The Parks Trust Self-Guided Walks: The Great Linford Lakes

Walk revised by Peter Burrett, Tuesday 4th June 2013

Start point

Off the main Newport Pagnell to Wolverton Road, between Saxon Street and the Black Horse pub at Great Linford, there

is a free car park at Stonepit Field Park.

Walk overview

This is a circular walk, along a short stretch of canal towpath and a long farm track, across fields and through woodland,

some of it quite boggy. Throughout the walk you will pass the various old gravel pits now known as the Great Linford

fishing lakes.

The walking is easy, although some sections can be extremely muddy and robust walking footwear is recommended.

Distances & times

Circular walk; Car park – Haversham Mill – Little Linford Road – Black Horse pub – car park = 4.1 miles, 120 minutes.

Allow additional time for refreshments at the Black Horse, open all day from noon for food.

The circular walk

Stonepit Field is named after the now disused limestone quarry which once occupied the site. In 2008 the Parks Trust

drained and landscaped the area to create a reserve for diverse wildlife, including birds, newts and a wildflower meadow.

From the car park, turn right onto Wolverton Road, across a pelican crossing to the Oakridge Park housing development.

The footpath takes you over the Grand Union Canal on the opposite side of the road to the Black Horse pub.

Turn immediately left down a tarmac lane alongside

the canal. This is the Black Horse mooring site for

narrow boats. After about 250 metres, turn right off

the towpath onto a concrete track leading over a

cattle grid. You will see a “private farmland” sign,

indicating that you must stick to the track.

The track traverse’s extensive grassland. To your right,

partly hidden by trees, you get a view of Blackhorse

Lake, and to your left, in the distance, a footpath

bridge crosses the Grand Union Canal. Just beyond a

disused livestock pen on your right, you come to the

dramatic ruins of St Peter’s Church, Stanton Low,

which dates from the 12

century, and was used for

worship until the 1920s. Later, the chancel arch was

removed to St James’ at New Bradwell, and St Peter’s

fell into disrepair.

Continue along the farm track as it bends to the right, running alongside a wooded wildlife reserve belonging to the

Hanson Environmental Study Centre, to which there is no public access. On this walk, we saw a heron and buzzards, and

heard a distant cuckoo.

The River Ouse is to your left across a meadow, but invisible from the track at this point. Across the Ouse on Haversham

Lake you will see a host of small sailing boats around the Haversham Sailing Club building. To your right is Stantonbury

Lake, adjoining the Hanson wildlife reserve and frequented by a myriad of wildfowl.

Pass a bridge carrying a pipeline across the Ouse on your left, before finally reaching a footbridge over the river at

Haversham Mill. There was a mill recorded on this site in the Domesday Book of 1086, but the current building is now a

private residence. Once past the mill, go through a gate then turn immediately right at a public footpath sign.

Cross a field of grass, go through a five bar gate into another pasture (which will be very muddy in wet conditions), then

follow a gentle gradient uphill, keeping the fence line on your left. There are good views from this point, across the Great

Linford Lakes (viewpoint symbol on map).

Climb a stile in the fence into an arable field. The public footpath should traverse this field to another stile that you will

see in a fence on the opposite side. The official path is due to be restored, but for now reach the second stile by walking

around the field edge to avoid damaging crops.

Once over the second stile, turn left through sparse woodland, still on the marked footpath. You pass an elevated barn

owl box. Crossing a third stile takes you into a large field complex divided into paddocks. At time of doing the walk, the

footpath was blocked by a line of tape which we had to crawl under. This will hopefully be a temporary obstacle.

Climbing three further stiles in quick succession brings you to an area of dense woods.

The next few hundred metres can be VERY muddy and requires appropriate footwear. A path straight ahead takes you

into thick tree cover. There are fishing lakes to your left and right. When you reach a “private keep out” sign, turn

immediately left. Finally, you reach a grassy car park off Little Linford Lane.

Turn right onto Little Linford Lane, taking care as there are no footpaths. You will cross two bridges over different strands

of the River Ouse. A short distance after the second bridge, take a sign posted public bridleway to your right. Continue on

this path, ignoring a gated alternative to your right.