Walk, Marston Vale, 13 miles

24 March 2018

I suggested this walk, which I’d cut out of The Times’ ‘Weekend’ supplement a while back, as it explored countryside to the east of Milton Keynes, which is not a side of the town I’ve explored much since living here. Hai, Matthew and Rebecca were also up for it, which was nice, so I collected Rebecca and Hai early on the Saturday morning – Matt, in typical hardcore fashion, reckoned he was going to walk from his home in Willen Park to the Marston Vale Forest Centre, where we were starting off - a distance of around 11 miles before the walk even started.

Drove via Marston Moretaine – whose dismal Travelodge¹ I stayed in during the Travelodge Year, though I seem to have confined myself to reasonably positive comments about the neighbouring Little Chef – to the Forest Centre, and parked.

The Forest of Marston Vale seems to be being established on around 60 square miles formerly occupied by a brickworks and some landfill sites. This walk followed the Timberland Trail.

We started by walking south west from the Forest Centre to the village of Lidlington, over an irritating freshly-ploughed field. Then turned east – quite hilly – passing the boundary of Millbrook Proving Ground, which I hadn't known anything about but Matt filled me in. It's the circular area on the map below.

Matt crossing the ploughed field

Part of Millbrook Proving Ground

After stopping for a sandwich, walked through Ampthill Park past Katherine's Cross. After that, through Laurel Wood and past the ruins of Houghton House. Hai and I slowed down a bit on the second half of the walk, while Matt and Rebecca continued to power on - Matt did reassure me afterwards that it wasn't a race, which I guess was comforting.

Ampthill Park

Laurel Wood

Ruins of Houghton House

Then a longish final trek across country to the model village of Stewartby, and from there around Stewartby Lake back to the Forest Centre, where we had tea and cake.

According to Matt, you used to be able to walk around the disused Stewartby Brickworks, but they've now been closed off. There seems to be a move afoot to demolish the remaining chimneys on the site, though according to this BBC News article they are listed structures.

Matt and Rebecca walking through Stewartby

Map of the route in red, showing the start and end point at the Forest Centre:

¹ In fairness, it looks from the hotel's website as though it has now been upgraded. Good thing too.