evening walk
6 great walks we had this October!
The student society Cranfield University’s Walks had a busy month. Following our attendance at CSA student societies and clubs fair on 1st and 4th October, 6 local walks were organised for students and staff. The aim of these events was to show that Cranfield University and its surrounding areas are located in the midst of beautiful countryside that is ideal for walking.
A quick glance at the walks we’ve done in October:
Sunday 2nd October, a circular walk to Cranfield village: Fantastic turnout for our 1st walk! More than 40 students and staff set off from Cranfield University and continued on the cycle path to Cranfield village. The cycle path had been only recently completed; it appears to loosely connect to the national 51 cycle route that goes from Cranfield village to Marston Moretaine and Bedford.
In Cranfield village students were shown the site of the St Peter & St Paul’s church, Swan pub, and Budgens and Co-op supermarkets . Our group admired the views towards the Forest of Marston Vale, a community forest stretching behind the village high street towards Marston Moretaine. Return journey was led via the public footpath that circumnavigates Cranfield airport.
Saturday 7th October – A walk & shop trip: Discovering Bedfordshire’s best kept secrets! Following a short drive, 7 of us set off from the village of Great Barford, known for its beautiful medieval bridge. The walk continued along the River Great Ouse to Danish Camp and with a stop at the historical Willington Dovecote and Stables. Final stop was at Go Outdoors store on the outskirts of Bedford, a perfect place to unwind for some shopping – new walking boots, base layers, hiking socks and more!
Sunday 8th October, special interest walk – geology of Dunstable Downs: A minibus took our group of 13 about 30km south of Cranfield University, to visit the highest point of East of England. After a lunch at The Chiltern Gateway Centre run by National Trust, we met with our guide who teaches geology at Birbeck College, University of London. This was a circular walk, circa 10km in length. It included a stop at at the Whipsnade Tree Cathedral. We learned about the fascinating history of the area going back millions of year – think of dry valleys, shallow seas and lots of chalk!
Saturday 15th and 22nd of October, a walk to Lodge Farm and Farm Shop: There was a group of 25 and 8 of us respectively on these short walks from Cranfield University across the fields to the quintessentially English village of North Crawley and then to Raw Milk Dairy and Farm Shop run by Angela and Gary Adderson on the outskirts of the village. Homemade cakes, bread, fresh raw milk and cream awaited us. We enjoyed complimentary teas and coffees whilst sitting in Angela’s garden and even got a tour of the dairy and learned about milking cows.
Tuesday 25th October, a special evening walk in the dark: 31 of us headed in the dark from Cranfield University via the footpath that circumnavigates the airfield to Cranfield village and beyond, via Marston Thrift to the village of Marston Moretaine. On the way students learned local ghost stories. Huge thank you goes to The Bell pub at Marston Moretaine for accommodating our large group for refreshments. Special spooky-themed cakes were made for us by Angela from Raw Milk Dairy and Farm Shop at Lodge Farm.
Our October walks were attended by staff and MSc and PhD students from across different schools. European countries were well-represented; we also had students from Australia, USA, Guatemala, Mexico, Cameroon, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Malaysia, China, and India.
More walks are planned before Christmas. Would you like to get involved helping Andrew and Kristina organise future events for students and staff at Cranfield University? There are volunteer positions available to join our award-winning team, visit our Committee page to learn more. Or do you have a car and would you be willing to be one of our volunteer drivers and thus help us cut out transport costs? We like to hear from you, get in touch! Finally..
Congratulations! Our 1st star walker is HoiKen, an MSc student from Malaysia, who attended
all of our six walks in the month of October!
Wednesday 31 October: All Hallows Eve Walk
Walk itinerary:
Meet in front of the Main Reception Depart at 7pm Return: before 22.00 hours Total walk length: 7 km ( circa 4.5 miles). Terrain: suitable for wearing trainers Walk leader: Andrew Potter from School of Applied Sciences. Event organisers: Sarah, Kristina & Vikas (Committee Members) Refreshments at the end of the walk at The Bell pub, Marston Moretaine.
Only limited places available. Please book your place by 2:00 PM Friday 26th Oct.
UPDATE ON 28 OCTOBER; ALL PLACES BOOKED
Cost: £5 for members of Cranfield University’s walking society, non-members £8
Book your place at the Cranfield Students’ Association’s office, 1st floor Show you membership card to claim a discounted rate when booking a place.
