Luton: A rural walk

Buses 7, 21, 24 and 38 stop in Tomlinson Avenue near the Community Centre.

There are free parking bays in Haymarket Road by the park a short distance from the Community Centre.

[1] Leaving the community centre turn right and cross Tomlinson Avenue carefully. Turn left and walk downhill on the pavement, beside the green area, towards a T- Junction with Wheatfield Road.

[2] Turn right and cross Wheatfield Road carefully at the island then turn right. The last bungalow has interesting model ships in its window. Cross a side turning for residents parking and pass the red brick house. Turn left through the barriers into an alley between the red house and the doctor’s surgery.

[3] Follow the path which is lined with lampposts through an open area with blackberries, hawthorns, elderberries and blackthorns.  Follow the path under the power lines as its swings left and emerges into a housing estate.

[4] Turn left to walk along the well surfaced path beside the line of pylons, keeping the Frogmore Road flats on your right.

[5] At the end of the path, by a small building on the left you will come to a road. There is no pavement beyond the building on the side of the open land, so it is necessary to cross over carefully to the far side of Sandringham Drive. Follow the pavement in the same direction with the open area still to your left and a brick wall on your right. Cross St James Close and you will then see the junction with Windsor Drive.

[6] At this point the main walk carries on to join Park Road and cross Wheatfield Road by a large roundabout. If you are fairly agile and would prefer a shorter walk, avoiding a busy junction, please take the alternative route below in pink and rejoin the main route at waypoint 9.

If you wish to stay on the main route carefully cross Sandringham Drive before Windsor Drive and join the foot path by the cycle track and follow it to the main road at a roundabout. This is Park Road.

Alternative route. Carefully cross Sandringham Drive, before Windsor Drive, and walk across the open land following a path from the start of the cycle track across to the backs of houses ahead of you. There is a steep slope that is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs at the end of the path. Once up this slope, turn left by number 210 Wheatfield Road. Walk along the service road to the end by number 174. Take the mown strip to the left of the house and follow it to the next service road behind the houses in Wheatfield Road. Walk beside the open land until you come to the end of the houses. Turn right here, walk to the main part of Wheatfield Road and turn left. Walk along the left pavement until you come to a traffic island. Cross the road, turn left and you will soon come to Tomlinson Avenue. Rejoin the main route at waypoint 9.

[7] Follow the pavement of Park Road round to the left a short way until you come to a 30 sign at another roundabout. Wheatfield Road starts here and goes to your left.

[8] Cross Wheatfield Road carefully, using the traffic island, and turn left. Follow Wheatfield Road, crossing Regis Road carefully, until you reach Tomlinson Avenue.

[9] Turn right and follow Tomlinson Avenue until you reach Landrace Road. Cross carefully to return to the community centre.

A. Blackberries are well known as an autumn fruit delicious raw or in pies with apple. Hawthorn bushes also provide fruit. The flowers and berries, or haws, were also ingredients of wines, syrups and liqueurs. Hawthorn is said to be good for the heart. The wood can be used to make walking sticks. The flowers and fruits of the elderberry can be used for wine, cordials, syrups and sauces. It is said to be good for flu. Blackthorn is the shrub that produces sloes, well known for use in gin.

B. These pylons are part of the National Grid. They carry electricity from the 400kV Substation at nearby Sundon Park. Cables from Sundon Park link Hertfordshire with York shire and South Wales with Suffolk.

C Lewsey Farm was situated on land belonging to the Lucy (Lewsey) family who owned the manor from 1305 to 1455. The manor then passed to the Wingate family. Most of the manor buildings were destroyed by fire in 1832.The farm is remembered in street names in this area. Wheatfileld has obvious farm connections. Some of the other roads have more obscure farm related names.  A landrace is a variety of seed, such as wheat, that has developed naturally. It may have characteristics which suit the local environment well. A marlin spike is an iron tool used to separate strands of rope for splicing. The roads off Landrace Road by the park are Reaper Close, Plough Close and Binder Close. These are all on the theme of growing crops.