Pete's Walks - Kensworth to Toddington (part 2)
I carefully crossed a busy road, rather dangerously close to a bend, and continued along the footpath opposite.
Start of the path to Wingfield
As I approached a giant electricity pylon I heard and then saw a couple of Buzzards. Soon the path was running alongside a hedge on my left. After a while, the path turned right over a footbridge, before turning right over a second bridge where there was a Chalgrave parish boundary marker (I remembered seeing it here before). The path now gradually went uphill alongside another hedge on my left, beside another large arable field with a young crop. I came across a couple of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies along here.
Chalgrave parish boundary marker
The path to Wingfield
Towards the top of the hill, the path left the hedge and passed right of a small copse close to a farm - there were tractor tracks marking the path through the crop, but they weren't too clear. Looking back here were views across the old quarry to the downs in the distance.
Approaching Wingfield
Looking back towards Dunstable Downs from near Wingfield
I then followed a short bit of hedge and followed the edge of a cricket pitch to reach a road in Wingfield (a sizeable settlement in the parish of Chalgrave - Chalgrave itself now consists of only a church and a few houses or farms).
I turned right along the road for about a quarter of a mile - near the village pub I spotted some Hairy Bitter-cress growing. I then took a path going half-left across a sheep pasture. I then had to cross yet another arable field with a young green crop, by far the largest I had come across so far, and again there was no sign of a path. I decided to follow tractor tracks going slightly left of where the path should have been, and then follow the far hedge row to the right a little distance. As I crossed the field I saw two animals in the crop that I at first assumed were Hares, but when they got up and ran off I saw they were in fact Deer. I thought that they must be Roe Deer, but someone on the WildAboutBritain web site later told me they were Chinese Water Deer! I should have guessed, as I was quite close to Woburn Abbey where they originally escaped from.
Chinese Water Deer, between Wingfield and Chalgrave
Again there was no sign of the path in the next field, so I walked round the field edge until I reached the footpath sign beside the Toddington to Houghton Regis road. A short distance along the road I turned right, the short lane soon ending when it reached Chalgrave church.
Chalgrave church
I followed a path round two sides of the church, which continued steadily down hill for some distance, initially beside a golf course and then by a field (which was now ploughed, but which I remember being planted with Lavender when I came here a few years ago). The footpath then turned left, and continued beside hedgerows to reach a minor road, now fairly close to Toddington.
Path beyond the golf course
Path between Chalgrave and Toddington
Path between Chalgrave and Toddington
I took a path almost opposite, which crossed a pasture that showed signs of the ancient Ridge and Furrow system of farming (I saw plenty of that on the Bernwood Jubilee Way). This pasture was empty now, but was full of various cattle on my return, some of which became a little agitated by my presence. The path continued through a couple more pastures, complete with cattle, and then through a smaller empty pasture - it was slightly confusing, as there were two footpaths very close together and gradually converging here, I had to keep making sure I headed for the leftmost of two yellow markers in each hedgerow. I then crossed a large meadow to a far corner (where the two paths merged) and continued on a short path that took me to the edge of Toddington. A short distance along a street of attractive old cottages I came to the large village green and the church.
Toddington church
Village green, Toddington
The 10 miles had taken me about three and a quarter hours, as it was now 1.05pm. I had some water and an Alpen snack bar to keep me going, as I turned and headed back - I wanted to get at least part way back before stopping for lunch. When I reached the cattle pastures, there was black bull standing right by the first gate I had to go through - fortunately it wasn't aggressive. In the end I eat my sandwiches on a stile by the cricket ground in Wingfield, about 2pm.
Dunstable Downs, from near Wingfield
After lunch, my legs felt unusually tired. As I descended the hill from Wingfield towards Bidwell, I saw two more Chinese Water Deer, possibly the same two I'd seen earlier (it was about a mile away, and the other side of a road). My legs were steadily getting heavier, worryingly they felt far worse after about 15 miles than they ever do when I complete a 15-mile walk. I had no option but to plod on, reminding myself that I'd expected this walk to be a challenge and less of a pleasure that my usual walks. Unusually, I'd exhausted my supply of Alpen bars, so I stopped at the garage at Chalk Hill to buy a Snickers bar. Just by the garage I came across a plant I'd not seen before, which I later identified as Common Chickweed.
I trudged on, spotting another Deer running off as I neared Sewell (presumably Chinese Water Deer again, though it was too far off for me to be certain). When I reached Dunstable, the grassy slope back up to the Downs was more of a struggle than usual. At the top I was surprised at how strong the wind was (unsurprisingly, the wind is usually stronger at the top of the Downs than in the surrounding more sheltered areas). In fact, my silly Tilley hat might have been blown away if it wasn't for the chinstrap! I drank more water and munched my Snickers bar as I crossed the Downs. I saw some Coltsfoot as I followed the Quarry path, and then I was surprised how many vehicles were using Isle of Wight Lane (it's now supposed to be closed to through traffic!). I eventually made it home about 4.45pm, after walking for around six and three quarter hours. I was certainly more tired than on any other walk I've recorded on this web site.
Looking south, from near Kensworth Quarry
This walk was meant to be a challenge, but I actually found it to be tougher than I'd expected. I'd walked a similar distance just five days before, from Woburn to Ampthill and back, and hadn't felt anywhere near so bad at the end. My left leg was actually quite painful for the following couple of days, I think I strained a muscle and that was probably why I felt so bad. But I did enjoy the walk, and I'm glad I did it. The first part of the route, as far as Sewell, was very familiar to me, and the stretch to Bidwell I'd done three times before, but the rest of the route I'd only done once before. After the early grey clouds, it was a pleasant day with a good temperature for walking, neither cold (except in the wind on the Downs!) nor too warm.