The route from Odell to Pavenham makes a long loop, as does the wending river and yet they barely meet, which is a shame. Even the part which does follow the course of the river through a golf course is obscured by woodland.
Nevertheless, Sharnbrook is a good place for pub-based provisions and accommodation. Making a detour into Felmersham is worth the walk.
When Niklaus Pevsner surveyed Bedfordshire for his epic series of books on the architecture of Britain, he put St Mary’s in Felmersham at the top of the list.
The bridge is also a place where people come to bathe and paddle which should hopefully be a bit safer since the upgrade of the Odell sewage treatment plant upstream.
A shorter alternative route is marked on the map in case you would like to spend your time on some of the special places to come.
The village of Pavenham is rare for having a phone box with an actual phone in it and in the true tradition of public phone boxes, it doesn’t work.
It’s also where we join another walking route, the John Bunyan Trail. The author of Pilgrim’s Progress used to walk about these parts as a tinker before his religious calling when he swapped mending pots and pans for saving souls.
Next leg: Pavenham to Bedford
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