Conforming to a non-conformist and 1 Bunyan to boot!!

From our meeting point we will pass briefly along the outskirts of Harlington village before meeting the railway line and heading into open countryside and on to our first viewpoint at John Bunyan’s Trail carpark. From here we follow an undulating ridge top trail allowing for some remarkable panoramic views across Bedfordshire.

John Bunyan’s Trail:

In name only this trail marks a route created by the ramblers association which connects many places linked to John along with other historically interesting places.

As a child Bunyan learned his father's trade of tinker and was given some schooling but it is not known which school he attended. In Grace Abounding Bunyan recorded few details of his upbringing, but he did note how he picked up the habit of swearing (from his father), suffered from nightmares, and read the popular stories of the day in cheap chap-books. In the summer of 1644 Bunyan lost both his mother and his sister Margaret. That autumn, shortly before or after his sixteenth birthday, Bunyan enlisted in the Parliamentary army when an edict demanded 225 recruits from the town of Bedford. There are few details available about his military service, which took place during the first stage of the English Civil War. A muster roll for the garrison of Newport Pagnell shows him as private "John Bunnian". In Grace Abounding, he recounted an incident from this time, as evidence of the grace of God:

“When I was a Souldier, I, with others, were drawn out to go to such a place to besiege it; But when I was just ready to go, one of the company desired to go in my room, to which, when I had consented, he took my place; and coming to the siege, as he stood Sentinel, he was shot into the head with a Musket bullet and died.”

The Trail continues to Sharpenhoe Clappers:

Sharpenhoe Clappers is a classic chalk escarpment and part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is crowned with traces of an Iron Age hill-fort and an impressive beech wood.

The word ‘clappers’ derivers from the Latin ‘claperius’ for a rabbit hole. Rabbit warrens provided meat, fur and leather and used to be an important part of the economy here.

The hill fort was built on a northern promontory of the Chiltern Hills, strategically overlooking the flat plains beneath.
The hill rises to 525 feet, providing excellent views, and is fringed by Clappers Wood. Trails lead through the wood, and wildflowers abound in summer.

From here we head down into Sharpenhoe village and onward to the village of Pulloxhill.

Pulloxhill is one of the oldest villages in Bedfordshire being well over 1000 years old, and still has a Norman Church. It is the oldest known home of the Bunyan family and near where John Bunyan was arrested.

Pulloxhill is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1066 of having 11 villagers, 13 smallholders and 2 slaves, under Lord Freeman-Eight. Tenant-in-Chief at the time was Nigel of Aubigny.

In 1680 it was thought that gold had been discovered in the village and a mine was established, this was however abandoned shortly afterwards. It is believed that what was actually discovered was flakes of mica in quartz, giving the appearance of gold. It is possible that the silver mine of Demas referred to in Pilgrims Progress was inspired by the gold mine in Pulloxhill.

There are records of 'Fort' or 'Castle' within the parish, most probable due to the elevated nature of the geography, however the remains are on private land and not viewable without the current land-owner's permission.

Elizabeth Ocle of Pulloxhill was hanged in Bedford in 1596 for practicing witchcraft.

Julius Drewe, businessman and retailer, known for creating of the successful Home and Colonial Stores, and for commissioning the building of Castle Drogo in Devon as his family's country home, was born at the vicarage in 1856.

Here we will stop for lunch (only if you have all been very good).

The after lunch section is shorter than pre-lunch section and is all downhill.

We return into the centre of the village of Harlington and a rather impressively sized church.

1086: The Domesday Book calls the village Herlingdone and lists Nigel D'Albini as Lord of the Manor; he took over from four Saxon thegns who lost their lands at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

1300–1350: The Church of St Mary the Virgin was built, replacing what was probably a wooden church with a thatched roof. The church tower was not added until the 15th century.

1349: Over a quarter of the village died of the Black Death.

1660: John Bunyan led an unauthorised religious meeting at a farmhouse near Harlington, for which he was arrested and taken to Harlington House (now known as Harlington Manor - the only currently occupied residential house connected with Bunyan). After being questioned he was imprisoned for 12 years in Bedford county gaol. While serving his sentence he began writing his most famous work, The Pilgrim's Progress.

1920: Harlington War Memorial dedicated to the memory of 27 Harlington men killed in the First World War.

This walk is suitable for dogs. I love having dogs on walks and encourage people to bring them.

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Image credits: Photos taken by walk leader 

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