Today I had to take my car in for some work at the Volvo garage in Milton Keynes, so while it was there I went for another long walk. I first went to the nearby shopping centre in Kingston, getting something for my lunch at Tescos then having a cappuccino and a muffin at M&S. I looked at some hiking boots at Blacks (my boots will need replacing very soon), but they didn’t have the boots I was interested in in my size.
It had been raining heavily on the way to Milton Keynes, but had now stopped (as forecast) so I started walking about 10.10am. I followed a main road to Willen Lakes again, and went about two-thirds of the way round them to the Peace Pagoda – I was able to go up to it this time, when I was here a few weeks ago it was cordoned off by the Fire & Rescue service. A short distance further on I reached the Grand Union Canal. I turned right and followed the tow path north.
I walked along the canal for several miles, eventually reaching the old railway bridge where I’d turned off the canal on Swan’s Way a couple of weeks or so ago. I crossed the bridge, and started to make my wy back along the other side of the canal – there was seldom a towpath alongside the canal, but it was easy to find paths that ran close and parallel to the canal. I went through Great Linford park, where I saw the church, Almshouses and the Manor House, with some interesting information boards about their history. Further on I passed some old brickkilns, again with an interesting information board.
After a while I crossed a bridge back over the canal, and followed the towpath a lot further south than where I’d started by the Peace Pagoda. I passed Milton Keynes Marina, and about a mile farther on left the canal and headed north east to eventually get back to the garage about 3.10pm.
I’d been walking for the best part of five hours, with a 10-minute lunch break and a few brief stops to look at the places of interest, so I probably walked about 13 miles. I’d had to walk on cycle paths close to main roads at the start and at the end of the walk, but most of it was surprisingly pleasant walking, either along the canal towpath or through a park alongside the canal. The brickkilns and the old buildings at Great Linford were an unexpected bonus, and I’d be quite happy to do the walk again.