Walking The Oxfordshire Way Part 7: Adwell and Stoke Talmage
Surviving buildings from Wheatfield Manor
Start & Finish: Parking spaces on the A40 High Street at Tetsworth just south of the Old Red Lion pub
Distance: 10.3 km (6.4 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 97m
Terrain: Quiet country lanes, waymarked field-edge footpaths, and agricultural tracks with some gentle undulations across South Oxfordshire farmland.
Oxfordshire Way Section Covered: Path junction near Wheatfield to A40, Tetsworth: 4.6 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Oxfordshire Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Old Red Lion, Tetsworth at the start and finish
Map: OS Explorer Map (171) Chiltern Hills West, Henley-on-Thames and Wallingford
Links: Adwell, Wheatfield, Oxfordshire, Stoke Talmage, South Weston, Tetsworth
Welcome to Part 7 of our series of short circular walks along the Oxfordshire section of the Oxfordshire Way. This is a 66 mile long-distance path connecting Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds with Henley-on-Thames. For a complete overview of the trail's history, and the end-to-end route, please read my complete Oxfordshire Way Guide.
Walking Directions
This seventh instalment of the Oxfordshire Way series explores a tranquil pocket of South Oxfordshire between the historic London to Oxford coaching road (the A40) and the quiet parishes of Adwell, Wheatfield, and Stoke Talmage. As you traverse open pasture and arable fields, the views open up towards the wooded escarpment of the Chiltern Hills to the south and the distinctive mound of Adwell Cop to the east.
What makes this circular walk particularly engaging is the sheer sense of rural solitude across parishes where populations have remained remarkably small for centuries. After following the Oxfordshire Way southwards to connect with the northernmost point of Part 6, the return leg loops eastwards through the tiny village of Stoke Talmage and past ancient farmsteads towards Adwell. The combination of quiet country lanes, historic churchyards, and gentle rises makes for a thoroughly rewarding countryside outing.
The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
Start in the village of Tetsworth, where there is free on-street parking just south of the Red Lion pub on the A40 High Street.
Walk south down Back Street, following the Oxfordshire Way in a southerly direction.
Continue onto Parkers Hill, leading into farmland before passing under the M40 in a tunnel.
Upon reaching the unnamed road, turn right and follow the track in a south-westerly direction, crossing over Hazeley Brook.
Approximately 2.3 kilometers into the walk, turn right onto a footpath leading into fields, then left to continue south-west.
Join a farm track that meets another road, take a left, and then turn right onto the main road through Stoke Talmage, following it south.
Before reaching the village of Clare, turn left to cross a field in a south-easterly direction.
At about 5 kilometers, turn left onto a farm track across the field to the edge of the field where you previously left the Oxfordshire Way.
Take an immediate right to follow the Oxfordshire Way north-easterly, then turn left at the end of the next field.
Walk north-westerly towards Wheatfield to the remaining buildings of the old manor house.
Turn right to continue on the Oxfordshire Way, passing the old church, and continue until reaching the outskirts of Adwell.
Take a left to follow the Oxfordshire Way, following the Hazeley Streams on your right.
Continue walking north-westerly until reaching the farm where you were previously following the Oxfordshire Way in a southerly direction at the start of this walk.
From here, retrace your steps north under the M40 back to the village of Tetsworth.
Points of Interest along or near to the Route
Adwell and Adwell Cop: Located just east of the return leg, Adwell is an ancient estate village recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Half a mile southeast of the village rises Adwell Cop, a hill crowned with a Bronze Age burial mound that was historically linked to local fairy folklore and once mistakenly attributed by early antiquarians to 11th-century Danish encampments. The village church of St Mary was rebuilt in 1865 by Arthur Blomfield, though it retains a 12th-century transitional Norman doorway and an effigy of a knight dating from around 1300. An OS Trig Pillar can be found at Adwell Cop.
Wheatfield and St Andrew's Church: Wheatfield is a classic example of a deserted medieval village. While its Tudor and Stuart manor house, Wheatfield Park, was destroyed by fire in 1814, the Grade II* listed coach house, stables, and farmhouse survived, alongside the isolated Grade I listed Church of St Andrew. The church dates from the 14th century and was extensively remodelled in the early 18th century, preserving rare Georgian box pews and a Venetian east window.
Stoke Talmage and St Mary Magdalene Church: Stoke Talmage is a tiny rural parish whose boundaries have remained largely unchanged since the medieval period. The parish church of St Mary Magdalene has 12th-century origins and was rebuilt in 1758 before undergoing restoration in 1860. Note on conflicting sources: while Wikipedia and the Gilbert Scott architectural archive record the 1860 restoration as the work of Sir George Gilbert Scott, a local Chiltern Society walking guide attributes the 1860 work to his grandson, Giles Gilbert Scott (who was born in 1880, making Sir George Gilbert Scott the chronologically factual architect).
Red Lion Farmhouse: Situated near the junction as you approach Stoke Talmage, this 18th-century building formerly operated as The Red Lion public house. In 1923, it was purchased by Thomas Haynes and run alongside a smallholding before continuing as a country pub for decades; it permanently closed in 2007 and was converted into a private dwelling.
Oxfordshire Way next section (north): Tetsworth and Oxfordshire Golf Club (coming soon)
Oxfordshire Way next section (south): Pyrton and Clare
Trig Pillar Walks: Wittenham Clumps and Brightwell Barrow
View to Castle Hill from Round Hill
Start & Finish: On-street parking opposite the Red Lion pub, Brightwell Street, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Wallingford, OX10 0RT
Distance: 8.2 km (5.1 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 137m
Terrain: Undulating grassy paths, woodland trails, and steep chalk hill climbs with some uneven sections.
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Roman Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 5
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Red Lion at the start and end of the walk
OS Trig Pillar: TP1629 - Brightwell Barrow
Map: Vale of White Horse Map | Abingdon-on-Thames, Wantage, Wallingford & Faringdon | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 170
Links: Wittenham Clumps, Brightwell Barrow, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell
This is part of a series of walks that combine beautiful countryside trails with finding (or “bagging”) an OS Trig Pillar. If you’ve searched for or stumbled across this page then you probably already know what an OS Trig Pillar is. If you don’t then this article from the Ordnance Survey is a good place to start.
Walking Directions
The walking directions below follow a scenic loop encompassing both the Wittenham Clumps and Brightwell Barrow. This route offers a fantastic mix of ancient history and sweeping views across the Thames Valley. While the undulating paths and steep chalk climbs might not be suitable for a fast and flat parkrun, they provide an excellent workout and a rewarding countryside trek for weekend walkers.
The trail begins with a steady ascent towards the Bronze Age site of Brightwell Barrow, a prominent peak marked by a classic Ordnance Survey trig pillar. From there, the path dips and climbs again to the iconic Castle Hill before looping back through the lower fields. The landscape is rich with archaeological history, making this short but energetic walk a true delight for both nature lovers and history enthusiasts.
The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
Park for free on-street opposite the Red Lion pub in Brightwell Street, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.
From the pub, walk west on Brightwell Street, then continue onto West End at the junction with Church Lane.
Follow West End north-west as it curves right to become Didcot Road.
Turn right at Little Martins and take the footpath on the left following the road north.
Cross the A4130 carefully and continue north-west to meet Sires Hill.
Turn right on Sires Hill, then take the footpath north-west to the farm.
Follow the path diagonally across the fields to a water trough; Brightwell Barrow is south-east.
Visit the trig pillar and return to the trough, then descend north-west between the fields.
Go through the gate at the hedgerow, turn right, and follow the track north-east.
Curve left north-west before the forest, then ascend south-west to Castle Hill.
Walk around the southern path to the west, then clockwise to a small path descending towards Round Hill.
Ascend to Round Hill, turn right on the outer circle, and descend steeply towards the River Thames.
Go through the gate at the bottom and take a right through Little Wittingham Wood.
Continue south-west for 1.7 km, follow the field edge to a private property gate, then turn right south-west.
Meet Roman Way, ascend Castle Hill, then descend to the A4130.
Cross the road, continue south over High Road, and follow Green Mere to Brightwell Street.
Points of Interest along or near to the Route
Wittenham Clumps: A prominent pair of wooded chalk hills, comprising Round Hill and Castle Hill. They are a famous local landmark managed by the Earth Trust and contain the earthworks of an Iron Age hillfort.
Brightwell Barrow: A Bronze Age round barrow marked by a trig pillar (TP1629) and a small cluster of trees. It offers expansive views across the Oxfordshire countryside.
Walking The Oxfordshire Way Part 6: Pyrton and Clare
Field of Dreams, near Pyrton
Start & Finish: Parking space at junction of Church Lane and Knightsbridge Lane, Pyrton,
Distance: 9.2 km (5.7 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 71m
Oxfordshire Way Section Covered: Church Lane, Pyrton to path junction near Wheatfield: 3.6 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Oxfordshire Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP2197 - Clare Hill
Map: OS Explorer Map (171) Chiltern Hills West, Henley-on-Thames and Wallingford
Links: Pyrton, Clare, Oxfordshire
Welcome to Part 6 of our series of short circular walks along the Oxfordshire section of the Oxfordshire Way. This is a 66 mile long-distance path connecting Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds with Henley-on-Thames. For a complete overview of the trail's history, and the end-to-end route, please read my complete Oxfordshire Way Guide.
Walking Directions
This circular route from Pyrton is a brilliant way to explore the South Oxfordshire countryside, offering a fantastic option for a relaxed weekend stroll or a great way to keep your legs moving after a Saturday morning parkrun. The path makes use of the established Oxfordshire Way, taking you out through sweeping agricultural land and quiet rural tracks towards the hamlet of Clare.
The terrain is straightforward to navigate, featuring well-marked field boundaries and mostly flat ground for the initial stretches. As you approach Clare Hill, you will encounter a steady but gentle incline up to the trig point, which rewards you with excellent views over the landscape before a pleasant, gradual descent back down into the village.
The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
Park at the junction of Knightsbridge Lane and Church Lane, just south of Pyrton Village Hall.
Walk north up Knightsbridge Lane, passing Pyrton Village Hall.
0.4 km: At the path junction by a farm entrance, turn right to follow the signs for the Oxfordshire Way. Continue northeast along the track past the farm.
1.2 km: Turn left through a gate to stay on the Oxfordshire Way, now walking in a northerly direction.
2.0 km: The route curves northeast and then northwest. Keep following the Oxfordshire Way.
3.6 km: Following a field edge with a hedge on your right, you will reach a path junction. Take a sharp left across the field and follow the path for 700 metres.
4.3 km: Take a sharp right and follow the path along the field to the edge bordering the small road connecting Stoke Talmage with Clare and Islip.
Head southwest: keeping to the field edge is a safer option than walking on the quiet road. Continue until you cross over the junction of Stoney Lane and Knightsbridge Lane.
