Approximate Distances
Green Route – 11 miles; short variation - 9 miles
Red Route – 10 miles; first short variation – 41/2
miles; second short variation – 71/2 miles
Blue Route – 10 miles; short variation – 8 miles
NORTH BEDFORDSHIRE WOLDS
Green plus Red – 20 miles
Red plus Blue – 20 miles
Green plus Red plus Blue – 28 miles
Other distances can of course be created such as Green
plus the first short Red variation – 13 miles.
It’s up to you!
For full details of walks and rides throughout
Bedfordshire, visit www.letsgo.org.uk
Safety Tips
• Secure your vehicle when you park
• Let someone know where you are going and when
you will be back
• Take your mobile phone but be aware that coverage
is patchy
• Try not to ride alone – three is best if something
goes wrong
• Wear hi-viz gear at all times – you will be seen more
easily not only on the road but also if emergency
services are looking for you off-road
• Cross all roads with care – even though, on these
routes, only the B660 is considered busy
• Ride with attention to possible hazards such as
rabbit holes etc
Public Transport
There are regular bus services from Bedford, Rushden
and St. Neots on Bus No. 125/126/153.
Bedford Bus enquiries:
Traveline Timetable Info:
Tel: 01234 228337
Tel: 08712 002233
North Bedfordshire
RIDES in the WOLDS
3 Routes for riders, off-road cyclists
and walkers
Accommodation
There are a number of bed & breakfasts in the area.
Please contact: Bedford Tourist Information Centre
Tel: 01234 215226. Overnight livery is available at
The College E.C.
B
R
C
C
We are indebted
to the following
for their support:
Funded by the National Lottery
through Awards for All
This project is supported under the England Rural Development Programme
by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the European
Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund.
OPENING UP THE SECRET COUNTRYSIDE
www.hidden-britain.co.uk
OPENING UP THE SECRET COUNTRYSIDE
North Bedfordshire Rides
• Three delightful rides in rural North Bedfordshire
• Two excellent starting points with good parking and
other facilities
• Lots of opportunities to shorten or lengthen your
ride – distances of between 4 1/2 and 28 miles can
be created
• Details of horse friendly pubs along the routes
The starting points
The College EC, Keysoe is well signed from the B660.
Parking, cafeteria, tack shop and toilets.
Tel: (01234) 708400 in advance.
BLUE
The Chequers, High Street, Yelden is on the main road
through the village, which is easily accessed from the
A6. Tel: (01933) 356383.
The facilities on the routes
In addition to the facilities at the two starting points,
horses and riders are welcomed at the following pubs –
ringing in advance is recommended:
• The Plough at Bolnhurst – 1/4 mile off Green route.
Tel: (01234) 376274
• The Fox And Hounds at Riseley – 1/4 mile off Red
route (and on short version). Tel: (01234) 708240
• The St. John Arms at Melchbourne – on the Blue
route short variation. Tel: (01234) 708238
• The Three Compasses at Upper Dean – 1/4 mile off
Blue route. Tel: (01234) 708346
RED
GREEN
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Bedford Borough Council OS Licence No: 100049028 2009
OPENING UP THE SECRET COUNTRYSIDE
Green route – approximately
11 miles
Blue route – approximately
10 miles
G1 to G2 (2 miles) – turn right out of The
College EC car park and follow road past church
to B660 junction. Cross road (with care) into Mill
Lane and follow this track which becomes a grassy
bridleway to road at London End.
B1 to B2 (11/4 miles) – turn right out of The
Chequers car park and, at bend in road, take
Three Shires Way to left. Follow this Byway for
about 1/2 mile to bridleway on right alongside
field. Follow this bridleway round field to
diagonally opposite corner of field.
G2 to G3 (11/2 miles) – cross road (slight stagger)
into Byway. Watch out for rabbit holes on left
after about 500 yards. Bear right at junction with
bridleway to left and continue to Wood End Farm
where the Byway runs to left of driveway to road.
G3 to G4 (13/4 miles) – at road, turn right and
continue for 1/4 mile to left turn to Westwood
Farm (BW signed). Follow bridleway in front of
farmhouse and through hedge. Turn left and
follow bridleway past Cherry Orchard Farm to
B660.
G4 to G5 (1 mile) – at B660 turn right with care
and continue on road to next corner. Take second
bridleway on left at this corner (through gate –
may need to dismount) and follow track to and
through Brook Farm. After farmyard, continue
just over 1/4 mile to bridleway on right after small
wood on left.
G5 to G6 (13/4 miles) – turn right here and follow
bridleway to road. Turn right at road (take care)
and then after 200 yards proceed up drive to
Greensbury Farm. Follow this track to T-junction
by Mount Pleasant Farm and turn left here. Pass
in front of the farm (mini wind turbine) and
follow track to road.
B2 to B3 (11/4 miles) – turn right here, up step,
and follow bridleway to track. Turn left on track
and follow through two sharp turns to houses.
Follow bridleway down drive to road. Turn right
on road until bridleway on left in 200 yards.
