From Newport Pagnell the route crosses the Great Ouse at the weir and heads to Sherington where a curious event took place in 1935.
Delegations from long time rivals Oxford and Cambridge Universities met here to dig a hole and place a small axe in it. What better way to symbolise the ending of their rivalries by ‘burying the hatchet’.
There’s also a nice path up to the church.
The official route takes a long detour towards Tyringham, but doesn’t quite reach John Soane’s striking Tyringham Hall.
The house isn’t open to the public but you can see the gatehouse and bridge and a diversion to these has been added to the map. Alternatively, a more direct route is also marked on the map in case you would rather spend your time amusing and amazing yourself in Olney. The route also goes through Emberton Country Park which leads up to a weir and sluice system for managing water.
Olney is a comfortable Georgian town and as the signs say, the ‘home of Amazing Grace’. You might want to spend some time here finding out more at the Cowper and Newton museum.
It’s also home to pancake racing, but if you’re here at the wrong time of year, you could always make up your own race with something from the Pancake Parlour.
Next leg: Olney to Odell
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