Optional detour: Just after this road junction, you can cut into the field through the hedge to bag the Clare Hill trig pillar.
Continue southwest, then take a footpath on your left to head southeast across a field.
Cross a small stream as you walk through the woods at Diamond Plantation. The path will then curve southwest to reconnect with Knightsbridge Lane in Pyrton.
Turn right onto Knightsbridge Lane for the final 400 metres back to your starting point.
Points of Interest along or near to the Route
Pyrton Manor and St Mary's Church: Pyrton is an ancient settlement recorded in the Domesday Book. St Mary's Church features Norman origins, anchoring the start of the walk in centuries of local architectural heritage.
The Chiltern Escarpment & Clare Hill: Situated on the lower northwestern slopes of the Chilterns National Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Clare Hill provides a vantage point looking across the fertile Vale of Thame.
Ordnance Survey Trig Pillar (TP2197): Clare Hill hosts a classic concrete flush bracket trig pillar installed as part of the OS retriangulation of Great Britain, standing as a familiar waypoint for regional hill walkers.
Wheatfield Environs: The pastoral trackways skirting toward Wheatfield pass through quiet agricultural land that once formed part of historic parish estates lost or altered over centuries of agrarian change.
Oxfordshire Way next section (north): Adwell and Stoke Tamage (coming soon)
Oxfordshire Way next section (south): Watlington and The Ridgeway
Trig Pillar Walks: Stowe Landscape Gardens
Path leading to the Gothic Temple
Start & Finish: National Trust - Stowe Gardens, New Inn Farm, Buckingham MK18 5EQ
Distance: 9.8 km (6.1 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 111m
Terrain: Mostly well-made estate paths, open parkland grass, and sheltered woodland trails.
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Home Front Route Stowe, Blue Trail Stowe, Military Route Stowe, Stowe Parkland Walk, Ouse Valley Way,
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at the National Trust Visitors Centre
OS Trig Pillar: TP6219 - Stowe Park
Map: Buckingham & Milton Keynes Map | Leighton Buzzard & Woburn | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 192
Links: Stowe Landscape Gardens, Stowe House, Buckingham
This is part of a series of walks that combine beautiful countryside trails with finding (or “bagging”) an OS Trig Pillar. If you’ve searched for or stumbled across this page then you probably already know what an OS Trig Pillar is. If you don’t then this article from the Ordnance Survey is a good place to start.
Walking Directions
This circular walking route takes you through the stunning historic parkland of Stowe, a landscape sculpted by some of Britain's most famous garden designers. Starting near the New Inn Visitor Centre, the trail heads northward through the sprawling estate, gently descending before steadily climbing towards the northern boundary where you will find the main objective: Trig Pillar TP6219.
After visiting the trig pillar, the route loops westward before tracking south along the quieter, wooded edges of the estate boundary. The return leg provides a contrasting perspective of the landscape, swapping manicured lawns for rustic bridleways and field margins before finally turning eastwards to guide you back to the start. It offers a perfectly balanced morning or afternoon out in the Buckinghamshire countryside.
The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
We begin at the New Inn, now serving as the National Trust visitor centre, neatly situated by the main car park. Pass through the inn's buildings to emerge onto the main track, a wide avenue known as the Home Front route, which acts as the grand artery leading up to the landscape garden proper. Follow this deep into the estate.
After a mile or so (roughly 1 km), the path is interrupted by a second ticket booth. It feels slightly incongruous here, but the land is criss-crossed by ancient public rights of way; they must check again to ensure you have bought passage into the inner, managed sanctuary of the gardens.
Once officially within the gardens, take a right turn, followed swiftly by a left. You are now on the 'military route', a path that deliberately traces the southern bank of the Octagon Lake, drawing you north-eastwards along the water’s edge.
Ahead lies the Palladian Bridge, stretching elegantly across the water. It’s worth pausing here; the views, both of the bridge’s flanks as you approach and from the span itself, offer perfectly framed classical vistas. Cross over it to the far bank.
Continue tracing a northerly line. Here, the track is burdened with a double identity, known as both the military route and the Path of Liberty. Follow its course until it meets the Gothic Tower.
The tower, a property now in the care of the Landmark Trust, usually keeps its doors firmly shut to the casual walker. However, on fortunate days, it stands open, revealing its interior. Whether you manage to slip inside or merely admire its heavy stone silhouette, press on northwards afterwards, keeping to the military route.
You will soon encounter a towering monument, which one might instinctively call an obelisk, but the estate insists is Lord Cobham's Pillar. Note the distinction and continue your march northwards along the military route.
As you reach the north-eastern extremity of the estate, the formal boundaries fall away, and you slip back out onto public land. You are now joining the Stowe Parkland Walk, a sweeping, longer trail that curves around the hidden back of Stowe House.
Upon meeting the wide stretch of Buckingham Avenue, take a right, then the first left. This footpath strikes out across the open, grazed parkland, an expanse that feels distinctly different from the manicured gardens, leading you towards the Wolfe Obelisk.
At the obelisk, step off the worn path, turning left into the grass to locate the rather more utilitarian concrete form of a trig pillar sitting quietly in the landscape. Having paid your respects to the surveyors, retrace your steps to the obelisk.
Pressing north again on the Stowe Parkland Walk, the land drops away, descending across an open field. Look for a distinctive, solitary bush—a waymarker in the green—and here take a left. The path now leads west, eventually curving southward to shadow a lake.
The route brings you to the unassuming back entrance of Stowe School. Here, turn right, rejoining the main artery of the Stowe Parkland Walk.
Shortly after passing the bulk of the school buildings, take a footpath that draws you closer in against the outer, enclosing wall of the landscape gardens.
At the corner of the gardens stands a gatehouse entrance. It has an imposing, almost prohibitive air, looking as though the public shouldn't trespass, but with no one to bar the way, we slipped through. Do the same, and follow the main drive to reconnect with the intricate inner paths of the gardens.
You are now walking the Path of Bravery. Follow this until it meets the Path of Vice, where you must turn left. Continue on, passing the quiet, stony recess of Dido's Cave.
The path eventually delivers you to the grand southern front of Stowe House. While not a National Trust property, it often opens its doors for heritage walks and harbours a small cafe—a welcome modern intrusion for the weary walker.
Continue past the great facade of the house, picking up the blue trail which leads south-eastwards. Pause briefly to take in the Temple of Ancient Virtues, before crossing the bridge that spans the lake.
On the far side, you are greeted by the Temple of British Worthies. From this pantheon, turn south, keeping to the eastern margin of the lake, until the blue trail dictates you cross back over the water via another bridge.
You find yourself deposited on the northern shore of the Octagon Lake. Walk westward, following the water's edge, until a left turn onto the green trail pulls you back to the lake's southern side.
From here, it is a straightforward retreat back to where the journey began, following the paths out to the visitor centre and the New Inn to conclude the walk.
Points of Interest along or near to the Route
There are many interesting features in Stowe Landscape Gardens and if you get the free map at the National Trust Visitor Centre it will detail all of them. The ones below are the points of interest that are directly on the route that we covered.
Stowe Landscape Gardens: A masterpiece of 18th-century garden design, this vast estate features works by Charles Bridgeman, William Kent, and Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. While historians sometimes debate the exact attribution of specific early monuments between Kent and Brown, the sheer scale and beauty of their combined vision is unquestionable.
New Inn and Parlour Rooms: Originally built in the 18th century by the Temple family, this early 18th-century inn provided lodgings for the first visitors keen to see the new gardens. It has recently been meticulously restored by the National Trust. Visitors can now explore the beautifully recreated parlour rooms that reflect their authentic Georgian appearance.
Palladian Bridge: Constructed in 1738, this iconic crossing is only the second of its kind ever built in the world, closely modelled on the original at Wilton House. The Stowe version was specially designed without steps to allow horse-drawn carriages to pass directly through its colonnades. It remains one of the most photographed monuments in the entire estate.
The Gothic Temple: Designed by James Gibbs and built in 1741, this striking triangular building was dedicated by Lord Cobham to the liberty of his ancestors. It stands out uniquely among the classical monuments due to its ecclesiastical, gothic style. Today, the property is maintained by the Landmark Trust and can even be rented as a holiday cottage.
Lord Cobham's Pillar: Standing prominently at 104 feet tall, this is the highest of all the monuments and temples across the Stowe estate. Built between 1742 and 1749, it features a spiral staircase inside that leads up to a belvedere viewing platform. The statue of Lord Cobham himself sits proudly at the very top, surveying his landscaped masterpiece.
The Wolfe Obelisk: Rebuilt in 1754 using stone from a former water feature, this towering obelisk sits proudly in the Deer Park. It was dedicated in 1759 to General James Wolfe following his victory and death at the Battle of Quebec. The trees surrounding it were famously planted to represent the layout of Wolfe's regiments during the battle.
Trig Pillar TP6219 (Stowe Park): Situated near the northern boundary of the estate at 147 metres above sea level, this classic Ordnance Survey trig pillar remains in good condition. It marks the highest point of the trail and offers excellent views over the surrounding Buckinghamshire countryside.
Dido's Cave: Originally built as a simple garden alcove, historians debate whether it was initially designed by Sir John Vanbrugh or James Gibbs. It was later remodelled with a textured tufa rockwork facade around 1800 to create a picturesque grotto. The interior was once painted with scenes depicting the tragic love story of Dido and Aeneas.
Stowe House: An extraordinary Grade I listed country house that sits at the heart of the estate and currently serves as an independent school. Its grand neoclassical facade provides a stunning focal point that can be admired from multiple vantage points along the walk.
Temple of Ancient Virtue: Designed by William Kent in the 1730s, this circular, domed building was heavily inspired by the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli. Lord Cobham built it as a shrine to four exemplary ancient Greeks: Socrates, Homer, Lycurgus, and Epaminondas. The monument served as a bold political statement, championing the noble virtues that Cobham felt were lacking in contemporary British politicians.
Temple of British Worthies: Also designed by William Kent around 1735, this curved stone wall sits opposite the Temple of Ancient Virtue across the Elysian Fields. It features sixteen niches containing busts of renowned British thinkers and historical figures, notably featuring Queen Elizabeth I as the only woman. The monument was an overt political statement by Lord Cobham, using these individuals to represent his Whig ideals in opposition to the ruling government.
Walking The Midshires Way through Buckinghamshire
Along the disused railway by Bradwell windmill, Milton Keynes
The Midshires Way is a 225-mile (362 km) trail that journeys through the rural heart of Middle England, linking the Ridgeway National Trail at Bledlow in the south to the Trans Pennine Trail at Stockport in the north. Opened in 1994, this route traverses several counties, including Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Greater Manchester, following a scenic tapestry of ancient bridleways, quiet country lanes, and historic canals. In Buckinghamshire, the Midshires Way has a significant connection with the Swan's Way (often referred to as the Swan Way), a 65-mile long-distance bridleway. Essentially, the Swan's Way forms the backbone of the Buckinghamshire section of the Midshires Way, with the two routes being broadly coincident for approximately 50 miles between Salcey Forest and Bledlow. While the Swan's Way strictly adheres to bridleways to accommodate horse riders and cyclists, the Midshires Way sometimes offers alternative waymarked footpaths for walkers to avoid on-road sections.
