Best walks near Milton Keynes Central by train
Buckinghamshire · South East England
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations in South East England and plan your next day of green.
Aspley Guise Station Circular via the Woburn Estate (Bedfordshire)
30m from Milton Keynes Central, with one change.
13km. Moderate ascents. 3h–5h.
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.
A rambler favourite!
Highlights: Woburn Safari Park.
Lunch stops in Woburn (1h–2h in): the Black Horse, Lussmanns, or the Woburn Hotel.
End-of-walk reward: the Anchor.
Tring Station Circular via Ashridge Estate (Hertfordshire)
30m direct from Milton Keynes Central.
13km. Moderate ascents. 3h30–6h.
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.
An essential walk! 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. Relatively busy. Take the minor paths to avoid the crowds. Can be muddy.
Highlights: Ashridge Estate and Ashridge House.
Lunch stops: the Ashridge Estate Café (1h–1h30 in), or Ashridge House café (2h–3h30 in).
End-of-walk reward: the Valiant Trooper.
Tring Station to Wendover Station (Hertfordshire)
30m direct from Milton Keynes Central.
Tough: 22km. Moderate ascents. 6h–10h.
Flat canal towpath, reservoir banks, open arable fields, wooded Chilterns hills, and steep descents. Steep chalky descent.
Lunch stop: the Partridge (3h–5h in).
End-of-walk reward: Wendover Woods Café.
Nuneaton Station Circular via Hartshill (Warwickshire)
30m direct from Milton Keynes Central.
18km. Moderate ascents. 4h30–8h.
Parks, river, country park, and canal.
Lunch stop: the Stag and Pheasant (2h–3h30 in).
End-of-walk rewards: the Lord Hop, the Felix Holt, the George Eliot Hotel, the Black Swan In Hand, or the Silk Mill.
Adapted from a route by the Leicester Ramblers — download GPX route
Bow Brickhill Station to Woburn Sands Station (Buckinghamshire)
15m from Milton Keynes Central, with one change.
19km. Moderate ascents. 5h–8h30.
Woods, golf course, gentle hills, landscaped deer park, village streets, playing fields, and golf links. Can be muddy.
Highlights: Woburn Safari Park.
Lunch stops in Woburn (2h–4h in): the Black Horse, Lussmanns, Galloways, Woburn Thai, or the Woburn Hotel.
End-of-walk reward: the Station Tavern.
Garston Station to St Albans City Station (Hertfordshire)
30m from Milton Keynes Central, with one change.
13km. Gentle ascents. 3h30–6h.
Common woodland, farmland tracks, river meadows, water meadows, quiet residential roads, and historic city streets. Can be very muddy.
Highlights: St Albans.
Lunch stops: Moor Mill Watermill & Inn (1h30–3h in), the Overdraught (2h30–4h in), or Rumbles Fish Bar (2h30–4h in).
End-of-walk rewards: the Horn, or the Robin Hood.
Atherstone Station Circular via Sheepy Magna (Warwickshire)
45m from Milton Keynes Central, with one change.
20km. Gentle ascents. 5h–9h.
Canal and villages.
Lunch stops: San Giovanni (3h–4h30 in), or the Black Horse (3h–5h in).
End-of-walk rewards: the Blue Lion, the Blue Boar Inn, the Old Swan, the Hat and Beaver, the White Horse, the Kings Head Pub, or the Clock.
Adapted from a route by the Leicester Ramblers — download GPX route
Barrow-upon-Soar Station to Leicester Station (Leicestershire)
1h from Milton Keynes Central, with one change.
Tough: 21km. Flat terrain. 5h30–9h30.
On decent paths.
Lunch stops in Birstall (3h30–6h in): the Earl of Stamford, the Old Plough, or the White Horse.
End-of-walk rewards: the Corn Exchange, or the Rainbow and Dove.
Adapted from a route by the Leicester Ramblers — download GPX route
Lichfield Trent Valley Station Circular via Whittington Heath (Staffordshire)
1h from Milton Keynes Central, with one change.
19km. Moderate ascents. 5h–9h.
Golf club, heath, woodland, and Heart of England Way. MOD firing range — check access.
Lunch stops: the Tame Otter (2h–3h30 in), or the Red Lion (2h–3h30 in).
End-of-walk rewards: the Horse and Jockey, or the Turnpike.
Adapted from a route by the Leicester Ramblers — download GPX route
Tring Station Circular via Ivinghoe Beacon (Hertfordshire)
30m direct from Milton Keynes Central.
Tough: steep ascents. 15km. 4h–7h.
Ridgeway escarpment, gravel track through beechwoods, and optional bluebell woodland diversion. Very exposed and windy.
Highlights: Ashridge Estate.
Lunch: Nowhere to eat except close to the end of the walk.
End-of-walk rewards: the Ashridge Estate Café, the Greyhound Inn, or Church Farm Café.
Atherstone Station Circular via Mancetter Quarry (Warwickshire)
45m from Milton Keynes Central, with one change.
14km. Moderate ascents. 3h30–6h30.
Woodlands, country park, and valley views.
Lunch stops in Ridge Lane (2h30–4h in): the Church End Brewery Tap Room, or the White Hart. Other lunch stop: the Kings Head Pub (2h30–4h in).
Market Harborough Station to Northampton Station (Leicestershire)
15m direct from Milton Keynes Central.
29km.
Rolling hills of the south east Midlands. Brampton Valley Way: former railway opened 1859, closed 1981, converted to multipurpose path in 1993; one of the longest ex-trackbed paths in the UK; runs through former ironstone quarrying area. Two unlit tunnels (Oxendon Tunnel and Kelmarsh Tunnel).