Have a look at this website on the day of the walk to see if there’s an update.
Join us for this special Halloween walk in the dark on Wednesday evening. After a short journey to Cranfield village where the walk will start, we will continue on the National Route 51 of the National Cycle Network towards the Forest of Marston Vale; through the wooded Marston Trift to the neighbouring village of Marston Moretaine; ending there by the 15th century church of St Mary. This is a beautiful ancient church with an unusual detached tower that perhaps served once as a watchtower, or a place of refuge. A very special event not to be mised!-)
Light candles with us in the church graveyard for the upcoming day of “all souls” and soak up the magical atmosphere of the church lit up at night.
Did you know? Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago. See also: http://www.halloween-website.com/history.htm
Tuesday 18 September: fish & chips walk to Cranfield village
Walk itinerary:
Meet by the chestnut tree in front of cafe bookshop
Depart at 5.30 pm Total walk length: circa 6 km (4 miles) Return: circa 7.30pm No booking required for this walk, just turn up. Fish & Chips: cost circa £5.50 Please wear appropriate footwear
- photo by Mi Jang
If you are free on Tuesday evening, why not join us for a walk to Cranfield village, using the public footpath ? The footpath from Cranfield University to Cranfield village circumnavigates the airfield. We will be stopping at a local chippy for fish & chips and the local Co-operative store, before having a picnic in the fields.
Have a look at this website on the day of the walk to see if there is an update.
The public footpath from Cranfield University to Cranfield village circumnavigates the Cranfield airport.
Earlier posts by Cranfield University Walks about walking to Cranfield village from Cranfield University campus: For path’s sake; Cranfield village, airport security and a tea party, New: works on the footpath to Cranfield village
For basics of footpath law in England and Wales see – http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/footpathlaw
Tuesday 14 August: evening walk to Cranfield village
Walk itinerary:
Meet by the Main Reception
Depart at 7 pm Total walk length: circa 6 km (4 miles) Return: circa 9.30pm No booking required for this walk, just turn up. Please wear appropriate footwear – it may be bit muddy and bring a torch if you have one -)
If you are free on Tuesday evening, why not join Jason and his friends for a walk to Cranfield village, to stop at a local pub for drinks.
Have a look at this website on the day of the walk to see if there is an update.
The public footpath from Cranfield University to Cranfield village circumnavigates the Cranfield airport.
Earlier posts by Cranfield University Walks about walking to Cranfield village from Cranfield University campus: For path’s sake; Cranfield village, airport security and a tea party, New: works on the footpath to Cranfield village
For basics of footpath law in England and Wales see – http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/footpathlaw
Sat 28 July our awards night: last chance to book!
Cranfield University Walks special summer event: A walk, BBQ,quiz, raffle and awards – including announcement of winners of our best photo competition – all in one event!
Update on 6 July: this event has now been cancelled, mainly due to lack of available volunteers who would help to organise it. Prizes from our sponsors will be distributed to the winners of our best photo competition.Sponsors to date:
Angela Jane’s Farmhouse Kitchen, Lodge Farm, North Crawley: homemade cakes, ice cream & more. The Beesness: delicious preserves, jams & honey. Glynise King, Sherington: tranquillity holistic therapies (book a massage via university’s Medical Centre). The cafe bookshop @ Cranfield campus: fresh coffee and cakes, books & more. Digital Visitor: kindly donating a ‘cycle pack’ with a helmet, gloves, puncture repair kit, light and bike tool kit. Cranfield Students’ Association – a bottle of bubbly.
Come & join us for a fun packed early evening to celebrate the good times that this society has provided to its student members and pay tribute to those special people who have made telling contributions to its success. Starting with a stroll across the fields from Cranfield University to North Crawley and a walk back at the end of the awards.
When? 28 July 2012 Meet in front of cafe bookshop Depart at 16.00 hours a walk to Lodge Farm, North Crawley Return circa 8.30pm Book your place at CSA 1st floor by 6 July 2012 Cost: £3 members, £5 non-members. Show you membership card to claim a discounted rate when booking a place.
The event is subject to good weather conditions. – have a look at this website nearer to the date to see if there’s an update.
Cranfield University's Walks 