We walked the Chilterns part of the Mishires Way in 17 sections over a 8 months in 2026. Each section was a circular walk of between 8 and 14 km of which part was along the Midshires with a return to the start along other nearby footpaths.
Point to Point: Walking the Midshires Way in Buckinghamshire
Start: ions Of Bledlow, Church End, Bledlow, Princes Risborough, HP27 9PE
Finish: Salcey Forest Visitor’s Centre, Wootton Rd, Northampton NN7 2HX
Distance: 80 km (50 miles)
Elevation change: + 647m / - 666m. Net +78m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Maps:
- Chiltern Hills North Map | Aylesbury, Berkhamsted & Chesham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 181
- Buckingham & Milton Keynes Map | Leighton Buzzard & Woburn | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 192
- Newport Pagnell & Northampton South Map | Towcester & Olney | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 207
See individual section posts linked below for other links.
Walking the Midshires Way in Buckinghamshire in 17 walks
If you’re not up for a 80 km walk in one go, you can take in the Midshires Way in Buckinghamshire in 17 walks of between 8 and 14 km each. We chose this option, completing all 17 sections over 8 months in 2026. The advantage of this option is exploring more of the villages and side paths close to the route.
Each number refers to a circular walk below. Base map: Esri Topo via RideWithGPS
Section 1: Hempton Wainhill & Bledlow
Start & Finish: Lions Of Bledlow, Church End, Bledlow, Princes Risborough, HP27 9PE
Distance: 10.2 km (6.4 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 121m
Terrain: Elevated ridge-top bridleways, sheltered woodland trails, and level field-edge paths following the old railway line.
Midshires Way section covered: The Ridgeway at Wainhill to North Mill Road: 3.7 km
Start & Finish: Longwick Stores And Post Office, Thame Road, Longwick, Princes Risborough, HP27 9SF
Distance: 8.3 km (5.2 miles). Can be shortened by ~1 km by removing the detours. See walk description.
Elevation change: +/- 37m
Terrain: Level field-edge paths, quiet country lanes, and agricultural tracks.
Midshires Way section covered: North Mill Road to Longwick: 3.6 km
Section 3: Ford and Kemble Wick
Start & Finish: The Dinton Hermit, Water Lane, Ford, Aylesbury, HP17 8XH
Distance: 11.6 km (7.2 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 58m
Terrain: Predominantly level terrain consisting of field-edge footpaths, narrow country lanes, and farm tracks across the Aylesbury Vale.
Midshires Way section covered: Longwick to Michael’s Peace: 4.3 km
Section 4: Ford and Michael's Peace
Start & Finish: The Dinton Hermit, Water Lane, Ford, Aylesbury, HP17 8XH
Distance: 8.3 km (5.2 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 41 m
Terrain: Mostly level field-edge paths, quiet country lanes, and a short optional section through community woodland.
Midshires Way section covered: Michael’s Peace to Bishopstone Road: 3.8 km
Start & Finish: Stone Village Hall, 50 Oxford Road, Stone Aylesbury, HP17 8PB
Distance: 10.1 km (6.3 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 75 m
Terrain: A mixture of quiet village lanes and open field-edge bridleways.
Midshires Way section covered: Bishopstone Road to the River Thame: 3.5 km
Section 6: Waddesdon and Eythrope
Start & Finish: Waddesdon Manor Car Park, Waddesdon, Aylesbury, HP18 0JE
Distance: 11.1 km (6.9 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 160 m
Terrain: A mixture of paved estate roads, grassy footpaths, and woodland tracks across undulating farmland.
Midshires Way section covered: River Thame to Waddeston: 3.7 km
Section 7: Waddesdon and Quainton Road
Start & Finish: Waddesdon Manor Car Park, Waddesdon, Aylesbury, HP18 0JE
Distance: 11.9 km (7.4 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 96m
Terrain: A mixture of paved surfaces, grassy footpaths, and countryside tracks with rolling elevations.
Midshires Way section covered: Waddesdon to Quainton: 4.5 km
Section 8: Quainton and Botolph Claydon
Start & Finish: George and Dragon pub, 32 The Green, Quainton, Aylesbury HP22 4AR
Distance: 13.2 km (8.2 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 144m
Terrain: The route predominantly follows public bridleways and quiet country lanes, with some muddy sections likely after heavy rain.
Midshires Way section covered: Quainton to East Claydon: 6.7 km
Section 9: Verney Junction and Winslow
Start & Finish: St Mary's Church, Church Way, East Claydon, Buckingham, MK18 2ND
Distance: 12.7 km (7.9 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 97m
Terrain: Mixed terrain including field paths, bridleways, and quiet country lanes.
Midshires Way section covered: East Claydon to Addington: 4.7 km
Section 10: Addington and Great Horwood
Start & Finish: Church End, Adstock, Buckingham, MK18 2HY
Distance: 10.3 km (6.4 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 79m
Terrain: A pleasant mix of open arable fields, ancient bridleways, and quiet village lanes.
Midshires Way section covered: Addington to Great Horwood: 4.3 km
Section 11: Great Horwood and Whaddon
Start & Finish: The Swan Inn, 1 Winslow Road, Great Horwood, Milton Keynes, MK17 0QN
Distance: 11.4 km (7.1 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 85m
Terrain: A mixture of grassy footpaths, bridleways, agricultural field margins, and village pavements.
Midshires Way section covered: Great Horwood to Whaddon: 6.1 km
Section 12: Whaddon and Oakhill Wood
Start & Finish: St Mary's Church, Church Hill, Whaddon, Milton Keynes, MK17 0LZ
Distance: 8.3 km (5.2 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 74m
Terrain: A combination of quiet country lanes, well-marked grassy footpaths, and rustic woodland tracks.
Midshires Way section covered: Whaddon to Oakhill: 3.2 km
Section 13: Oakhill and Loughton
Start & Finish: Lodge Lake Car Park, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Great Holm, Milton Keynes, MK8 9LG
Distance: 9.8 km (6.1 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 84m
Terrain: A mix of ancient woodland paths, paved Milton Keynes redways, and grassy parkland trails.
Midshires Way section covered: Oakhill to Lodge Lake: 5.8 km
Section 14: Bradwell Abbey and Linford Wood
Start & Finish: Lodge Lake Car Park, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Great Holm, Milton Keynes, MK8 9LG
Distance: 11.6 km (7.2miles)
Elevation change: +/- 84m
Terrain: Predominantly flat, well-paved redways and shaded woodland paths suitable for most weather conditions.
Midshires Way section covered: Lodge Lake to Great Linford: 6.1 km
Section 15: Stantonbury Lake and Little Linford
Start & Finish: Great Linford Memorial Hall Car Park, 630 Marsh Dr, Great Linford, Milton Keynes MK14 5AS
Distance: 10.4 km (6.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 74m
Terrain: A mixture of paved suburban footpaths, established park trails, and potentially muddy rural tracks.
Midshires Way section covered: Great Linford to Little Linford Wood : 5.0 km
Section 16: Stoke Goldington and Tathall End
Start & Finish: High Street, Stoke Goldington, Newport Pagnell MK16 8NR
Distance: 12.9 km (8.0 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 125m
Terrain: A mixture of village pavements, country lanes, field paths, and rural tracks.
Midshires Way section covered: Little Linford Wood to (near) Stokepark Wood: 4.5 km
Section 17: Salcey Forest and the Northamptonshire Border
Start & Finish: Salcey Forest Visitor’s Centre, Wootton Rd, Northampton NN7 2HX
Distance: 13.6 km (8.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 90m
Terrain: A mix of ancient woodland trails, quiet country lanes, and undulating field paths.
Midshires Way section covered: (near) Stokepark Wood to Salcey Forest: 6.3 km
Walking The Midshires Way Part 17: Salcey Forest and the Northamptonshire Border
Farmland to the south of Salcey Forest
Start & Finish: Salcey Forest Visitor’s Centre, Wootton Rd, Northampton NN7 2HX
Distance: 13.6 km (8.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 90m
Terrain: A mix of ancient woodland trails, quiet country lanes, and undulating field paths.
Midshires Way section covered: (near) Stokepark Wood to Salcey Forest: 6.3 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Midshires Way, The Swan Way, Hanslope Circular Ride, Milton Keynes Boundary Walk, Northamptonshire Round
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 6
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Grounds Cafe at Salcey Forest, at the start and end of the route.
Map: Newport Pagnell & Northampton South Map | Towcester & Olney | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 207
Links: Salcey Forest, Hartwell, Hanslope
Welcome to Part 17 of our series of short circular walks along the Buckinghamshire section of the Midshires Way. For a complete overview of the 225-mile trail's history, its connection to the Swan's Way, and preparation tips, please read my complete Midshires Way Through Buckinghamshire Guide.
Walking Directions
This section of the Midshires Way offers a fantastic blend of dense ancient woodland and wide open countryside. Starting in the heart of Salcey Forest, you get to experience the tranquil atmosphere of a former medieval hunting ground before the route opens up into the rolling fields of Northamptonshire. It is an excellent route for walkers who enjoy varied scenery and want to experience both shaded tree canopies and expansive rural views.
The terrain is generally forgiving, with well-surfaced forestry tracks making up the first and final sections of the loop. The middle section takes you across farmland and along quiet country lanes near Hanslope, which can get a little muddy after heavy rain but are otherwise straightforward to navigate. Whether you are adding this to a larger Midshires Way trek or simply stretching your legs after a Saturday parkrun, this circular route provides a wonderful half-day out.
The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
Start and end the walk at the Salcey Forest Visitor Centre, which is located just off Wootton Road.
Note that the Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire border runs directly through Salcey Forest: as this is the last of the Midshires Way walks in Buckinghamshire, the route takes you right up to the county border.
From the car parking area, walk in a north-westerly direction through the car park.
Take the first path on the left at the end of the car park to cross over Wootton Road.
Enter the western side of Salcey Forest, which is sandwiched between Wootton Road and the M1.
Continue walking along the bridle path in a south-westerly direction as it curves around.
Cross over Forest Road: you will notice on the map a spot height called Hartwell Heights at 130m, though there is nothing to see here other than a gate as you cross the road.
Continue on the bridle path heading in a south-easterly direction through the forest, keeping the M1 on your right.
At just over 2 kilometres into the walk, you will reach a path junction.
Take a left to head in an easterly direction and cross over Wootton Road again.
Keep heading easterly until you reach another path junction at 2.8 kilometres into the walk.
