Bassingbourn to Baldock and Return
Cambridgeshire/Hertfordshire
Distance 37km Climb 260m
Monday 12 July 2021
The weather forecast for today was thundery showers and it did start off a little drizzly. Well I was a little wet by the time I reached the start of today's walk from my accommodation. Even though wet it was still very warm.
I headed westwards along Bassingbourn High Street.
I had last walked along part of this route on my way to the Memorial near Litlington in May 2021. If you want to check it out then please follow the link.
After a few hundred meters I turned left onto South End.
Passed the last house on South End there were open fields on either side. The yellow of the wheat enhanced the red of the poppies growing in the corner of the field. Patches of hedge run down the left hand side of the road.
I am not sure what these flowers are but they look lovely. Birds were sitting on the telegraph wires singing their little hearts out. I could also hear the faint sound of distant traffic on the busy A505, which was a couple of km to the south.
At the end of South End I turned right along Ashwell Street.
I knew from my last walk here that this was a long straight Roman Road. The weather was turning warmer and I decided to remove my rain coat. I didn't trust the rain clouds, they were still hanging about so kept my rain coat close to hand.
I continued straight, crossing over the Royston Road at Litlington. Straight passed the Gingerbread House and stopped at the information board I saw on my last walk along here.
Today I thought I would take a look at the Clunch Pit mentioned on the information board, to see how it differs to the one I have seen near Orwell.
Following the footpath almost south east I walked up the hill.
Then through a kissing gate on my right and up to another information board.
As I followed around the top path I saw a load of lovely small blue flowers. It took me awhile to remember their name, I had just seen them on the information board, they were forget-me-not.
At the top there were workman signs and hoses pumping loads of water over what looked like the edge. I could hear it like a waterfall but could not see where it was going due to the bushes.
I continued around the top seeing the view across to Litlington and beyond.
Walking around this Clunch Pit I could see the difference to the one near Orwell. If you want to see the difference then please follow the link attached.
Returning to Ashwell Street I turned left and continued along the long straight grass path. On a telegraph pole there was a sign "TOC 100". Checking this out on returning to my accommodation. The TOC 100 is a 100 miles cycle ride around Cambridgeshire and it looks like this footpath must have been part of the route.
Continuing along Ashwell Street I soon came to a position where I could see the Memorial across the large field to my right.
Whitethorn Woods came up on my left near the track junction that leads up to the Memorial. Today I walked straight ahead.
In a few meters the grass path becomes a narrow concrete track. When I previously had walked up to the Memorial, a plaque shows this track had been part of the old airfield. It had been a massive airfield and had only been in place a relatively short time but had made a massive impact on the area.
As Ashwell Street continues I passed clumps of blackberry bushes all in flower and they looked lovely.
Large numbers of crows sat on the telephone wires, but only in a few places. The places they sat didn't look any different to the rest of the telephone wire, so why those specific places? Something to think about.
The footpath narrows before passing under a few low trees. Then opens out onto a wide track at Upper Gatley End.
After a few hundred meters I passed Spinney View Gatley End Farm.
A few more hundred meters and I had reached Flitton's Farm on Station Road.
It was as I crossed the road I saw a footpath sign showing I was on the Ickneld Way Riders Route. I did not know I was on the Ickneld Way. I had been on parts of the Ickneld Way Riders Route a couple of times before, one being when I was on the Greenwich Meridian Trail near Melbourne.
Just passed the end of Flitton's Farm I saw a giant thistle. It obviously had been left to grow so big. It reminded me in part of the triffids. After a few hundred meters I got my first view of St Mary's Church Ashwell. The map shows it has a spire but it looks like it has a spire on a tower.
After walking for a short distance between high hedges the countryside open up and I reached a crossroads on Ashwell Street. This crossroads was also where I stepped into Hertfordshire from Cambridgeshire.
I did think briefly about stopping on this seat to wring my socks out but just carried on.
The grass track becomes more of a track which soon becomes more of a road as I was reaching the outskirts of Ashwell.
The road drops down to cross over Station Road, Ashwell. Where there was another one of those triffid like giant thistles.
