Pete's Walks - Stockgrove, Woburn Sands, the Brickhills (page 2 of 2)
I walked downhill through the village and turned left along a short lane that soon led me back to the woods, with views out over the surprisingly green Milton Keynes. I passed one or two open areas but largely my route wended its way through the trees of Downs Covert and Back Wood. I stopped for lunch on a tree stump, a little past a large pond on the south side of Back Wood.
Bow Brickhill
The lane out of Bow Brickhill
Looking north towards Milton Keynes
Path near Downs Covert, south of Bow Brickhill
Path through Back Wood (it had clouded over briefly at this point)
The pond on the southern edge of Back Wood
I continued on through Broomhills Wood to reach a road junction. Within a few yards I turned off the road into another pine wood, then continuing south through a couple of bean fields (where I saw my first ever Black-tailed Skimmer dragonfly) to reach the A5 again. On the other side, I passed through Duncombe Wood (more Ragged Robin and Red Campion) to reach a track leading to Home Farm and then the village of Great Brickill.
Path through Broomhills Wood
The path to the A5
Path through Duncombe Wood, back across the A5
Approaching Home Farm, Great Brickhill
After following a road half a mile south through the village, I took a short lane and then track going southeast. At a path junction I forked left, taking my second short-cut of the day, to follow a more direct route back to the car park at Stockgrove Country Park than my usual way. I crossed a large open meadow near Stockgrove Farm, then followed a path between a fence and a hedge to return to the woods of the Country Park. A sandy track led through the pine trees, with several other people about enjoying the scenery on this beautiful summer's day. Turning left at a path junction, I passed a small lake as I made my way back to the car park.
Meadow southeast of Great Brickhill, near the start of the second shortcut I took
Approaching Stockgrove Country Park again
Path through Stockgrove Country Park
Path through Stockgrove Country Park
Lake in Stockgrove Country Park
I had been walking for about four and a half hours by the time I got back to my car, which was enough for me on such a warm day (about 27C, I think). This had been a good choice of walk as it was largely in woods where I was grateful for the cool of the trees, but I still felt fairly drained at the end of the walk. I gave in to temptation and bought an ice-cream at the van in the car park - I felt that I'd earned it!