Take a right here to start walking south, soon meeting the edge of Salcey Forest and exiting out into farmland.
Follow the path along the edge of the field, which is contained by a fence, and keep walking south past Forest Farm.
Continue walking south until you reach the M1, then walk parallel to it for about 100 metres until you reach a farm footbridge.
Cross over the M1 via the footbridge into more farmland on the western side of the motorway.
At the next path junction by a tree-lined farm road, take a left.
Follow this farm road in a south-easterly direction past the farmhouse and into the fields.
Continue until you reach the edge of the field just in front of a stream, then take a left to walk in a north-easterly direction.
Cross under the M1 via the footbridge underpass and keep walking north-easterly.
Proceed until you reach a junction where you meet the Midshires Way again at the section where you left it on part sixteen of the walk.
Take a left, heading towards Stoke Park Wood: do not enter Stoke Park Wood, but instead take the next left to follow the Midshires Way in a north-westerly direction.
Zigzag around the edges of the farmland until you eventually re-enter Salcey Forest woods.
Continue walking in a northerly direction until you reach Forest Road.
Take a left onto Forest Road at the corner where you will see the Salcey Forest Horse Box car park.
Follow the edge of this road all the way back to the junction of Forest Road and Wootton Road.
Take a right onto Wootton Road and follow it back up to the Salcey Forest Visitor Centre car park to finish the walk.
Points of Interest along or near to the Route
Salcey Forest: An ancient medieval hunting forest managed by Forestry England. It is famous for its veteran oak trees and diverse wildlife, providing a tranquil woodland escape with roots dating back centuries.
The Ancient Oaks: Several veteran oak trees, some estimated to be over 500 years old, are scattered throughout the woodland. They serve as living monuments to the ecological history of the area and are well worth stopping to admire.
Hanslope Spire: Though located just off the primary path, the towering spire of St James the Great in Hanslope dominates the local skyline. It stands as one of the tallest steeples in Buckinghamshire and acts as a helpful navigational landmark for walkers in the surrounding fields.
Midshires Way previous section (south): Stoke Goldington and Tathall End
Running The Bakerloo Line
A few weeks ago, I completed my run of the Circle Line above ground. That particular challenge was actually completed in two parts, with a whole ten years between them! The first part covered the main circle, while the second part, completed much more recently, ticked off the Hammersmith Spur. That most recent run sparked something in me, inspiring me to take on more London Underground runs and walks.
Next up on the list: the Bakerloo line.
The line was originally called the "Baker Street and Waterloo Railway", but a journalist coined the term "Bakerloo" in a newspaper column shortly after it opened in 1906, and the railway company quickly adopted it. On paper, running the Bakerloo line is a much more straightforward undertaking. It’s a single point-to-point line with no complicated spurs and no circles to navigate.
The plan was simple: start at the northern terminus of Harrow & Wealdstone, follow the route as closely as possible above ground, visit every station for a mandatory selfie, and finish at Elephant & Castle 27 kilometres later. Afterwards, I’d simply take the tube all the way back to the start.
I’ll admit, the prep for this one wasn't ideal. I’d had a pretty heavy week at work, and the day before the run, I had been out on a day adventure on the south coast hunting OS Trig Pillars. Safe to say, when Sunday morning rolled around, I didn't feel completely up for a continuous 27 km run. I decided to adapt. The new plan was to run as much of the route as I could, and then walk the rest. To be honest, staying above ground seemed like the better option anyway: if I had taken the tube for that first leg, I would have been travelling on the oldest rolling stock on the London Underground, dating back to 1972, and sharing the tunnels with the Culex molestus, a unique breed of mosquito specific to the Underground network.
I drove to Harrow & Wealdstone station, parked up, and set off in a south-easterly direction. The first section of the route took me through the fairly residential north-west stretches of the line, through areas including Kenton, Wembley, Harlesden, and Queen's Park. There is nothing wrong with this section, but it is fairly residential and not massively distinct compared to what comes later.
By the time I reached Maida Vale, I was well and truly ready for a coffee and a piece of cake. I ducked into a Starbucks, completely satisfied that I had done all the running I wanted to do for the day. While taking a breather there, I was at a site of Underground history: when Maida Vale opened in 1915 during the First World War, it was the first station on the network to be staffed entirely by women. From this point on, it was going to be a walk.
From Maida Vale onwards, the route gets more interesting as you enter the pleasant, affluent parts of north-west London. There is a lot more to see, so it made perfect sense to take it slow, conserve my energy, and actually take in the sights.
Shortly after Maida Vale, I hit the Grand Union Canal. This is very familiar territory for me as I work nearby, and I enjoyed the stroll through Paddington Basin before scooting around St. Mary's Hospital towards Edgware Road.
It was at Edgware Road that I encountered my first navigational issue. When mapping out the run, I had accidentally planned my route to the wrong Edgware Road station. As tube trivia fans will know, there are two stations with the same name located very close to each other, but they aren't physically connected. One serves the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines, while the other, situated on the opposite side of the A40, serves the Bakerloo line. Naturally, I ended up visiting both of them by accident.
To compound my planning errors, I realised at Edgware Road that I had completely missed Marylebone station off my route list. Thankfully, I was able to divert and get that one in before heading on to Baker Street.
Upon reaching Regent's Park, the Bakerloo line takes a sharp right turn to the south. Interestingly, this station was actually an afterthought: it only received planning permission after construction had already begun on the rest of the line. I followed suit, walking down Regent Street, past the bustling crowds of Oxford Street, and on to Piccadilly Circus. From there, I headed down to Charing Cross and finally crossed the river towards Waterloo Station.
Arriving at Waterloo, my patchy route planning struck again. I realised I had also left Lambeth North out of my itinerary. It is quite ironic that I missed it, as the station has historically struggled with its own identity. When it opened in 1906, it was originally called Kennington Road, was renamed Westminster Bridge Road months later, and finally settled on Lambeth North in 1917. I made a quick detour south to visit it, snapping the required selfie before finally ending up at the southern terminus: Elephant & Castle.
I had covered the 27 kilometres. The run/walk was complete. Or so I thought. As I stood at Elephant & Castle, reviewing the day's efforts, I had a sudden, sinking realisation. I had walked straight past Embankment station without getting a selfie.
There was only one thing to do. I hopped on the Bakerloo line at Elephant & Castle, rode it a few stops north, and got out at Embankment to take the forgotten selfie. Mission officially accomplished, I got back on the train and took the tube all the way back up to Harrow & Wealdstone to collect my car and head home.
Back at Harrow & Wealdstone station, I decided to do a little extra bit of geekery by finding the eponymous Weald Stone. It is a seven-minute drive away, sitting unassumingly outside the Bombay Central restaurant on a roundabout.
It turns out that this ancient stone traditionally marked the old boundary between the parishes of Harrow and Harrow Weald. Interestingly, it is a sarsen stone, which is the exact same type of stone used to build Stonehenge. Finding this quirky piece of history made for a very satisfying end to a weekend of adventures.
Start: Harrow & Wealdstone Station, The Bridge, High St, Harrow HA3 5BP
Finish: Elephant & Castle Station, Bakerloo Line, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 6LW
Distance: 27 km (16.8 miles)
Elevation change: +145m /-193m. Net -48m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (Walk): Capital Ring, Regents Canal Towpath, Jubilee Greenway, Thames Path
Other routes touched (Cycle): C3, C5, C6, C27, C57, NCN4
Map: OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford
More London Posts
If you enjoyed reading this post, there is plenty more to explore across the capital. I have put together a dedicated London Outdoors page where I keep track of all my other adventures around the city. It is a handy index where I group my posts by the different types of places I have visited: including historic boundary lines, canal towpaths, and some surprising urban high points.
The collection covers a bit of everything: from long-distance cycling routes to tracing the underground network on foot, and ticking off another Saturday morning parkrun. If you are looking for some inspiration for your own weekend outings, head back over to the London Outdoors page to see what else I have been up to.
Yorkshire and The Humber parkruns
Yorkshire and the Humber is a vast and dramatically contrasting region of the UK, situated across northern and eastern England, acting as a major historical, cultural, and industrial hub. The region is composed of the ceremonial counties of West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, and parts of two others: the majority of North Yorkshire (excluding areas north of the River Tees) and the northern portion of Lincolnshire. Geographically, Yorkshire and the Humber is characterised by its sweeping, often wild topography, most notably across the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors: two distinct, rugged National Parks spanning the north and west of the region. It contains the towering, wind-swept ridges of the Pennine Chain and the uniquely flat, vast agricultural expanse of the Humber Estuary. Landscapes across the region are varied, ranging from the steep, dramatic limestone valleys of the dales to the heavily industrialised, densely populated urban centres of West and South Yorkshire, and the sheer, chalky cliffs of Flamborough Head on the east coast.
The administrative map of Yorkshire and the Humber underwent significant transformations following the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect in 1974. Prior to this, the region was largely defined by the ancient, historic county of Yorkshire (subdivided into the North, West, and East Ridings) alongside the historic county of Lincolnshire to the south. The 1974 reforms sought to modernise local government and address the sprawling industrial conurbations, leading to the creation of the metropolitan counties of West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, absorbing the heavily populated areas of the former West Riding. The reforms also created the controversial, and later abolished, county of Humberside, which merged the East Riding with the northernmost parts of Lincolnshire across the Humber estuary. Following further reorganisations in 1996, Humberside was dissolved, restoring the East Riding of Yorkshire and establishing the modern administrative landscape, though the distinct historic and cultural identities of the region's ancient boundaries continue to be fiercely celebrated.
parkrun event numbers per county
There are currently 68 parkrun events in the counties of the Yorkshire and The Humber region.
Notes and exceptions.
All South Yorkshire parkrun events were part of the historic county of Yorkshire except for Graves and Rother Valley which were in historic Derbyshire. The Rother Valley course crosses the border between the 2 historic counties.
Five North Yorkshire events in the Tees Valley: Albert, Flatts Lane, Marshall Drive, Redcar and Stewart are in North East England region. All other North Yorkshire events are in the Yorkshire and The Humber region.
Most of Lincolnshire is in the East Midlands Region, however the most northerly 6 parkrun events are in the Yorkshire and the Humber region: Ancholme Valley Way, Baysgarth Park, Cleethorpes, Normanby Hall, Scunthorpe, Vermuyden Way
The Yorkshire and The Humber Counties parkrun pages
Click on each of the images below to go to the page with details of the parkrun events for the county.
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
North East England parkruns
The parkrun Regionnaire status used to be a major part of parkrun tourism. Changes in the parkrun website in 2019 removed the regions making it harder to track completion status. All is not lost though, as here’s the complete parkrun guide to what’s in and what’s out of the counties of North West England.