Over Station Road, Ashwell Street becomes a gravel road and passes along the back of a number of houses before turning into a tarmac road again.
As Ashwell Street drops down slightly towards Kingsland Way. I could see what looks like chalk cliffs behind the garden walls to the large house on my left. I could also smell an unpleasant smell I think was possibly dead rabbits. I have smelt it before in the countryside.
Crossing over Kingsland Way, Ashwell Street climbs slightly. Patches of pavement are spread along Ashwell Street as I approached a school.
Although Ashwell Street continues straight ahead the road bends down to the right becoming Bear Lane. I continued over the road staying on Ashwell Street.
A footpath runs next to some newly built houses with a street sign showing, Chalk Bank Close. There is also a footpath sign directing me to Partridge Hill down this road.
After a few meters the footpath joins a track running along on my right. The map shows as Aswell Street.
At the top of Ashwell Street a footpath sign with the Ickneld Way Axe on it points up the road to the left, I was heading south up Partridge Hill.
The track soon starts to climb and passes in front of this large house.
High hedges gave some cover from the sun which was now turning very warm.
A few meters from the large house open fields of wheat stretched out to my right. In parts the track became very slippery and wet, mud stuck to my boots.
Reaching the crest of Partridge Hill. I could hear a number of people on my left on the other side of a large hedge. It sounded like they were having a good time.
I continued down the other side of Partridge Hill, I was now looking for a place to stop and sort out my feet. At the bottom of the track the track turns at right angles to my left and headed towards the road. The ground was very wet along here, no place to stop. Within a few meters I was on Claybush Road.
Just down Claybush Road a few meters from the junction was an entrance to a field. Not ideal but it was dry and I was able to stop for a short break to sort out my feet. I also took the chance and risked the weather by putting my rain coat in my bag.
Socks wrung out and feet given a rub for luck I continued down Claybush Road. It was a steady climb down hill.
I passed The Knoll on my way down the hill. After a few hundred meters I was at the track junction I was looking for. On my way down the hill I could feel the sun burning me. I would need to stop again soon and apply sunscreen.
At the footpath junction I had a little dilemma. In planning my route I had looked at turning down the left hand footpath towards Bygrave. This was one route to Baldock. However on my walk I saw a footpath sign pointing to my right indicating Baldock 2 miles away.
I choose the right hand footpath. This was still the Ickneld Way Riders Route.
Once through the gate onto the footpath I stopped to apply some sunscreen.
I was walking along a gravel path for a few hundred meters in a north westerly direction.
Just before where the gravel path turns I saw a footpath sign pointing south down a grass path.
This was a long grass path that followed the edge of the fields, south then twisting south westerly as it climbed.
Just passed the second twist I saw a kite just gliding along on air thermals, it looked magnificent. It was not too far away, I could get a good photo. No, no matter how steady I held my camera I could not get a photo. It just glided along gradually moving away until it was out of sight.
I carried on walking up the hill, hoping I would get another chance of a photo of the kite. It looks like sugar beet was growing in the large field to my left.
I could see ahead of me masts as the footpath continues to climb.
After a few hundred meters I was walking beside Bygrave Plantation. At the top of the hill the footpath crosses through a large hedge next to the masts and heads south. Way over to my right I saw the kite again but it was too far away to get a photo.
The footpath is level along here, I followed it to the corner of the field where it turns south west again.
After crossing a track junction I started looking out for the trig point 96m. At first I could not see it, it was not very visible from the footpath. I had to step down through some tall grass before I saw it. I also found it was a Geocache.
After collecting the Geocache I returned to the footpath and headed south west. Walking into the next field the footpath started heading downhill, I could see a large tractor heading up the hill towards me. Across the fields down to my left I could see Baldock below me.
Avoiding the tractor I walked down into the next field which could have been barley or wheat. I passed a footpath that ran down to my left. Continuing straight ahead I reached a gate at the end of the field. This led to a farm and a concrete track.
I was only a few hundred meters from the road, on my way I passed these tracks. A duck must have walked across the concrete when it was wet before it had time to set.
Only a few hundred meters and I soon reached the busy A507, North Road.
Turning left I headed towards Baldock and soon reached the Baldock town sign.
