Walks near Bedford by train
Bedfordshire · South East England
Stations: Bedford St Johns · Bedford
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near Bedford and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Bedford.
Aspley Guise Circular via the Woburn Estate (Bedfordshire)
30 minutes direct from Bedford St Johns.
Beginner-friendly: A shortish but satisfying walk. It’s hard to go wrong and, if you do, it’s easy to recover. Lunch is in the pleasant village of Woburn, where there are many choices, so no faffing with making reservations needed. Plus it goes through a safari park and you’ll likely spot some of the beasts.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Woburn Safari Park: a 300-acre wildlife park opened in 1970, home to over 80 species including critically endangered hoofed mammals.
Time: 3h–6h
3 lunch spots: Woburn (1h–2h in) — the Black Horse, Lussmanns, or the Woburn Hotel
1 end-of-walk reward: the Anchor
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Tring Circular via Ashridge Estate (Hertfordshire)
1 hour from Bedford St Johns, with one change.
Beginner-friendly: It’s nearly all in a big National Trust estate that’s extremely well sign-posted. It’s completely fine to deviate from the route — explore and shorten as you like! The lunch options are simple cafés, so no messing around with booking a table in advance. The Ashridge Estate is very beautiful if you appreciate woodland, and covers more then enough ground to cover a day of hiking in itself. There are paths everywhere and you can wander freely. Ancient trees, rolling chalk downlands and lush meadows. Extensive woodland.
Woodland: half under tree cover.
Time: 3h30–7h30
2 lunch spots: the Ashridge Estate Café (1h–1h30 in), or Ashridge House café (2h–4h30 in)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Valiant Trooper
Warnings: Relatively busy. Take the minor paths to avoid the crowds. Can be muddy.
Source: Trains2Green.
St Albans City Circular via Ruins of Gorhambury House (Hertfordshire)
30 minutes from Bedford, with one change.
Recommended
Time: 4h–8h
1 lunch spot: Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (30m–1h in)
6 end-of-walk rewards: the Six Bells, the Lower Red Lion, the Snug, the Boot, the Mad Squirrel Tap, or the Peahen
Warnings: A third urban.
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Harpenden to St Albans City (Hertfordshire)
30 minutes from Bedford, with one change.
Recommended: Mostly fields and country lanes. Some beautiful new bluebell woods, stunning historic city streeets, commons, golf courses and parkland.
Time: 4h30–9h
4 lunch spots: Sandridge (2h–4h in) — the Green Man (excellent; reservations recommended), Heartwood Tea Rooms (busy!), the Rose & Crown, or the Queens Head (not great)
5 end-of-walk rewards: the Lower Red Lion, the Mad Squirrel Tap, the Peahen, the Snug, or the Boot
Best months: in April (bluebell season).
Warnings: A quarter urban.
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).
Tring to Berkhamsted (Hertfordshire)
1 hour from Bedford St Johns, with one change.
Canal towpath, ancient woodland, chalk commons, open grassy hillsides, beech and oak estate woodland and ridge paths with town views.
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Reverse direction: Walking Post (inc. GPX).
Tring to Wendover (Hertfordshire)
1 hour from Bedford St Johns, with one change.
Flat canal towpath, reservoir banks, open arable fields, wooded Chilterns hills and steep descents.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
Time: 6h–12h
1 lunch spot: the Partridge (3h–6h in)
1 end-of-walk reward: Wendover Woods Café
Warnings: Steep chalky descent.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Reverse direction: Walk by Rail.
Nottingham to East Midlands Parkway (Nottinghamshire)
1 hour direct from Bedford.
Canal, river, wooded track and roadside footpath.
Time: 4h30–9h30
2 lunch spots: Wilford Farm (1h30–3h in), or Dovecote Barn Café (3h–6h in)
Warnings: Short stretch on busy A453.
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Wellingborough Circular via Summer Leys Nature Reserve (Northamptonshire)
15 minutes direct from Bedford.
River Nene towpath, gravel quarry-edge paths, fishing lakes, grassy fields, nature reserve, four villages and Swanspool Brook parkland.
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Flitwick Circular via Old St. Mary's Church (Bedfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Bedford.
River valley, wooded wetland fringes, quiet villages, rolling fields, escarpment ridge, nature reserve lakes and ancient woodland.
Time: 5h30
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Millbrook Circular via Folly Wood (Bedfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Bedford St Johns.
A circular from Millbrook station through the Millennium Country Park and surrounding farmland to the village of Lidlington and the Marston Vale Trust's Folly Wood community woodland, with the option of a further mile out into the Vale before returning to the Forest Centre. Surfaces range from firm tracks to uneven cultivated ground; a couple of stiles, several kissing gates and a stepped railway crossing. The route is not waymarked.
Millennium Country Park: the country park at the heart of the Forest of Marston Vale, with lakes, a visitor centre and café.
Folly Wood: a community woodland created by the Marston Vale Trust.
Lunch: A café bar, shops and toilets at the Forest Centre; the Green Man pub in Lidlington.
Warnings: Not waymarked; uneven ground in places, with stiles, kissing gates and a stepped railway crossing.
Walk details: Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership (PDF).
Kettering Circular via Pytchley (Northamptonshire)
15 minutes direct from Bedford.
Villages and countryside.
Time: 5h–10h
5 lunch spots: Broughton (3h30–7h in) — Best Plaice, the Red Lion, Broughton Fish and Chips, or the Broughton & Cransley WMC; plus the Overstone Arms (1h30–2h30 in)
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Ridgmont Circular (Bedfordshire)
30 minutes direct from Bedford St Johns.
An easy, stile-free circular from Ridgmont station on good waymarked paths, passing the edge of Woburn Safari Park and climbing onto the Greensand Ridge before dropping back to the line. A short steep climb and stepped section, one railway crossing and several road crossings; some stretches get very muddy after rain.
Woburn Safari Park: a 300-acre wildlife park opened in 1970, home to over 80 species including critically endangered hoofed mammals.
All Saints' Church: designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and built in 1854, replacing the old Segenhoe church.
Time: 2h30
Lunch: Refreshments and toilets at the Heritage Centre & café at Ridgmont station; vending refreshments at the Woburn Safari Park entrance; and a shop, café and pub in Ridgmont village (just over a mile from the station).
Warnings: Some sections can be very muddy when wet; includes a short steep climb, a flight of steep steps and a railway crossing.
Walk details: Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership (PDF).