The North East of England is a diverse and distinctive region of the UK, situated in the far north of the country, bordered by the North Sea to the east and sharing a long, historic border with Scotland. The region is composed of three ceremonial counties: County Durham, Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear. Geographically, the North East is characterised by its rugged coastline and expansive, sparsely populated uplands, most notably across Northumberland National Park: a dramatic and ancient landscape stretching south from the Cheviot Hills. It contains the deeply historic, rolling hills of the North Pennines (predominantly in County Durham and Northumberland) and the iconic, windswept route of Hadrian's Wall. Landscapes across the region are varied, ranging from the steep limestone cliffs and sandy bays of the Durham coast to the vast coniferous woodland of Kielder Forest and the rich, post-industrial river valleys of the Tyne, the Wear, and the Tees.
The administrative map of the North East underwent a significant transformation following the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect in 1974. Prior to this, the region was defined by the ancient historic counties of Northumberland and County Durham (and historically, a portion of northern Yorkshire). The 1974 reforms sought to modernise local government, particularly to address the dense, industrial urban growth around the major rivers. This led to the creation of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, which absorbed heavily populated, heavily industrialised swathes of south-east Northumberland and north-east County Durham (including Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland). The reforms also created the short-lived county of Cleveland in the south (absorbing parts of Durham and Yorkshire around the Tees), though this was later abolished. These boundaries, particularly the establishment of Tyne and Wear alongside the slightly reduced modern counties of Northumberland and Durham, were solidified for the purposes of appointing Lord-Lieutenants by the Lieutenancies Act 1997, firmly establishing the modern "ceremonial counties" we recognise today, even as the region's historic identities continue to hold deep cultural significance.
parkrun event numbers per county
There are currently 43 parkrun events in the counties of the North East England region.
Notes and exceptions.
Five North Yorkshire events in the Tees Valley: Albert, Flatts Lane, Marshall Drive, Redcar and Stewart are in North East England region. All other North Yorkshire events are in the Yorkshire and The Humber region.
The North East England Counties parkrun pages
Click on each of the images below to go to the page with details of the parkrun events for the county.
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Walking The Midshires Way Part 16: Stoke Goldington and Tathall End
Thatched cottages on Stoke Goldington High Street
Start & Finish: High Street, Stoke Goldington, Newport Pagnell MK16 8NR
Distance: 12.9 km (8.0 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 125m
Terrain: A mixture of village pavements, country lanes, field paths, and rural tracks.
Midshires Way section covered: Little Linford Wood to (near) Stokepark Wood: 4.5 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Midshires Way, The Swan Way, Hanslope Circular Ride, Three Shires Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Lamb, Stoke Goldington, although this was shut down when we visited in August 2026
Map: Newport Pagnell & Northampton South Map | Towcester & Olney | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 207
Links: Milton Keynes, Stoke Goldington, Tathall End
Welcome to Part 16 of our series of short circular walks along the Buckinghamshire section of the Midshires Way. For a complete overview of the 225-mile trail's history, its connection to the Swan's Way, and preparation tips, please read my complete Midshires Way Through Buckinghamshire Guide.
Walking Directions
This is a delightful loop exploring the Buckinghamshire countryside between Stoke Goldington and the hamlet of Tathall End. This walk offers a quiet escape through open fields and rural tracks, providing a fantastic opportunity to appreciate the local wildlife and historic village architecture. It is a brilliant way to spend a few hours stretching your legs in the fresh air.
The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
You can find free on-street parking on Stoke Goldington High Street, quite close to the former Lamb pub and opposite the old post office, which is now a private house. The Lamb was shut down when we visited in August 2026, so it is worth checking if it has reopened before you leave if you plan to eat or drink there, as there are no other pubs or cafes on the route.
Walk south down the high street to the war memorial and the lovely Stoke Goldington village sign.
Just after the war memorial, take a footpath on the right and follow Ram Alley in a south-westerly direction into a farm.
At the farm, take a left at the T-junction, follow it for a little bit, and then take a right at the next T-junction to walk along a path beside a hedgerow.
Keep going south-west until you reach a lane, then turn left and follow it in a south-easterly direction.
You will have Buntsy wood on your right and open farms and farmland on your left.
Keep following the lane past the edge of the wood, and when it curves to the left, take the footpath on the right into the fields.
Walk until you reach the edge of New Plantation, which is part of Gayhurst wood.
Look out for a clump of trees on a raised artificial hill on your left: if you walk up into the trees, you get a great line of sight through to Gayhurst Court. This is a historic manor house, but instead of being a training centre, the house and service buildings were actually converted into houses and flats in the 1970s.
Follow the edge of New Plantation as it curves around to the right.
At the path junction, turn left to cross the fields in a southerly direction towards the M1. You cannot miss the motorway: you can clearly see and hear it.
When you reach the edge of the M1, turn left and follow the path parallel to the road in a south-easterly direction.
Take the underpass on the right, which is also on the Three Shires Way, to go under the M1.
Continue in a south-westerly direction until you reach the edge of Little Linford wood.
Turn left to follow the boundary of the wood, and at the southern corner, take a right onto the Hanslope Circular Ride.
Follow the ride in a north-westerly direction: about halfway into Little Linford wood, you will pick up where you left off on part 16 of the Midshires Way.
Keep on the Hanslope circular ride to the north-westerly corner of the wood, and follow the Midshires Way as it opens out into farmland.
Walk north-west across the farmland until you reach the boundary of Hanslope Park, which is a government communications research centre that is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Follow the Midshires Way as it skirts around the north-eastern side of Hanslope Park.
When you reach the road, turn right and head in a north-easterly direction towards Tathall End.
Be careful on this stretch of road: it was fairly quiet when we were there, but there is no footpath, so watch out for traffic.
At Tathall End, the road curves right, but you need to keep walking north on the footpath that continues the Hanslope circular ride and Midshires Way.
Pass under another M1 underpass and head into the flat farmland, continuing to walk north.
The Midshires Way will leave to the left, but keep walking straight north into Stoke Park Wood.
When you reach a cross junction of paths in the centre of Stoke Park Wood, take a right to head east towards the edge of the wood. Here, you get a really nice view over to Stoke Goldington and down Small Valley, and there is a bench right at the edge of the wood if you want to sit for a rest.
To continue the walk, turn left, and then turn right at the edge of the field by a mobile phone mast.
Follow the farm lane in an easterly direction, passing the church on your left-hand side.
Follow the path around to the left and take the bridleway that runs parallel to Dag Lane.
Continue all the way along Dag Lane until you arrive back on the High Street at the start of your walk.
Points of Interest along or near to the Route
Stoke Goldington: Stoke Goldington is a historic village whose roots can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086. The village's name derives from the Old English 'stoc', meaning a settlement, and 'Goldington', likely referring to a local landowner. Its picturesque High Street features beautiful thatched cottages and a striking war memorial, making it a quintessential starting point for a rural walk.
Church of St Peter, Stoke Goldington: This Grade I listed parish church is dedicated to St Peter and anchors the village. The earliest parts of the building date from the 12th century, showcasing deep historical roots.
Little Linford Wood: Part of the ancient woodland network in the region. These sites are crucial for biodiversity, often harbouring protected species and providing a glimpse of the landscape as it appeared centuries ago before intensive agriculture.
Hanslope Park: Hidden behind a perimeter of trees lies Hanslope Park, a highly secure government estate with a fascinating history. Requisitioned during the Second World War, it became the base for the Radio Security Service and His Majesty's Government Communications Centre (HMGCC). It was here in 1944 that computing pioneer Alan Turing developed 'Delilah', a groundbreaking portable speech encryption system. The site remains a vital, secretive hub for the UK's national security and diplomatic communications.
Tathall End: Located on the periphery of Hanslope, Tathall End is a small, tranquil hamlet that retains its traditional English rural character. Historically, such "Ends" were satellite settlements linked to a larger manor, serving as agricultural hubs for the surrounding open-field system. Today, it provides a peaceful, pastoral backdrop as you traverse the Buckinghamshire landscape.
Midshires Way previous section (south): Stantonbury Lake and Little Linford
Midshires Way next section (north): Salcey Forest and the Northamptonshire Border
Completing all Northumberland parkruns
There are currently 9 parkrun events in the present-day county of Northumberland, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Carlisle Park which started on 5 October 2013 and the newest is Kirkharle Courtyard which started on 13 structural May 2023. The name for having completed all parkrun events in Yorkshire is “North-done-berland”.
There are an additional 6 parkrun events in the historic county of Northumberland that are now in the present-day county of Tyne & Wear.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the Northumberland parkrun events …
Below are each of the Northumberland 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Ashington Community Woodland
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 20 January 2024
Links: Home Page, Course Page
Blyth Links
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 20 April 2019
Links: Home Page, Course Page
Carlisle Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 5 October 2013
Links: Home Page, Course Page
Druridge Bay
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 9 August 2014
Links: Home Page, Course Page
Kirkharle Courtyard
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 13 May 2023
Links: Home Page, Course Page
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 13 October 2018
Links: Home Page, Course Page
Prudhoe Riverside
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 12 November 2016
Links: Home Page, Course Page
The Pastures
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 12 January 2019
Links: Home Page, Course Page
Tyne Green
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Northumberland
Inaugural: 20 April 2019
Links: Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all Tyne and Wear parkruns
There are currently 14 parkrun events in the present-day county of Tyne and Wear, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Town Moor which started on 16 January 2010 and the newest is Windy Nook which started on 20 April 2024. The name for having completed all parkrun events in Tyne and Wear is “Full Tyne”.
Tyne and Wear is a present-day / Ceremonial county that was formed from the north-eastern part of County Durham and the south-eastern part of Northumberland. The event listings below show which are in either of the historic counties.
Gibside was a parkrun event in Tyne and Wear but has now been permanently cancelled.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the Tyne and Wear parkrun events …
Below are each of the Tyne and Wear 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Chopwell Wood
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 30th October 2021
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Denton Dene
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 17th June 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Elemore Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 15th November 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Fulwell Quarry
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 18th May 2024
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Gateshead
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 18th February 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Gibside
This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: February 22nd 2014. Final event: #280 on March 14th 2020
Reason for cancellation: Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and changes on the Gibside estate (National Trust property) making the original course unviable.
Replaced by: Chopwell Wood
Links: Event Home Page
Herrington Country
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 20th July 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Jesmond Dene
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 12th October 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Leazes
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 17th August 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Rising Sun
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 4th June 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Silksworth
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Sunderland. Changed to more accurately reflect the specific location of the course within the Silksworth Sports Complex, particularly as other parkrun events began to populate the wider Sunderland area.
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 10th October 2009
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
South Shields
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 20th April 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Town Moor
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Newcastle. Changed when the event restarted after the COVID-19 pause. Several other parkruns had launched in Newcastle, requiring a more specific location name, which was accompanied by a route change.
