Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo (12km) Print

Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo Waypoint 1
Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo, Ride 13 in the Bedfordshire on Horseback series. Approximately 12km (7.5 miles) with option to shorten to 10.5km (6.5 mile) and can be extended by linking Warden Hill and Barton Hills Ride. This ride involves about 800m of roadwork on roads that are generally quiet outside peak times. The route is on tracks and bridleways across farmland and downs, with many uphill and down hill sections; there are several opportunities for a nice canter. The Car Park is reached from the A6 up Warden Hill Road (signed Cardinal Newman School and South Beds Golf Course), then left at the top of the road. The car park is small but there is plenty of room to manoeuvre (with consideration to drivers to/from the school and golf course). If the car park is full, the parking in Warden Hill Road is not restricted. From the car park (GR 087259), join track at the edge of the golf course and going left, follow the Bridleway BW straight ahead until you reach the red brick club house. Join the hard track in front of the club house and follow it (part of the Icknield Way) gently up hill for approx 800m to a Bridleway (BW) crossroads. There is an Icknield Way information panel on the left.

Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo Waypoint 2
Continue on the Icknield Way, which becomes wider and grassier, for about 1.5km until you reach a road (busy in peak hours, otherwise quiet but watch for farm machinery especially at harvest time). Continue straight on the road for about 350m to corner where road bears left. Cross the road with care and take the Byway (signed Icknield Way) straight ahead. Option to shorten (recommended in winter months): After leaving the road, in about 50m, immediately after a horse stile, turn right onto BW (signed The Bunyan Trail). Follow this BW for about 2km, along track and then through two grassy fields with cows, to the junction with the BW down off Lilley Hoo (just after third gate). Turn right here. Follow the BW to the road in Lilley and follow directions from 6 below. This shortens the ride by only about 1.5km.

Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo Waypoint 3
After about 800m you reach a junction at the foot of Telegraph Hill. Turn right up around the hill on BW track (signed - do not go slightly right up hill on grass) ? after the short steep section the track levels out between two arable fields. After fields, at the start of hedge, turn right and follow the BW track across the top of Lilley Hoo.

Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo Waypoint 4
Ignore the permissive BW signed to Lilley to your right, by pylons. Shortly after this, the definitive BW bears right (from small waymark post) across field to corner of wood. You may prefer to stay on the track, which becomes a permissive BW at the next finger post, to the second finger post and turn right there to reach the corner of wood.

Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo Waypoint 5
Follow the sign to Lilley via the Baulk, with wood on your right, to next waymark. Turn right here and follow BW down steep hill (muddy and slippery in winter) to the road in Lilley (busy in peak times but with a 30 mph limit and road humps to slow traffic).

Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo Waypoint 6
Turn left at the road and continue about 150m to West Street on your right, opposite Church Farm and going past The Lilley Arms. Cross road with care as you are on a bend.

Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo Waypoint 7
Follow the lane past the pub until it becomes a track (signed The Bunyan Trail) winding uphill for about 1.2km, past Ward?s Wood.

Warden Hill and Lilley Hoo Waypoint 8
After the wood, take the second BW to the left (both signed) on to a grassy BW uphill. Where this BW bears sharp left, go straight ahead, over the hill and across the golf course (take care). By the club house, turn left to return to the car park.