#39 Barton Hills

10.87 Miles
273 Metres Ascent

Back into the Barton Hills for a muddy adventure!  Bedfordshire generally has two types of mud, claggy boot clinging mud across some fields and slippy slidey gloop along tracks.  This walk happily had both!  The day was unseasonably warm above 10c, so I managed with just a shirt.  Layering is proving complicated this season.

From Deacon Hill

I followed the same route as this walk in May.  With a slight variation up to the top of Deacon Hill to eat a pork pie, well you can't eat a pork pie without reaching the top of something can you!  This hill has great views over towards Bedford, and could be a good wild camp spot, although the beer cans in the bushes suggest it wouldn't be quiet in summer...!

#30 Barton Hills - Hills, Hoo's and Hoe's

12.93 Miles
393 Metres 

Great Day for a walk, not raining, not hot, not cold just a bit grey.  The day didn't start the greatest due to some road range, sign language and a burst of anger.  So relaxing in the hills was the best antidote!  Earlier in the year I did a 10 mile walk from Barton-Le-Clay round Pegsdon and back again along the Ickneild Way.  Needing a few more hills, I decided to follow the same walk with but with a walk up the Pegsdon Hills and back down again.  This side 'loop' had no other reason than to climb a hill, it makes no logical route sense and didn't get me any 'further' away.

Pegsdon Hills

The first 3 miles is along the base of the escarpment (that makes it sound higher!) following the John Bunyan Trail.  It's pretty flat countryside, with the added bonus of the Hexton Tea rooms.  A cross between a tea room, gift shop and bring and buy sale.  As it was only 1.5 miles into the walk I couldn't really stop, plus I'm on a diet, plus it was shut!

#27 Barton Le Clay

#27 Barton Le Clay

Distance - 10.0 miles
Ascent - 217 metres

Two walks in two days?  I'm getting extravagate! Todays walk was a planned 8.5 mile wander around Barton Le Clay and the edge of the Chilterns.  The weather again was pretty perfect and warm enough for short sleeves and sunblock!  Nick was visiting from the South so I dragged him along.

The Chilterns



Heading North/east out of Barton Le Clay along the John Bunyan trail the path is wide, flat and easy walking.  The views are across open pleasant farmland with 'big' horizons.  The scarp slope of the Chilterns is obvious to one side and contrasts sharply with the flat farm land we was walking through.