B: NEWPORT PAGNELL AND NORTH EAST MILTON KEYNES CIRCULAR
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Trail leaflets are available throughtout Milton Keynes and its libraries.
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Start Point: Lakeside, Willen Lake South
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Approximately 10 miles |
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Standard Route: 3.5 hours (bike); 1 day (walking) including 30 minute spots: 4.5 hours (bike); 1 day (walking) |
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This route involves short sections of quiet roads and one section in Newport Pagnell of about 1/4 mile on a busy road that families or inexperienced riders may prefer to walk. |
Section 1: Willen Lake South to Newport Pagnell
1. Head north on lakeside redway - can be very busy with pedestrians and cyclists. At end of south lake take gravel leisure path on right along north shore and immediately on crossing small wooden bridge linking north and south lakes follow path up embankment and turn left. Follow path along top of embankment towards the church.
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The Peace Pagoda (built 1980) can be seen on the left across the lake and Manor Farm, now Willen Hospice, can be seen at the head of the lake. |
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Peace Pagoda
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| The River Ouzel or Lovat was rerouted in the early 1970s when Willen Lake was built and was forded by the lane running in front of the cottages on the right below. This was the road from Milton Keynes to Willen. |
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Willen Hospice and CMK
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2. Where path veers left along north shore of lake continue ahead towards church into Willen village. Care - quiet road but watch out for traffic. Follow road past 17th Century church on left and ignore all turnings until you see Linford Lane on the right.
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St Mary Magdalene - Designed by the scientist and architect Robert Hooke and completed in 1680. Hooke is credited with discovering cells in plants, inventing the universal joint and coining ‘Hooke’s Law’. Architecturally he is best known for his work with Sir Christopher Wren on the Royal Observatory, Greenwich and The Monument in the City of London.
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Willen Church
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Village School
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| 3. Cross with care and follow Linford Lane – once the road from Great Linford to Willen – which becomes a redway. When it crosses a road (Portland Drive?) turn right and follow road to meet another redway which crosses it a few yards further on. Turn right onto redway and pass under Danstead Way H4 and take redway to the left. At junction follow redway to the right alongside Delaware Drive (industrial units), cross Michigan Drive ignoring redway to left, to go under Monks Way H3. |
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Front of Willen Church from Linford Lane
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4. Immediately take path to right – (SP 86815 42666) sign Newport Pagnell – to pass Tongwell Lake (one of the balancing lakes) on left. Continue, ignoring possible turnings, through car park and along Tongwell Lane (Care – occasional traffic) to cross M1 motorway and on towards Newport Pagnell.
1891 census shows the large well-travelled Gypsy family of Cornelius Loveridge camped in a field along the lane. |
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5. Just before end of Tongwell Lane cross bridge to left over Tongwell Brook and follow path to road. (SP 87538 43625)
Dismount and cross with care! |
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Tongwell Lane
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6. Follow path ahead in front of houses (ignore redway to left) to Willen Road. Dismount and cross with care and follow footpath sign to bathing place and bridge over river.
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Plaque with information about the bathing place. The bathing place was opened in 1887 as part of celebrations of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. The parish church also received a new ring of bells on this day to enable the national anthem to be rung out with the surrounding parishes. |
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Bathing place plaque
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Bridge over river/riverside meadow
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Section 2: Newport Pagnell to Great Linford
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Three-storey
Aston Martin building
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7. Dismount and cross bridge and turn left – ignore path ahead – and follow path alongside river to emerge into Trent Drive. Turn right, left into Severn Drive and at King’s Arms roundabout turn left towards Iron Bridge.
Very busy road - you may wish to dismount and walk until reaching Silver Street.
Note three-storey building on right the 1910 workshops of Salmons & Sons coachbuilders, latterly Aston Martin Lagonda.
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Ahead of you lies the
Bull Inn.
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Milepost
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8. Note the London milepost on your left as you pass the alley way heading towards Tickford Bridge. Use footpath and stop and read the information board at western end and take in lovely view of the church across the river. (SP 87739 44436).
Built in 1810 and constructed by Walkers of Rotherham it is the world’s oldest iron bridge still in daily use. The bridge sections travelled by sea from Yorkshire and up the Grand Junction Canal to Great Linford via the Thames at London.