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 16th January 2010
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Whitley Bay
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Northumberland
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 16th June 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Windy Nook
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear
Inaugural: 2nd December 2017
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all County Durham parkruns
There are currently 15 parkrun events in the present-day county of County Durham, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Durham which started on 13th August 2011 and the newest is Oakey Park which started on 27th June 2026. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is The Pink Panther.
There are an additional 8 parkrun events in the historic county of County Durham that are now in the present-day county of Tyne & Wear.
Tees Barrage was a parkrun event in County Durham but has now been permanently cancelled.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the County Durham parkrun events …
Below are each of the County Durham 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Blackhill
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 13th July 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Cotsford Fields
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 23rd June 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Darlington South Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 15th December 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Durham
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 13th August 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Hackworth
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 9th March 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Hamsterley Forest
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 6th November 2021
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Hartlepool
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 26th April 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Heritage Coastal Path, Easington
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 21st June 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Jubilee
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: October 2019 (Note: exact inaugural Saturday is unspecified in the source records)
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Oakey Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 27th June 2026
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Riverside
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 14th July 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Sedgefield
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 17th March 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Tees Barrage
This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: June 23rd 2012. Final event: #378 on March 14th 2020
Reason for cancellation: Reportedly due to a runner tripping and injuring themselves then making a claim against the water authority who are the landowners. The landowners decided not to continue with permission to allow the event.
Replaced by: “Sure some of the core team set up Wynyard Woodlands as its replacement”
Links: Event Home Page
The Demesnes
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 11th October 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Ushaw Historic House
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 11th October 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Wynyard Woodland
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: County Durham
Ceremonial County: County Durham
Inaugural: 15th April 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all West Yorkshire parkruns
There are currently 27 parkrun events in the present-day county of West Yorkshire, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Woodhouse Moor which started on 6th October 2007 and the newest is East Holmes Field which started on 2nd August 2025. The name for having completed all parkrun events in Yorkshire is “Yorkshire Pud-done”.
Storthes Hall was a parkrun event in West Yorkshire but has now been permanently cancelled.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the West Yorkshire parkrun events …
Below are each of the West Yorkshire 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Armley
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 16th June 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Bowling Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 22nd February 2020
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Bramley
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 13th June 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Centre Vale
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 9th March 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Chevin Forest
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 28th August 2021
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Cliffe Castle
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 15th September 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Cross Flatts
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 30th March 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Dewsbury
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 23rd June 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
East Holmes Field
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 2nd August 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Frickley Country
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 6th January 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Halifax
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 7th March 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Horton Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 30th May 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Huddersfield
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 2nd April 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Lister Park, Bradford
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Bradford. Changed to align with parkrun HQ's naming rules by referencing the specific park rather than the wider city, especially since multiple parkrun events exist within the Bradford district.
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 17th April 2010
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Middleton Woods
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 13th April 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Myrtle
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 3rd November 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Nostell
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Nostell Priory. The name was shortened to align with parkrun's naming conventions, referencing the wider Nostell village and estate rather than specifically the Priory building.
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 19th July 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Oakwell Hall
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 19th July 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Pontefract
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 7th May 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Potternewton
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 17th November 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Roberts Park
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 2nd October 2021
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Rothwell
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 29th July 2017
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Roundhay
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 23rd April 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Storthes Hall
This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: January 19th 2019. Final event: #50 on March 14th 2020
Reason for cancellation: The Storthes Hall Student Village, its host venue, closed down due to business challenges.
Links: Event Home Page
Temple Newsam
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 2nd February 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Wakefield Thornes
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 20th September 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Wetherby
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 21st March 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Woodhouse Moor
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Hyde Park Time Trial. The original set of Time Trials were rebranded as "parkrun" in 2008 to appeal to a wider, non-traditional running community. The event became known as Leeds parkrun before changing again to Woodhouse Moor parkrun.
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: West Yorkshire
Inaugural: 6th October 2007
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all North Yorkshire parkruns
There are currently 20 parkrun events in the present-day county of North Yorkshire, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Albert which started on 31 May 2008 and the newest is York Community Woodland which started on 14 December 2024. The name for having completed all parkrun events in Yorkshire is “Yorkshire Pud-done”.
Five North Yorkshire events in the Tees Valley: Albert, Flatts Lane, Marshall Drive, Redcar and Stewart are in North East England region. All other North Yorkshire events are in the Yorkshire and The Humber region.
Castle Howard, Catterick and New Earswick were parkrun events in North Yorkshire but have now been permanently cancelled.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the North Yorkshire parkrun events …
Below are each of the North Yorkshire 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Albert
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Albert Park Time Trial. The original set of Time Trials were rebranded as "parkrun" in 2008 to appeal to a wider, non-traditional running community.
Region: North East England
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 31st May 2008
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Castle Howard
This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: September 14th 2019. Final event: #23 on March 7th 2020
Reason for cancellation: The owners (the Howard Family) felt the parkrun got in the way of their daily operation & opening hours. Also - dissolution of the core volunteer team.
Links: Event Home Page
Catterick
This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: June 17th 2017. Final event: #135 on March 14th 2020
Reason for cancellation: Catterick racecourse management decided they could no longer host it, citing reasons like public liability risks, potential disturbance to the on-site fishing club, and plans for their own redevelopment.
Replaced by: Thorp Perrow
Links: Event Home Page
Conyngham Hall
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 18th May 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Dalby Forest
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 19th March 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Flatts Lane
I have not yet completed this event
Region: North East England
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 16th September 2017
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Fountains Abbey
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 1st March 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Harrogate
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 21st January 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Heslington
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 13th January 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Marshall Drive
I have not yet completed this event
Region: North East England
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 23rd February 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Millfield
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 15th June 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
New Earswick
This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: April 21st 2018. Final event: #241 on August 30th 2025
Reason for cancellation: Due to unresolved capacity issues and conflicts with other activities at the New Earswick Sports & Social Club, the venue's home, leading to unsafe overlaps, parking complaints, and inability to find a workable solution
Links: Event Home Page
North Yorkshire Water Park
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 26th February 2022
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Northallerton
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 16th April 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Redcar
I have not yet completed this event
Region: North East England
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 28th April 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Selby
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 24th February 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Skipton
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 7th September 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Stewart
I have not yet completed this event
Region: North East England
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 7th July 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
The Cinder Track
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 23rd October 2021
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Thorp Perrow
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 16th September 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Woodlands, Scarborough
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 28th June 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
York
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 14th January 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
York Community Woodland
I have not yet completed this event
Region: Yorkshire and The Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: North Yorkshire
Inaugural: 31st January 2026
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all South Yorkshire parkruns
There are currently 13 parkrun events in the present-day county of South Yorkshire, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Endcliffe which started on 10th July 2010 and the newest is Waverley Lakes which started on 11th January 2025. The name for having completed all parkrun events in Yorkshire is “Yorkshire Pud-done”.
All South Yorkshire parkrun events were part of the historic county of Yorkshire except for Graves and Rother Valley which were in historic Derbyshire. The Rother Valley course crosses the border between the 2 historic counties.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the South Yorkshire parkrun events …
Below are each of the South Yorkshire 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Barnsley
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 22nd January 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Concord
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 8th January 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Cusworth Hall
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 5th October 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Endcliffe
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Sheffield Hallam. Name changed following a route alteration to exclude a pavement section on Rustlings Road for safety reasons. This evolution into a fully park-based route prompted a rebrand.
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 10th July 2010
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Graves
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Derbyshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 14th April 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Hillsborough
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 2nd February 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Millhouses
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 19th October 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Penistone
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 12th October 2024
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Rother Valley
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Derbyshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 11th May 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Rotherham
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 29th June 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Sandall Park
I have not yet completed this event
Original name: Doncaster. Changed to align with parkrun HQ's naming policy, which stipulates events should be named after the smallest identifiable geographical area (the park) rather than the town.
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 30th March 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Sheffield Castle
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 19th October 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Waverley Lakes
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: South Yorkshire
Inaugural: 11th January 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Completing all East Riding of Yorkshire parkruns
There are currently 7 parkrun events in the present-day county of East Riding of Yorkshire, of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Hull parkrun which started on 3rd April 2010 and the newest is Withernsea Promenade parkrun which started on 27th July 2024. The name for having completed all parkrun events in Yorkshire is “Yorkshire Pud-done”.
Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.
All of the East Riding of Yorkshire parkrun events …
Below are each of the East Riding of Yorkshire 5k parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:
The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me if you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s a regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.
Beverley Westwood
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: East Riding of Yorkshire
This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club
Inaugural: 13th July 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Goole
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: East Riding of Yorkshire
Inaugural: 30th May 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Hull
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: East Riding of Yorkshire
Inaugural: 3rd April 2010
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Humber Bridge
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: East Riding of Yorkshire
Inaugural: 7th June 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Peter Pan
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: East Riding of Yorkshire
Inaugural: 13th April 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Sewerby
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: East Riding of Yorkshire
Inaugural: 5th November 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
Withernsea Promenade
I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Yorkshire
Ceremonial County: East Riding of Yorkshire
Inaugural: 27th July 2024
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
parkrun Name Changers
Have you ever looked back through your parkrun results, or perhaps tried to look up an old event you ran years ago, only to find the name has completely vanished? You are not going into a parallel universe: it turns out quite a few UK events have quietly rebranded over the years.
In fact, the biggest name change in the movement's history applies to the very first events! When founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt launched the original 5k back in October 2004, it was called the Bushy Park Time Trial (BPTT). As the movement slowly expanded to other locations like Wimbledon Common, Richmond, Banstead Woods, and Leeds, they were collectively known as "UK Time Trials." It wasn't until mid-2008 that the entire organization officially rebranded as "parkrun" to appeal to a wider, non-traditional running community. So, technically, all of those original "Time Trial" events were the very first parkrun name changers. Here is the full list of those early pioneers and the names they eventually adopted:
Albert Park Time Trial ➔ Albert parkrun, Middlesbrough
Banstead Woods Time Trial ➔ Banstead Woods parkrun
Bramhall Park Time Trial ➔ Bramhall parkrun
Brighton & Hove Time Trial ➔ Brighton & Hove parkrun
Bushy Park Time Trial ➔ Bushy parkrun
Cardiff Blackweir Time Trial ➔ Cardiff parkrun
Hyde Park Time Trial ➔ Leeds parkrun ➔ Woodhouse Moor parkrun
North Hampshire Time Trial ➔ Basingstoke parkrun
Richmond Park Time Trial ➔ Richmond Park parkrun
Wimbledon Common Time Trial ➔ Wimbledon Common parkrun
It is an interesting little quirk of parkrun history. When you first hear about a local event, it is naturally referred to by the town or city it is in. But as the movement has grown, so too has the need for specificity.
parkrun HQ actually has a fairly strict naming policy: events are supposed to be named after the smallest identifiable geographical area where the event takes place. Think a specific park, trail, or open space rather than the name of the nearest town. This usually becomes an issue when a town gets large enough to host a second event.
