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 (2h in).
3 lunch spots: Woburn (1h 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.
Woodland: half under tree cover.
Ashridge Estate (National Trust)
The Ashridge Estate Café (National Trust; 45 mins in)
Pitstone Common Woodland Walk (National Trust; 1h in)
Ashridge House: A grand former royal residence of Henry VIII, set in 190 acres of landscaped gardens (2h15 in).
2 lunch spots: the Ashridge Estate Café (45 mins in), or Ashridge House café (2h15 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 Circular via Ruins of Gorhambury House (Hertfordshire)
30 minutes from Bedford, with one change.
Recommended
St Albans Cathedral (30 mins in)
Verulamium Roman City Walls (45 mins in)
Ruins of Gorhambury House (2h in)
St Albans (2h in)
1 lunch spot: Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (30 mins 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 (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.
Heartwood Forest (1h30 in)
St Albans Cathedral (4h in)
St Albans (3h30 in)
4 lunch spots: Sandridge (2h 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 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.
1 lunch spot: the Partridge (3h 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.
2 lunch spots: Wilford Farm (1h30 in), or Dovecote Barn Café (3h in)
Warnings: Short stretch on busy A453.
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Kettering Circular via Pytchley (Northamptonshire)
15 minutes direct from Bedford.
Villages and countryside.
5 lunch spots: Broughton (3h30 in) — Best Plaice, the Red Lion, Broughton Fish and Chips, or the Broughton & Cransley WMC; plus the Overstone Arms (1h15 in)
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Market Harborough Circular via Braybrooke (Leicestershire)
30 minutes direct from Bedford.
2 lunch spots: the Swan Inn (2h15 in), or Waterloo Lodge (3h30 in)
4 end-of-walk rewards: the Beer House, the Freemasons Arms, the Cherry Tree, or the Oat Hill
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Loughborough Circular via Walton on the Wolds (Leicestershire)
1 hour direct from Bedford.
Canal, footpaths and roadside footpath.
3 lunch spots: the Anchor Inn (1h45 in), the Blacksmith's Arms (2h45 in), or the Moorings (2h45 in)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Boat Inn
Warnings: Last section on busy road.
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
East Midlands Parkway Circular via Gotham (Nottinghamshire)
1 hour direct from Bedford.
3 lunch spots: Gotham (3h in) — the Sun Inn, the Cuckoo Bush Inn, or the Star Inn
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Harpenden Circular via the Devil's Dyke (Hertfordshire)
30 minutes from Bedford, with one change.
Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.
St Albans (2h in)
The Devil's Dyke: A legendary beauty spot on the South Downs (National Trust).
3 lunch spots: the Swan (1h in), the Bull (1h15 in), or the Wicked Lady (2h in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Marquis of Granby, or the Amble Inn
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Bow Brickhill to Woburn Sands (Buckinghamshire)
30 minutes direct from Bedford St Johns.
Woods, golf course, gentle hills, landscaped deer park, village streets, playing fields and golf links.
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 (3h30 in).
5 lunch spots: Woburn (2h15 in) — the Black Horse, Lussmanns, Galloways, Woburn Thai, or the Woburn Hotel
1 end-of-walk reward: the Station Tavern
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.