by road, from the A6 and A421. You can get buses from Bedford right to the start point of the walk.(Click here for timetables)

Start/finish points

Wootton Village Hall

OS Ref 007450

Length

4 miles

Grid Ref TL007450

OS Map 007450

Route description

1 - From the Village Hall, cross the recreation ground (passing the skate park) to the kissing gate in the right hand corner by the school. Go down the path to Bedford Road and turn left. Continue walking past the Post Office and turn right down Potters Cross (point 2 on the map).

2 - Follow the tarmac road, which becomes a rough track, to a junction of paths and two finger post footpath signs(point 3).

3 - At the second sign go through the small gate and across the field to a kissing gate following the direction of the footpath sign.

4 -  You are now entering ‘Wiles Wood', part of Gateway Woods. Continue straight ahead on the path until you meet a hard surface track and turn left.

5 - At a T-junction by four wooden play structures (point 4) turn left. You are now in Ridgeway Wood. Continue to Bedford Road.

6 - Turn left and after 200 yards, just before the Wootton Village Sign, cross the road and enter a small hard surfaced area via a gate (point 5). Go through the small gate on the left into Hoo Corner and follow the hard surface track through another gate to the road. This area of the Green Gateway is called The Kill.

7 - Cross the road into Buttons Ramsey. Follow the track round and join the road by the Cross Keys public house (point 6).

8 - Turn left for 100 yards and turn right at the footpath sign by a farm building. Walk along the side of the building and then the hedge to cross a field (can be muddy in the winter months) to reach a stile in a gap in the hedge. Go over, keep to the left hand edge of the field and continue to a narrow path that leads out to Keeley Lane (point 7).

9 - Cross the road, turning right for 10yards, and go through a kissing gate. Bear right and head for an opening where there was a field gate in the corner. Go through the gap and keep to the right hand edge of the field to reach a gap in the hedge.

10 - Go diagonally (left) across the field to another kissing gate and continue in the same direction to a kissing gate that leads onto a track in Hall End. (point 8)

11 - Turn left, go through the gate and keeping the hedge on your left the path continues to join Lorraine Road by the cemetery.

12 - Turn right then right again at Cause End Road. Take the first left down St Mary's Road, right onto Tithe Barn Road and after 30 yards turn left on the alleyway to enter the recreation ground. Follow the hard surface path to return to the Village Hall.

Pit stops/points of interest

The Cross Keys

Acknowledgments

Wootton Parish Council