A great example is Swindon parkrun. It ran under that name for nearly a decade, but when a second event (Seven Fields parkrun) popped up on the other side of town in 2019, organisers needed to adopt a more specific location-based name to avoid confusion. So, Swindon parkrun officially became Lydiard parkrun, named after the country park where it is held.
In other cases, it is just about accuracy. Take Ludlow parkrun, which rebranded to Mortimer Forest parkrun in August 2026. The venue was never actually in the town of Ludlow itself, and the new name does a much better job of reflecting the beautiful, hilly woodland trails where the event actually takes place.
If you are a bit of a stats geek like me and worry about your parkrun profile, don't panic. When an event changes its name, all previous results, personal bests, and volunteer credits are retroactively updated on the system. Your history remains completely intact; it just gets a new name.
It is worth noting that there can be a fine line between a parkrun that has simply changed its name and one that has been permanently cancelled and replaced by a new event with a different name. The key difference lies in the event history: a true "Name Changer", like the ones on this list, keeps the same course and continues the same event number count on their Results page. On the other hand, a new event that replaces a permanently cancelled one starts its count all over again at Event number 1. An example of this is Storeys Field parkrun. When it was permanently cancelled, it was replaced nearby by Brook Leys parkrun. Even though it is run by the same core team and located close by, Brook Leys is officially a brand new event, so its event count started back at 1.
Let me know in the Comments or contact me if you have any additional information or corrections to the information here. I’m also looking for images of the parkrun banners with the old name and the new name. I’ll donate £1 to parkrun for each contribution and will list you as a Contributor to this page.
Black icons represent the original Time Trial events that changed to parkrun events. Orange icons represent post-Time Trial name changers.
Avery Hill
Original Name: Greenwich
Date of Name Change: March 2025
Reason for Name Change: The original name was frequently confusing for tourists and visitors, as the course is located in Avery Hill Park in Eltham, not the famous Greenwich Park.
Region: London
Historic County: Kent
Present Day County: Greater London
Links: Avery Hill parkrun
Photo by: Katherine Richards, Claire Allison
Chippenham Playing Fields, Monmouth
Original Name: Chippenham Playing Fields
Date of Name Change: Unknown
Reason for Name Change: Added the specific town name to the title to avoid confusion with the existing Chippenham parkrun over in Wiltshire.
Region: Wales
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Present Day County: Monmouthshire
Colby Woodland Garden
Original Name: Colby
Date of Name Change: Unknown
Reason for Name Change: To align with parkrun HQ's naming conventions and more accurately reflect the full name of the specific National Trust venue.
Region: Wales
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Present Day County: Pembrokeshire
Links: Colby Woodland Garden
Photos by: Melanie Pickup, Donna Sykes
Crinan Canal, Lochgilphead
Original Name: Crinan Canal
Date of Name Change: Final one in old location was 21 June 2025. First one in new location was 15 November 2025
Reason for Name Change: They had a sink hole on the original route, were cancelled for a bit and then restarted on a different part of the canal (15 minute drive from original start line) with amended name.
Region: Scotland
Historic County: Argyllshire
Present Day County: Argyll and Bute
Links: Crinan Canal, Lochgilphead
Photo by: Tracey Jessup
Endcliffe
Original Name: Sheffield Hallam
Date of Name Change: July 2020
Reason for Name Change: A necessary change to the route to exclude a pavement section on Rustlings Road for safety reasons. This evolution into a fully park-based route prompted a rebrand.
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Present Day County: South Yorkshire
Links: Endcliffe parkrun
Photo by: Joanne Chappell
Ferry Meadows
Original Name: Peterborough
Date of Name Change: December 2019
Reason for Name Change: To reflect the specific area and community rather than the generic city as a whole, especially due to multiple parkruns existing in the Peterborough area.
Region: East of England
Historic County: Huntingdonshire
Present Day County: Cambridgeshire
Links: Ferry Meadows parkrun
Photo by: Jayne Pell, Mandy Ellwood
Gorleston Cliffs
Original Name: Gorleston
Date of Name Change: Unknown
Reason for Name Change: To more accurately reflect the specific location and beautiful cliff-top course, aligning with parkrun HQ's policy of naming events after their exact venue rather than the town as a whole.
Region: East of England
Historic County: Suffolk
Present Day County: Norfolk
Links: Gorleston Cliffs
Great Notley
Original Name: Braintree
Date of Name Change: June 2014
Reason for Name Change: The event was initially planned and referred to as Braintree parkrun during its setup phase, but was renamed to Great Notley prior to its inaugural event to adhere to parkrun's rule of naming events after the park itself.
Region: East of England
Historic County: Essex
Present Day County: Essex
Links: Great Notley parkrun
Greenham Common, Newbury
Original Name: Newbury
Date of Name Change: September 2025
Reason for Name Change: To better reflect its location and to differentiate it from the recently established Victoria Park parkrun, which is also located in Newbury.
Region: South East England
Historic County: Berkshire
Present Day County: Berkshire
Photo by: Linda Whalley, Claire Allison
Leybourne Lakes
Original Name: Malling
Date of Name Change: October 2024
Reason for Name Change: To avoid confusion with Malling Rec parkrun in Lewes (which started in summer 2024), and to logically reflect its actual location in Leybourne Lakes Country Park, since "Malling" is a borough and not a specific town.
Region: South East England
Historic County: Kent
Present Day County: Kent
Links: Leybourne Lakes parkrun
Photos by: Richard Gower, Jan Brodie
Lister Park
Original Name: Bradford
Date of Name Change: October 2023
Reason for Name Change: To align with parkrun HQ's naming rules by referencing the specific park (Lister Park) rather than the wider city, especially since multiple parkrun events exist within the Bradford district.
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Present Day County: West Yorkshire
Links: Lister Park
Photos by: Andy Wilkinson, Victoria Knight-Phillips, Donna Tucker, Callum Burrell
Lydiard
Original Name: Swindon
Date of Name Change: Late 2019
Reason for Name Change: A second parkrun (Seven Fields) launched on the other side of Swindon, so the original event adopted a more specific location-based name to avoid confusion.
Region: South West England
Historic County: Wiltshire
Present Day County: Wiltshire
Links: Lydiard parkrun
Maidstone River Park
Original Name: Maidstone
Date of Name Change: March 2024
Reason for Name Change: To better reflect the route and align with parkrun policy of using the smallest identifiable location, particularly since Mote Park parkrun had also opened in Maidstone.
Region: South East England
Historic County: Kent
Present Day County: Kent
Links: Maidstone River Park
Photos By: James Dane, Shanon Maria Bowland
Markeaton
Original Name: Darley Abbey
Date of Name Change: March 2016
Reason for Name Change: The event relocated to a different site (Markeaton Park) following its last run at Darley Abbey in January 2016, carrying over its event number count to the new location.
Region: East Midlands
Historic County: Derbyshire
Present Day County: Derbyshire
Links: Markeaton parkrun
Markshall
This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled.
Original Name: Markshall Estate
Date of Name Change: February 2026. Final event: #229 on August 22nd 2026
Reason for Name Change: Renamed from Markshall Estate parkrun after the landowner went through a rebranding exercise. It’s not pronounced “Marks-Hall” but “Mark-shall”.
Reason for cancellation: “The continued growth has resulted in increased pressures being put on Markshall’s infrastructure, facilities and personnel, resulting in recent parkrun events being temporarily cancelled. Representatives from both parkrun and Markshall have worked hard to resolve these issues but unfortunately, they could not be resolved satisfactorily.” (posted on the event’s news page on September 30th 2026)
Region: East of England
Historic County: Essex
Present Day County: Essex
Links: Markshall
Photos by: Len Marten, Dilly Ruffer, Jo Brooks, Rachel Hill, Clare Mitchell, Alison Bullyment
Milton Country
Original Name: Cambridge
Date of Name Change: April 2023
Reason for Name Change: Following a prolonged hiatus during and after the pandemic, the event returned to Milton Country Park (initially having announced closure) with a slightly revised course and adopted a new name that accurately reflects its specific park venue rather than the broader city.
Region: East of England
Historic County: Cambridgeshire
Present Day County: Cambridgeshire
Links: Milton Country
Photos by: Dan Moult, Damian Baker
Monsal Trail
Original Name: Bakewell
Date of Name Change: November 2021
Reason for Name Change: The event retired its old route and moved to a new, safer course on the Monsal Trail.
Region: East Midlands
Historic County: Derbyshire
Present Day County: Derbyshire
Links: Monsal Trail parkrun
Photos by: Sarah Morley, Liz Dee, Sarah Walton, Callum Burrell, Karen Borowski, Lee Barnard
Mortimer Forest
Original Name: Ludlow
Date of Name Change: August 2026
Reason for Name Change: The venue was never actually in or near the town of Ludlow (it is roughly three miles away). Organisers felt the new name better reflected the trails and scenery where the event is held.
Region: West Midlands
Historic County: Herefordshire
Present Day County: Herefordshire
Links: Mortimer Forest parkrun
Photo by: Mark Brace, Tammy Johnson
Nostell
Original Name: Nostell Priory
Date of Name Change: Circa 2018
Reason for Name Change: The name was shortened to align with parkrun's naming conventions, referencing the wider Nostell village and estate rather than specifically the Priory building.
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Present Day County: West Yorkshire
Links: Nostell parkrun
Pollok, Glasgow
Original Name: Glasgow
Date of Name Change: June 2014
Reason for Name Change: The first parkrun in Scotland was originally just known as Glasgow. However, due to the growth of parkrun and the addition of three other events within the city, it was renamed to Pollok to reflect its specific location in Pollok Country Park.
Region: Scotland
Historic County: Lanarkshire
Present Day County: Glasgow City
Links: Pollok parkrun, Glasgow
Queen's, Belfast
Original Name: Queen's
Date of Name Change: Unknown
Reason for Name Change: Changed to distinguish the event from other locations referencing Queen's park, highlighting its specific location at Queen's University Sport in South Belfast.
Region: Northern Ireland
Historic County: Antrim
Links: Queen's, Belfast
Photo by: Sarah Silver, Shanon Maria Bowland
Sandall Park
Original Name: Doncaster
Date of Name Change: Circa 2022
Reason for Name Change: To align with parkrun HQ's naming policy, which stipulates events should be named after the smallest identifiable geographical area (the park) rather than the town.
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Present Day County: South Yorkshire
Links: Sandall Park parkrun
Photo by: Gail Bramall
Silksworth
Original Name: Sunderland
Date of Name Change: Circa 2018
Reason for Name Change: To more accurately reflect the specific location of the course within the Silksworth Sports Complex, particularly as other parkrun events began to populate the wider Sunderland area.
Region: North East England
Historic County: County Durham
Present Day County: Tyne and Wear
Links: Silksworth parkrun
Photos by: Samantha Goodall, Debsy Wright
Town Moor
Original Name: Newcastle
Date of Name Change: July 2021
Reason for Name Change: Changed when the event restarted after the COVID-19 pause. Several other parkruns had launched in Newcastle, requiring a more specific location name, which was accompanied by a route change.
