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Maulden Woods

3.11 miles (5 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap Enjoy miles of nice woodland walking trails in this popular wood in Maulden, Bedfordshire.  The site consist of semi-natural broadleaf woodland, acidic grassland and some conifer plantations. You can access the woods by following the Greensand Ridge Walk from the village. The path takes you through some nice countryside to the woods where you can pick from several trails. The southern section takes you into Pennyfather's Woods with a path through more open countryside and grassland to enjoy. Look out for wildlife including deer, badgers and foxes. In the spring and summer months there are lots of wildflowers and bluebells. These attract a wide variety of butterflies including white admiral and purple hairstreak.
This walk starts from the village of Maudlen but there is also a car park in the north eastern corner of the site, just off the A6. There's also a picnic area in the southern section.
To extend your walk you could visit the nearby Ampthill Park where you can enjoy fabulous views from the Greensand Ridge. If you follow the Greensand Ridge Walk east it will take you through Clophill to Chicksands Wood and Rowney Warren Wood near Shefford.
This large coniferous woodland has lots of footpaths, a BMX trail and a mountain bike trail.

Postcode

MK45 3UZ - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Maulden Woods OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Maulden Woods Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Stone Jug in the nearby village of Clophill is a fine place to go for some post walk refreshments. It's a place of some historic note having been converted to a pub from a 16th century building.  It's name may have something to do with the local quarry stone which the building is mostly constructed from. The pub is nestled on a quiet rural lane has a rear decking area which in the summer months catches all the afternoon and early evening sun - perfect for a relaxing sit down. During the colder months you can sip a mulled wine and relax in the attractive interior beside one of the many fires. You can find the pub in the village at 10 Back St with a postcode of MK45 4BY for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The woods are a great place for a dog walk and The Stone Jug pub mentioned above is also very dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Near to Clophill you will find the interesting Cainhoe Castle which is worth a visit if you have time. The hill is the site of the a former 11th-century Norman castle but today only the turf-covered mound remains, with earthwork banks outlining the bailey enclosure. It's a nice climb to the top though and there are good views of the surrounding countryside from the elevated position of the site. There is a public footpath from the High Street in Clophill, opposite Town Shott, heading east out to the castle. The field has permissive access, so visitors can explore freely.
The Clophill and Haynes Circular Walk starts in the nearby village and explores the local countryside, passing just to the east of the woods on the way.
Just to the south of Ampthill there's the neighbouring town of Flitwick where you'll find the Flitwick Moor Nature reserve. The Site of Special Scientific Interest is the largest area of wetland in Bedfordshire. The village is also worth exploring with a medieval church and the Georgian Flitwick Manor, which is Grade II listed.
Just to the south east there's Silsoe where you can enjoy easy trails around Wrest Park. There's 92 acres of landscaped early eighteenth-century gardens to explore here. You can also enjoy a pleasant stroll around Silsoe village where there are a number of historic properties associated with the park estate.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Bedfordshire Walks page.

Photos

On Greensand Ridge in Maulden Woods - geograph.org.uk - 369905

On Greensand Ridge in Maulden Woods

Maulden Wood, Beds - geograph.org.uk - 64554

Undulating ride along the Greensand ridge with autumn colours just appearing.

Maulden Wood, Beds - geograph.org.uk - 64552

Information boards and trail guide near the A6 lay-by north of Clophill.

Fence line - geograph.org.uk - 1752666

Fence line. Edge of Maulden woods on the Greensand Ridge walk

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Maulden Woods.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Maulden Woods.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)