After a few hundred meters I was heading towards the railway bridge.
From the railway bridge, North Road becomes Station Road.
At the corner where the A507 crosses the B656 I turned right to walk along Whitehorse Street.
Baldock looks like a nice place to wander around. After a few meters I turned right up Sun Street.
Then a left onto Church Street.
Over Hitchin Street and I found a place to sit and have my snack in the Market Place. Whilst eating I checked my map and decided on returning through Bygrave.
After a little wander around I realised I needed to head back. So I returned to Station Road, under the railway bridge back onto North Street and turned right up Bygrave Road.
I could have stayed on the road all the way to Bygrave but in the short distance I was on the road quite a few cars came along.
Just passed Laymore Farm I took the footpath north.
The footpath cuts across a field of wheat.
I saw a couple of yellow wagtails, jumping across the heads of wheat.
After a short rise the footpath drops down a little. At the bottom of the bank is a track junction. If I continued straight ahead, northerly I would reach the footpath I had walked into Baldock on. The footpath to my left led back to the A507, the North Road.
I turned right and the footpath became a gentle climb.
I was following the edge of the wheat field east.
Crossing into the next field I think there were potatoes in the field to my left.
Approaching the road the footpath rises a little.
Crossing an open area the footpath joins the road.
Reaching the road I turned left. I had left Baldock on this road, the Bygrave Road, now I re-joined it, it was now called the Ashwell Road.
Ashwell Road climbs a little and is narrow. I had to stand in the side a few times as cars passed. After just under a km I reached Bygrave.
Turning right towards St Margaret of Antioch Parish Church on Church Lane.
After a couple of hundred meters I reach St Margaret of Antioch Parish Church. It looked an interesting humble Parish Church and reminded me of some I have seen in Austria.
Leaving the Church I continued eastwards along Church Lane, passing the Rectory. The Rectory was a lot grander than the Church.
Following Church Lane for a few hundred meters it starts to climb towards Park Wood.
At Park Wood I followed the footpath sign northerly through the wood.
It was very wet in places and the track was often slippery.
The footpath continues north across a field of wheat.
After a few hundred meters it merges with the footpath that comes up from Manor Farm and turns north east.
After a few more hundred meters the footpath becomes a track. In this photo it is the track to the left. I was now walking north west.
Potatoes were in the field to my left. After a short rise the track drops a little and comes to a ditch. At the ditch another footpath comes from my right and both paths merge.
Heading north west, walking by the ditch more potatoes to my right.
At the top of the footpath I reached the road. I was back on the Claybush Road where I had walked down earlier. This junction was where I had turned right, north west on my outward journey, following signs to Baldock.
From here I returned to Ashwell following my outward route. At Ashwell I turned right along Ashwell Street and continued following my outward route.
I passed this seat and flowers on the tree just passed walking back into Cambridgeshire. I had not noticed them on my walk out.
I continued passed Upper Gatley End and Whitethorn Wood, passed Litlington. Until I reached this footpath I noticed on my walk out. I had promised myself on the walk out, if I had time on my return I would take a look at this. This footpath is not shown on the map and heads to Wellhead Spring, where it links up with an established footpath back to the village.
I had to take my bag off to get through the kissing gate. It is only a few hundred meters and I was in Clear Farm Wood. Quite a few of the trees looked as though they had been trimmed down to the same height. I have not seen this before and thought it made them give the wood an interesting look.
After a few meters I came across the first spring, how clear is that water? Wonderful.
The footpath turns north east then east and comes out on South End. Where I had walked out of Bassingbourn a lot earlier in the day. Turning left I soon reached Bassingbourn High Street.
Turning left slightly I crossed the road and headed to walk along North End.
Passing the War Memorial. I continued for a few meters until I reached St Peter and St Paul Parish Church.
It had been yet another walk where I was very tired but pleased with my walk. The thundery showers promised, did not arrive so did not spoil my walk. I have shown my walk as Distance 37km Climb 260m. From my accommodation until my return I covered just over 42.5km. It had been another great day.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of writing.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done in Cambridgeshire/Bedfordshire/Essex/Hertfordshire or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
No comments:
Post a Comment