Region: North East England
Historic County: Northumberland
Present Day County: Tyne and Wear
Links: Town Moor parkrun
Photo by: Katherine Richards, Julie Spells
Woodhouse Moor
Original Name: Leeds parkrun (and originally Hyde Park Time Trial)
Date of Name Change: February 2015
Reason for Name Change: To reflect the fact that there were now four separate parkruns operating within the city of Leeds.
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber
Historic County: Yorkshire
Present Day County: West Yorkshire
Links: Woodhouse Moor parkrun
Contributors
The great people of the parkrun Tourism community who provided input to this page. Photo credits are listed above in the relevant event section.
Mark Brace, Laura Ritchie, Juli Wiseman, Katherine Richards, Paul Woodyatt, Gail Bramall, Tracey Jessup, Linda Whalley, Olly Hughes, Jan Brodie, Len Marten, Dily Ruffer, Andy Wilkinson, Jayne Pell, Dan Moult, Melanie Pickup, Sarah Morley, Joanne Chappell, Samantha Goodall, Debsy Wright, Donna Sykes, Liz Dee, Sarah Walton, Graham Holland, Victoria Knight-Phillips, Jo Brooks, James Dane, Rachel Hill, Sarah Silver, Donna Tucker, Tammy Johnson, Damian Baker, Shanon Maria Bowland, Julie Spells, Alison Bullyment, Karen Borowski, Claire Allison, Mandy Ellwood
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
North West England parkruns
The parkrun Regionnaire status used to be a major part of parkrun tourism. Changes in the parkrun website in 2019 removed the regions making it harder to track completion status. All is not lost though, as here’s the complete parkrun guide to what’s in and what’s out of the counties of North West England.
The North West of England is a diverse and heavily populated region of the UK, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea and to the east by the Pennines, serving as a major economic and cultural powerhouse in Northern England. The region is composed of five ceremonial counties: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Merseyside. Geographically, the North West is characterised by its dramatic transition from expansive urban areas to rugged upland terrain, most notably across the Lake District: a mountainous National Park spanning much of the length of Cumbria. It contains the prominent, sweeping ridges of the Forest of Bowland (predominantly in Lancashire) and the vast, scenic estuary of Morecambe Bay. Landscapes across the region are varied, ranging from the flat, agricultural expanse of the Cheshire Plain to the towering peaks of the Cumbrian fells and the rich, historic river valleys of the Mersey and the Irwell.
The administrative map of the North West underwent a significant transformation following the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect in 1974. Prior to this, the region was defined by the ancient historic counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumberland, and Westmorland. The 1974 reforms sought to modernise local government, particularly to address the sprawling urban growth around major industrial cities. This led to the creation of the metropolitan counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, which absorbed large, heavily populated swathes of historic Lancashire and Cheshire. Further north, the sparsely populated historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland were merged, alongside the Furness area of Lancashire and a sliver of Yorkshire, to form the new county of Cumbria. These boundaries were later solidified for the purposes of appointing Lord-Lieutenants by the Lieutenancies Act 1997, firmly establishing the modern "ceremonial counties" we recognise today, even as the region's historic identities continue to hold deep cultural significance.
parkrun event numbers per county
There are currently 80 parkrun events in the counties of the North West England region.
Notes and exceptions.
Birkenhead and Brimstage were in historic Cheshire and are now in Merseyside.
All other Merseyside parkrun events were in the historic county of Lancashire.
Widnes was in historic Lancashire and is now in Cheshire.
Bramhall Park, Cheadle Hulme, Hyde, Marple, Sale Water, Woodbank and Wythenshawe were in historic Cheshire and are now in Greater Manchester.
Fletcher Moss was in historic Lancashire and is now in Greater Manchester but a small part of the course crosses into present-day Cheshire.
Barrow, Fell Foot, Ford and Grizedale Forest were in historic Lancashire and are now in Cumbria.
Rothay Park was in historic Westmorland and is now in Cumbria.
All other Cumbria parkrun events were in the historic county of Cumberland.
Alexandra, Bolton, Burnage, Chadderton Hall, Clarence, Fletcher Moss, Haigh Woodland, Heaton Park, Kingsway Park Urmston, Oldham, Peel, Pennington Flash, Philips Park, South Manchester, Stamford Park, Stretford, Watergrove and Worsley Woods were in historic Lancashire and are now in Greater Manchester
Crosby, Croxteth Hall, Kew Woods, Knowsley, Princes, Southport, St Helens and Sutton Manor were in historic Lancashire and are now in Merseyside.
Warrington is in Cheshire but the route cuts through a small part of Lancashire.
Centre Vale straddles the border of historic Lancashire and Yorkshire but is currently fully in West Yorkshire.
The North West England Counties parkrun pages
Click on each of the images below to go to the page with details of the parkrun events for the county.
More parkrun posts
parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.
Featured and popular parkrun posts:
Walking The Midshires Way Part 15: Stantonbury Lake and Little Linford
On the Midshires Way through farmland approaching Little Linford Wood
Start & Finish: Great Linford Memorial Hall Car Park, 630 Marsh Dr, Great Linford, Milton Keynes MK14 5AS
Distance: 10.4 km (6.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 74m
Terrain: A mixture of paved suburban footpaths, established park trails, and potentially muddy rural tracks.
Midshires Way section covered: Great Linford to Little Linford Wood : 5.0 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Midshires Way, The Swan Way, Hanslope Circular Ride, Railway Walk, Grand Union Canal Walk
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 6
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Nag’s Head (0.3 km in), The Black Horse (1.2 km in)
Map: Buckingham & Milton Keynes Map | Leighton Buzzard & Woburn | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 192
OS Fundamental Benchmark: TP7233 - Great Linford
Links: Milton Keynes, Grand Union Canal, Stantonbury, Little Linford, River Great Ouse
Welcome to Part 15 of our series of short circular walks along the Buckinghamshire section of the Midshires Way. For a complete overview of the 225-mile trail's history, its connection to the Swan's Way, and preparation tips, please read my complete Midshires Way Through Buckinghamshire Guide.
Walking Directions
This circular route starting from Stantonbury offers a fantastic blend of Milton Keynes' green spaces and the traditional Buckinghamshire countryside. Heading out from the suburban edges, you quickly find yourself immersed in the open landscapes that border the River Great Ouse valley. It is a walk of beautiful contrasts: you trade residential footpaths for quiet dirt tracks and peaceful rural scenery.
As the path pushes north towards the village of Little Linford, the surroundings become increasingly tranquil. The return leg sweeps back towards Stantonbury, taking in the historical resonance of the local parkland along the way. While you won't cross paths with a local parkrun on this specific trail, the route is a brilliant and peaceful escape for casual walkers and dedicated hikers alike.
The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
Begin at the free car park at Great Linford Memorial Hall, located within the grounds of Linford Manor Park.
Take the footpath running along the western side of the car park and head south until you reach the High Street.
Turn right along the High Street and walk until you see the Nag's Head pub. Here, you can either stop for an early drink, or if it's a bit too early for that, turn right to enter the park gates.
Walk north through Linford Manor Park, curving left in a westerly direction to skirt the southern side of the round pond.
Continue walking parallel to the Grand Union Canal, pass under the old railway bridge, and keep walking on the canal's southern side.
Continue until you reach the Wolverton Road bridge. Cross over the Grand Union Canal to the north side, which brings you near the Black Horse pub.
Once over the bridge, take the footpath on the left off Wolverton Road to return to the canal towpath, and follow it in a north-westerly direction for about 200 meters.
Take the fork to leave the canal, joining the Midshires Way and Hanslope circular ride heading north-west through Stanton Low Park.
Pass the ruins of St. Peter's Church—the only remains of the old village of Stanton Low—and follow the path as it curves north along the eastern bank of the River Great Ouse.
Just over 3 km into the walk, cross the River Great Ouse via the footbridge, then continue until you reach the High Street.
Turn left onto the High Street, then take the first right to continue on the Midshires Way, heading north-west through the farmer's fields.
At the path junction, leave the Hanslope circular ride but stay on the Midshires Way, walking north and then curving north-east.
Upon reaching a T-junction just inside Little Linford Wood, turn right to rejoin the Hanslope circular ride. Follow the wood's eastern edge, then take a quick right through a farmer's field to meet Haversham Road.
Turn right onto Haversham Road, then left onto Little Linford Lane. (Note: You may see a road closed/diversion sign for a damaged bridge; this applies to vehicles, but you can still safely cross the bridge on foot).
Walk south-east along Little Linford Lane and pass over two bridges crossing the River Great Ouse (including the damaged one).
Immediately after crossing the second bridge, and importantly before crossing over the M1, turn right onto a footpath leading off Little Linford Lane.
Continue south along this path, keeping the lakes to your right-hand side, until you meet Wolverton Road.
Cross Wolverton Road and head south down Marsh Lane, crossing the Grand Union Canal at the Linford Wharf bridge.
Follow the road to the High Street, which will lead you back to the Great Linford Memorial Hall car park to finish the walk.
Points of Interest along or near to the Route
Great Linford Manor Park: Once the centre of a grand 18th-century estate, this parkland is a fascinating mix of history and nature. The site features formal ponds, ancient lime tree avenues, and the remnants of a lost wilderness garden. It serves as a vital green lung for Milton Keynes, providing a serene backdrop that belies its urban proximity.
Grand Union Canal: Serving as a major artery of the British waterway network, this historic canal provides a scenic, tranquil corridor through the heart of Milton Keynes. The towpaths offer a pleasant waterside alternative to the paved redways: complete with colourful narrowboats and abundant aquatic wildlife.
Stanton Low Park: A lovely open space that features the remains of St Peter's Church and offers sweeping views across the Great Ouse valley. It provides a brilliant historical touch to the final stretch of the walk.
The River Great Ouse: This major waterway is the lifeblood of the local landscape. Flowing through the valley, it supports a rich biodiversity, including kingfishers, otters, and various coarse fish. The river meanders through ancient water meadows that have been grazed for centuries, offering an insight into the traditional rural landscape of North Buckinghamshire.
Little Linford Wood: This ancient woodland is a haven for wildlife. It is particularly noted for its varied flora, including carpets of bluebells and wood anemones in the spring. The wood has remained largely undisturbed, reflecting the medieval landscape and providing a crucial habitat for woodland butterflies and birds.
Linford Lakes Nature Reserve: Situated close to the route, this wetland area is a haven for local birdlife and wildlife. It was established around former gravel pits and serves as a fantastic spot for nature enthusiasts.
Midshires Way previous section (south): Bradwell Abbey and Linford Wood
Midshires Way next section (north): Stoke Goldington and Tathall End