Red route – approximately
10 miles
R1 to R2 (21/2 miles) – from The College EC
turn left and then take next right and follow road
to the airfield perimeter fence. Turn right and
follow fence on your left for 13/4 miles, leaving
the track before the farm and passing bund and
buildings within the airfield. After the buildings,
the bridleway turns sharp right and passes Gate 5
- turn right onto bridleway shortly afterwards.
R2 to R3 (11/4 miles) - Proceed straight ahead
into field and follow the headland to track
crossing. Turn left and follow track downhill to
road. Turn left and then first right. Then take
right turn at bend in road about 400 yards later.
R3 to R4 (1 mile) – After about 300 yards, take
bridleway on verge to right of drive to Lodge
Farm and follow track past farm on your left.
Then follow bridleway alongside 2 fields to
emerge on track just before Harings Farm.
R4 to R5 (11/2 miles) – Follow track through
farmyard (though look out for signs as there is a
proposal to divert the bridleway around the farm
on a headland - not yet implemented). Turn
right to enter Worley's Wood by gate. Follow track
until you emerge from wood through gap by gate
onto headland. Turn right and follow headland
for almost 1 mile to concrete track crossing route.
G6 to G1 (31/4 miles) – turn left on road and after
about 1/2 mile take the grassy bridleway alongside
the airfield perimeter fence to the Hatch End
gate. Turn right on to road here and follow it to
T-junction, then turn left to return to The College
EC.
Variations:
Shorten by continuing straight on on road from G3,
crossing B660 and taking School Lane, which turns
into a bridleway to Mount Pleasant Farm just before
G6. This will reduce the circuit to about 9 miles.
Lengthen by joining the Red route at the Hatch End
Gate just before the end of the ride. Follow the perimeter
fence straight ahead and pick up directions in R1 to R2.
R5 to R6 (2 miles) – turn right onto track and
follow it to road. Turn left and then shortly right
up drive to Coldham Lodge. At top of drive, bear
left around holiday cottages. Follow this track for
about 1 mile to gap in hedge. Go straight on
through this gap to another gap and culvert at
end of next field (watch out for rabbit holes on
left just before second gap).
R6 to R1 (13/4 miles) – cross culvert and turn
right onto track and follow it about 1 mile to
road. You may wish to lead your horse over
bridge towards end of this section if surface is
slippery. Turn right on road and take bridleway
on left, towards church, in about 300 yards. At
road, turn right to return to The College EC.
Variations:
A short circuit of 41/2 miles can be created by turning
right onto the Byway about 3/4 mile from start. Follow
this to road, turn right and then take bridleway on left
in about 400 yards. Continue uphill with woods on
your left. At top turn right and follow headland around
4 fields until you reach the culvert at R6.
Alternatively, shorten by to 71/2 miles by turning right
at road between R2 and R3 and follow this through
Riseley Village (Fox and Hounds pub and a village
shop). Continue about 1 mile to the drive to Coldham
Lodge and pick up directions in R5 to R6.
Lengthen by joining the Green route – turn left by
church just before end of the ride and follow directions
from G1. Or join the Blue route at B7 just after
Harings Farm (R4) by taking bridleway on left before
Worleys Wood.
OPENING UP THE SECRET COUNTRYSIDE
B3 to B4 (11/2 miles) – follow this bridleway
around field edges to top of hill and then down
to road in Swineshead. Turn left and then right
into Green Lane.
B4 to B5 (3/4 mile) - follow this lane, which
becomes a bridleway. When track bears right into
driveway, continue straight ahead and to right of
hedge ahead. Continue between hedge and fence
and across culvert onto grassy headland. Follow
this around field and up to Grange Farm.
B5 to B6 (1 mile) – turn right on road and
then shortly left onto bridleway. Follow
bridleway downhill to corner of wood and then
alongside wood across field to gap in
hedge. Go through this gap onto concrete track.
At T-junction with wider track, turn right.
B6 to B7 (11/2 miles) – when track emerges from
wood, turn left along headland and follow this
alongside two fields. As the headland bears right
at end of second field, look out for bridleway
through gap by gate on left (can get overgrown).
Take this track through Worleys Wood.
B7 to B1 (23/4 miles) – Shortly after leaving the
wood, take a bridleway on the right and follow
this to road. Turn left on road and in 300 yards
turn right onto Three Shires Way. Take care to
keep to the bridleway where it diverges from the
farm track – rejoin it again on left at the top by
mobile phone masts. Go through Rifle Range
Farm to join road. Turn right on road and
return to the start.
Variations:
Shorten to about 8 miles by turning right when you
meet the track after B2. Go past Grange Farm and take
permissive bridleway on right after paddock. Follow this
to join farm drive to road (by St. John Arms pub). Take
road straight ahead and then turn left in 500 yards
into pretty Melchbourne village.
Proceed through village, taking bridleway straight
ahead where road turns sharp left. After 500 yards, at
T-junction, turn left and then right onto headland at
edge of woods. This bridleway will take you to Worleys
Wood after uphill section. Rejoin the route at gap by
gate on your right (it can get overgrown) and through
wood to B7.
Lengthen by joining the Red route at B6 by turning left
onto the wider concrete track and follow the directions
from R5.