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Tickford Bridge
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Refreshment Spot: Newport Pagnell offers a number of refreshment opportunities.
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30 Minute Spot: On foot, don’t cross the Tickford Bridge but instead cross road with care and follow path through Castle Meadow, footbridge across river and ahead through Ousebank Gardens – picnic opportunity - to emerge onto the High Street. Left up the hill past the church of St Peter and Paul, left at the roundabout, use crossing and turn right into Silver Street.
Alternatively Town Trail leaflets are available from Library or www.mkheritage.co.uk/nphs
Heritage Open Day guided walks of the town and Museum Open – information at the Library.
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9. Continue up the hill (St John Street) past Queen Anne’s almshouses on left and Library on the right with the parish church visible behind it to turn left into Silver Street just before the crossing. |
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Almshouses
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Tickford Arcade on the right was at one time the Electra Cinema
run by Miss Salmons. The cinema celebrated its
70th anniversary in 1982 and closed in 1988.
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Tickford Arcade
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10. Down Silver Street noting many old buildings on either side of the road and right into Bury Street. Pass Cedar’s School dating from 1896 on left and left past the Coachmakers and right into Cross Street to light controlled crossings. |
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Cedars School
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| Refreshment Spot: the Coachmakers Arms |
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Coachmakers Arms
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| 11. Cross both roads and ahead along Broad Street turning right into Sheppards Close and left onto railway walk. |
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The modern buildings on the right along Broad Street are on the site of the railway marshalling yards and Coales’ mill. Notice the signal post – all that is left of Newport Pagnell railway station. The Newport Pagnell branch line closed to passengers in 1964. Railway walk is the old Wolverton-Newport Pagnell railway line which followed the route of the short-lived canal arm from Great Linford to Newport Pagnell. |
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Signal Post
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12. Follow railway walk under M1 bridge (built 1959) noticing remains of platform on right as you pass site of Great Linford station. When reaching metal bridge (76A) across Grand Union canal – Black Horse pub on canal side to the right – turn left immediately after crossing and follow path closest to canal through park past Great Linford Church and 17th Century Almshouses
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Great Linford Church
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Almshouses
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| Refreshment Spots: Black Horse |
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Section 3: Great Linford to Willen Lake South
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13. Continue following national cycle route 6 signs and noticing the pavilions of Linford Manor to the right and the manor itself on the left, to emerge onto High Street.
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The Pavilions - Linford Manor
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Note stones on right and three information panels as you pass through the park.
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Refreshment Spot: Nags Head
Picnic Spot: Linford Manor Park
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Linford Manor
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Medieval Fishponds
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Heritage Open Days Artworks-mk Open Arts Studios Event – see main HODs leaflet for more details
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14. The Nags Head is on your right as you continue up High Street and along left side of village green and bear left into Harpers Lane (signed route 6) and follow redway which becomes narrower (Willen Lane) being the old road from Linford to Willen.
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Nags Head
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15. Follow route 6 to the canal, but before crossing bridge take some time to detour down the side of the canal following the signs to George Price’s Brick Kilns.
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Canal Bridge
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Brick Kilns
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Canal Bridge 81
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| 16. Return to and cross bridge and turn right and continue south on canal broadwalk past Pennylands basin and ahead. When route 6 crosses canal bridge (80A) on right don’t cross but follow broadwalk on boardwalk and continue with canal on your right. At next (red-brick) bridge (81) leave canal and turn left following the redway past Camphill Community |
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Labyrinth
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| 17. Take the bridge over the main road (Brickhill Street V10). Continue ahead and follow zigzag path uphill through trees towards Peace Pagoda. At top turn left then bear immediately right and follow path down – Labyrinth on left, Peace Pagoda on right – to lakeside path. |
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Enjoy views of lake and birdlife
18. Turn right at the bottom to follow the redway past the Buddhist Temple on the right and Circle of Hearts Medicine Wheel (2000) on the left. Head under the main road (Portway H5). Continue ahead on redway – care passing pedestrians – past the Wakeboarding centre and coffee shop to start point. |
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Buddhist Temple
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Medicine Wheel
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Trail leaflets are available throughtout Milton Keynes and its libraries.
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Other Trails in this Series:
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