We’re a Ramblers group aimed mainly at people in their 20s, 30s and slightly older, offering led walks and social events across Herts, Beds and south Cambs.
This walk is for up to 25 people, including the leader.
To tie in with Star Wars Day (“May the Fourth Be With You”) this walk will explore the region south of Bedford where a long time ago in a village not far away, two massive sheds were constructed to build airships and later used to film movies including Star Wars.
The route is fairly flat and mostly through farmland, also visiting the historic village of Elstow and a new area of woodland which forms part of the Forest of Marston Vale.
We’ll start by walking through Shortstown, a village built in the 1910s to accommodate employees of the airship works. The airship sheds, known as Cardington Hangars, dominate the local landscape and can be seen at various points throughout our route. Airship construction ended after the tragic R101 crash of 1930 and the area became home to RAF Cardington until the year 2000; the site Administration Block, an impressive building which we’ll pass on our walk, now contains offices and apartments. As a filming location, Cardington Shed 1 was the Rebel base on Yavin 4 in the original Star Wars movie, and Shed 2 was the same base in the prequel Rogue One.
Leaving Shortstown, we’ll pass through the hamlet of Harrowden and below the Bedford bypass to reach the Abbey Fields meadows alongside Elstow Brook. We’ll follow the river to Elstow, a quiet village with many old half-timbered buildings, and the birthplace of the 17th-century writer and preacher John Bunyan. After a tea break on the village green, we’ll pick up a section of the waymarked Bunyan Trail, heading southeast through farmland with a wide view of the Greensand Ridge ahead.
We then turn towards the small village of Cotton End, where we’ll pause for our packed lunches and if it is open, we may have the chance of a drink at the village pub The Bell.
Finally, our route winds through the new woodland of Shocott Spring, an 128-acre site planted between 2005-2011 and named after its location between Shortstown and Cotton End. On leaving the woods we’ll have another view of Cardington Hangars before arriving back at our start point by Shortstown Village Hall.
Dogs are welcome on a lead.
For information about walking with the group, including our dog policy, please visit the Stag Walkers website.
Booking your place: Please book your place using the free Meetup website/app. Join the Stag Walkers Meetup group and click the 'Attend' button on the event page.
Please do not turn up for a walk without booking, as places are limited.
If the walk is fully booked, please click 'join waitlist' then please check back regularly as you will likely get a place. The waitlist gives priority to single bookings so if you wish to bring a guest, we recommend booking separately.
Unless you opt in to further communications, we will only use contact information you provide to get in touch about the walk.
This is a circular walk.
The start time is when we aim to start walking and the finish time is an estimate.
Walks are graded Easy, Leisurely, Moderate or Strenuous in increasing order of difficulty. Please read the walk description to check it is within your abilities and contact the group if you are unsure.
Please:
We are a Ramblers group, non-members are welcome to try us out for three free walks before joining Ramblers as a full member.
As a charity we ask that non-members consider making a voluntary donation to Ramblers until they purchase membership. We suggest £3-4 per walk. You can donate in person or online.
The Ramblers’ Association is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company registration number: 4458492. Registered Charity in England and Wales number: 1093577. Registered office: First Floor, 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1BE.
Shortstown Village Hall, Southcote, Shortstown, Bedford MK42 0QL. Please park in the larger parking area to the right of the hall. Parking is limited so please car-share where possible or use public transport. Accessible by bus 9D from Stevenage/Hitchin/Henlow Camp/Shefford or bus 9 from Bedford to Shortstown (5 min walk from village centre).
