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OS maps will always be essential to follow the routes described and the relevant sheets are given in the summary section for each walk. There are bound to be errors in the descriptions. They are entirely my responsibility and I would appreciate being made aware of them by anyone who may venture out on one of these walks and encounter bad information. 1. The Icknield Way Known as the oldest road in Britain, the Icknield Way extends from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Norfolk. It pre-dates the Romans and could have been a trade route for the Iceni from their base in East Anglia. The Icknield Way is easily followed with the help of the Icknield Way Association’s Walkers’ Guide and the three Icknield Way Path Leaflets published by Bedfordshire County Council Leisure Services. Here are my notes: 2. The Ridgeway The Ridgeway runs from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Overton Hill in Wiltshire. It is a very ancient path which was used for livestock droving along high routes that kept the stock and the drovers clear of the dangers lurking in the wild forest below. The Ridgeway is well supported by guides of many kinds such as this one on the National Trails website. 3. The Greensand Ridge Walk (GRW) The GRW is Bedfordshire's best known long distance walk, in fact it takes in parts of Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire as well. It runs for 40 miles (64 km) from Gamlingay in the east to Leighton Buzzard in the west and as it does so it follows the Lower Greensand Ridge. The GRW boasts its own website which is a rich source of information on all aspects of the route www.greensandridgewalk.co.uk.
4. The John Bunyan Trail (JBT)
The JBT is a rather neglected Bedfordshire trail which celebrates the life and times of the eponymous Baptist evangelist who lived in the county from 1628 to 1688. The JBT covers a total of 112 km (70 miles) and passes through some of Bedfordshire's most pleasant countryside. Although there is no web site dedicated to the trail, route maps and further information can be downloaded from the links given in the Introduction to Walk 1.
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