POSTPONED - John Bunyan Bedford loop
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Come and join us for a leisurely walk round the Bedfordshire countryside in the early part of summer. Our walk will take us through some stunning countryside, alongside the river Great Ouse and beautiful picture worthy villages.
Our walk will start in Bedford town centre (option for a nice hearty breakfast at the start) where we will follow the river west towards the outskirts of the town. We will be following the John Bunyan trail for most of the day. This walk will take approximately 5-6 hours with adequate refreshment breaks with a pace to suit all.
Once the walk is complete there are plenty of decent real ale pubs in town where we can have a quiet pint of something refreshing!
For our four legged friends this route is definitely dog friendly although usual Countryside Code rules will apply and I ask that you please respect that not everyone is a dog lover. Please note there will be stiles so you may have to lift your dog over them in places.
Can you offer a lift? The nearest train station is Bedford which is a 10 minute walk away from our start looking at train times the last train from London leave at 9:05 from st pancras and gets into Bedfordat 9:40. Looking after our environment is important to OutdoorLads - if you are coming by car and can offer a lift, please use the comments boxes on this event page to arrange with other members. There are car parks nearby but they are not free on a Saturday. The cheapest and nearest car park is Melbourne street MK42 9AN £4 for the whole day.
What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Please bring adequate water / hydration, bring a packed lunch and snacks for energy. You may also wish to bring money for a post walk drink and if we pass one, I'm never one to turn down a trip to the ice cream van.