Sundon Hills Country Park
5 miles (8 km)Climb to a height of over 500 feet and enjoy wonderful views over the Bedfordshire countryside on this circular walk near Luton. You can park at the car park on Harlington Road and then pick up the Icknield Way Path to take you across the park.... The waymarked paths take you to woodland, chalk downland and grassland. It's great in the summer with lots of wildflowers and butterflies to look out for on the hills. Keep your eyes peeled for a range of flora and fauna including creeping buttercup, cowslip, orchids, great spotted woodpecker, foxes and badgers.
To extend your walk you can follow the John Bunyan Trail and the Icknield Way Path to Streatley. The path passes Sharpenhoe Clappers, Smithcombe Valley and Smithcombe Hill before coming to the village. Sharpenhoe has an Iron Age Hillfort and nice views over the area.
If you continue east along the paths then you will come to the lovely Barton Hills National Nature Reserve and Hexton where you can enjoy more climbs through the Barton and Pegsdon Hills. Heading west will take you through the countryside to Toddington where there's a fine 700 year old pub to visit. You can also follow the John Bunyan Trail south to Luton.
Postcode: LU3 3PQ
Pubs and More Info
Just over a mile north east of the park you'll find the village of Barton le Clay where there are a few good options for refreshments. The 19th century Royal Oak has good facilites with a car park and a lovely garden area to relax in on warmer days. There's also a good menu and fine selection of real ales. Highly recommended are their delicious pizzas! You can find the pub on the Bedford Road with postcode of MK45 4JX for your sat navs.
The circular Luton Walk runs close to the park. It takes you along a section of the River Lea and also heads to Barton Hills and the nearby Sharpenhoe Clappers using some of the waymarked trails running through the area. It's a nice way of visiting the park from the town's train station.
Just to the north east there's Silsoe where you can enjoy easy trails around Wrest Park. There's 92 acres of landscaped early eighteenth-century gardens to explore here. You can also enjoy a pleasant stroll around Silsoe village where there are a number of historic properties associated with the park estate.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Bedfordshire Walks and Chilterns Walks pages.
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Nearby Routes
Sharpenhoe Clappers Barton Hills John Bunyan Trail Icknield Way Path Toddington Wrest Park Silsoe Harlington Circular Walk Luton Dunstable Busway Cycle Path
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