The best walks and hikes around Woburn

A modern destination with a fiery past

To say Woburn has had a chequered history would be an understatement; the village has burnt down three times. After the third fire in 1724, the village was rebuilt in the distinctive Georgian style that is evident today. 

Its heyday was in the 19th century, when it was an important staging post during the coaching era and had as many as 27 inns. During your walks around Woburn, you can still find an inn (though there aren’t 27 these days) to put your feet up or pay a visit to the Heritage Centre to find out more about its history.

Today, the village is known for the attractions in the surrounding countryside. Woburn Abbey’s vast grounds are the home of Woburn Safari Park, which is home to over 1,000 wild and exotic animals. Another major development in the region is nearby Warren Wood, which became the UK’s fifth Centre Parcs village in 2014 and is now known as Woburn Forest.

Exploring Woburn Abbey

Woburn Abbey was founded by the Cistercians in 1145 and is today a stately home. A portion of its grounds have been given over to Woburn Safari Park and Woburn Golf Club, though there remains plenty of gorgeous countryside to explore, The 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) deer park boasts ten different species of deer, as well as many impressive ancient oak trees amongst its sprawling grasslands.

During your hikes around Woburn, it’s even possible to walk by the safari park’s perimeter and catch a glimpse of elephants, tigers, camels or bears. As well as the traditional vehicle safari, a ticket to the park will allow you to take a foot safari, where you can get up close to a range of small mammals and bird species.

Discover the Bedfordshire Greensand Ridge

Some of the best hiking routes around Woburn include those that explore the vibrant conifer plantation of Aspley Woods (also known as New Wavendon Heath) and the pastures to the west of the village. An amble in late summer is glorious here, when foxgloves carpet the woodlands and long days mean many hours on the trails.

This countryside is part of the Bedfordshire Greensand Ridge, an escarpment that runs through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Not to be confused with the other Greensand Ridge in the South Downs National Park, it shares many characteristics with its namesake. Gently rolling hills and wooded valleys are home to a plethora of wildlife. A 40-mile (64 km) named trail, the Greensand Ridge Walk, passes through Woburn on its way between Leighton Buzzard and Gamlingay.