Start Point: Lakeside, Willen South Lake

Length – Approximately 10 miles

Duration: Standard Route: 3.5 hours (bike); 1 day (walking) including 30 minute spots: 4.5 hours (bike); 1 day (walking)

Note:This route involves travel along minor 30mph roads and may not be suitable for young children and/or inexperienced cyclists .

Section 1: Willen Lake South to Milton Keynes Village

1. Head south along South Lake past the Adventure Xtreme Ropes Course (on your right). Turn right onto National Cycle Route 51 over the miniature railway tracks and head up to and over the bridge crossing the River Ouzel.

The River Ouzel (or Lovat as it is also known) rises in the Chilterns and flows north for 20 miles before joining the Ouse at Newport Pagnell.

Sites of interest: Aerial Xtreme and Willen Lake South

2. Turn left following the river before then bearing right onto the redway and past the houses keeping the new school on your right. Follow the path towards Milton Keynes Village Church, and its roadside entrance. From the end of the redway turn right along Willow Road to the Swan Inn.

Milton Keynes Village gives its name to the city and can trace its history back to Domesday Book when it was known as Mideltone. Today it sits within the modern Middleton grid square and has a number of historic buildings within it including the Church, Rectory, School House and Swan Inn.

Sites of interest: Milton Keynes Village Church and Swan Inn

30 Minute Spot: Take some time to walk round Milton Keynes Village or visit it and its neighbouring village Broughton virtually at www.mkheritage.co.uk/tva

Heritage Open Days tours of the village will take place between 2pm – 4.30pm on Friday 7th and Sunday 9th September 2007 – see main HODs leaflet for booking details.

Refreshment Spot: Swan Inn Pub

Section 2: Milton Keynes Village to Caldecotte Lake North

3. From the Swan Inn bear right along the road until you reach the pond and can join the redway on the right opposite Dorman’s Close. Continue along it across the road, downhill into Monkston, and turn right to follow the H7 Standing Way until you reach the River Ouzel. Carry on over the bridge, turn left down to the riverside and turn right heading south with the river on your left. On your right lies the deserted medieval village of Woughton

It is not known why the medieval village became deserted – at some point in history the villagers moved to where Woughton-on-the-Green now stands. You can still make out medieval ridge and furrow farming patterns, platforms where houses once stood, and the wide sunken way - Meadows Lane leading past the former Manor site (Woughton House Hotel) to the green (The current village is viewed later in the tour)

Site of interest: Ouzel Valley looking towards Woughton

4. Continue along the Ouzel Valley pathway taking care to close any gates and avoiding any sheep or cattle for some distance until the pathway reaches Walton Lake and on the left you will see the Open University and a little distance further on St Michael’s Church Walton, owned by the OU.

The Open University or OU was formed in Milton Keynes in 1969 and is centred on the historic Walton Hall. It is Milton Keynes’ biggest employer with over 5,000 staff on site and is the foremost distance learning institution in the world.

Sites of interest: OU Buildings and Walton Lake

5. Continue until you reach the redway at Simpson. (Note Simpson Church in the distance on the right). Turn left and cross the bridge, turning right through the small car park and bear right down onto Caldecotte Lake.

Caldecotte Lake has given up an Ichthyosaur a sea-living dinosaur from around 150 million years ago (now on the wall of CMK Reference Library) and a late-medieval boat (c.1540 AD) unique this far north in the UK.

Site of interest: Caldecotte Weir

6. Head past the lake on your left and weir on your right towards the windmill and the Caldecotte Arms.

The pub windmill may be modern, however a watermill dating to the late 1600s was excavated in the early 1980s in the area now occupied by Caldecotte Lake south.

Site of interest: Caldecotte Lake South

Refreshment Spot: Caldecotte Arms

Section 3: Caldecotte Lake North to Fenny Lock

7. From the Caldecotte Arms follow the lakeside path under the H10 Bletcham Way and continue along the lake ignoring a wooden bridge on your right until you reach a new redway bearing right. Take this redway as it follows the River Ouzel and passes under the new A5 and railway and follow the footpath across the field to Dobbies Garden World, the site of the former Roman settlement of Magiovinium.

Magiovinium was a Roman fort which later grew into a small town on Watling Street the Roman road that connected London to the important settlements of Chester and Wroxeter (near Shrewsbury). Excavations for the construction of the A5 dual carriageway revealed Roman cemeteries and artefacts including a possible coin forger's hoard in addition to buildings and iron-working activity.

Place of interest: Dobbies Garden World and Roman Garden

30 Minute Spot: Take some time to walk round the Roman Garden that Dobbies have installed and read the interpretation boards on what the site may have looked like 2000 years ago.

Heritage Open Days events and activities are planned to run at Dobbies on the 6th – 9th September 2007. Please see main HODs leaflet for more details.

Refreshment Spot: Dobbies Garden World

8. Return via the redway to Caldecotte Lake and turn left across the wooden bridge you previously ignored and turn left retracing your steps on the other side of the River Ouzel, up towards Fenny Lock and the Grand Union Canal. Here you can see the Red Lion Inn, Pump House and Swing Bridge.

Originally opened as the Grand Junction Canal in 1805, this stretch of canal was merged in 1929 into the Grand Union Canal connecting Birmingham to London. Local brick and tile were amongst the goods transported by barge.

Site of interest: Fenny Lock and The Red Lion

Section 4: Fenny Lock to Willen Lake South

9. Cross the Swing Bridge if in place and turn right up Simpson Road. Alternatively, exit Fenny Lock on the path heading north and follow it down to Simpson Road. Head towards Simpson village. At the village sign, cross the road and join redway. Turn left through the gate and head across the fields towards Simpson Church. Marked in the field lies the old site of Simpson Manor House and interpretation board.

Simpson Manor House is on the site of the medieval manor. The house itself was pulled down in around 1810. Also to be seen on the site are a moat and 2 fishponds which were fed by the adjacent River Ouzel. A water mill was also present to the north and traces of the leat can still be seen on the ground to the north of the moat. The parish church of St Thomas dates largely from the early1300s.

Sites of interest: Former Simpson Manor Site and Simpson Church

10. Retrace your steps back up the Ouzel River Valley past the OU until you reach the signpost for Woughton-on-the-Green. Head left on the pathway across the fields, over the wooden bridge, keeping Woughton Sports fields to your left. On the brow of the hill find out more about the deserted Medieval village at the interpretation board, before retracing your steps to pass through the gate next to the sports fields and follow the path into Woughton passing new housing on your left, Woughton Church on your right and stop at the Olde Swan

The Olde Swan was originally constructed in the 1600s and has historical associations with the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin. The Inn is flanked by several character timber-framed and thatched cottages dating from the 1500s.

Sites of interest: Swan Inn and Woughton-on-the-Green Church

Refreshment Spot: Swan Inn

11. Leaving Woughton north along Newport Road and passing the Church on your right, continue down the road until you reach the redway to take you back across the fields to the Ouzel Valley. This time pass under the H8 Standing Way continuing along the river until you come to Little Woolstone. Pause at the interpretation board to find out more about the Medieval fishponds, manor house site and Woolstone Church.

Text: Little Woolstone

Site of interest: Woolstones Church

12. Continue along the Ouzel Valley and follow the path back round to the bridge over the Ouzel towards Milton Keynes village. Turn left and retrace your steps back to Willen Lake South and the Lakeside Pub.

Refreshment Spots: Lakeside Pub; One4Six Coffee Bar