Luton: A circular walk with good views

Buses 8,21,24 and 53 stop in Ravenhill Way very close to the pool. The 38 stops in Leagrave High Street, which is a short walk from Pastures Way.

There is a large free car park by the pool and sports facilities.

[1] Turn right out of the car park and walk up the pavement of Pastures Way to the edge of Ravenhill Way.  Turn right again onto the right hand pavement of Ravenhill Way and continue up the hill until you reach houses on the right hand side of the road. There is a path to the right here, leading into the park.

[2] Turn right onto the path and follow it along the left hand side of the park. This was once Lewsey Farm. You will pass many of the trees and hedgerows that divided the fields. As you walk along you will see views over the Chiltern Hills to your right. Just beyond the second hedgerow, the tarmac stops but the path continues across grass, passing trees and an electricity pylon on your left.

[3] Continue in the same direction, heading for the M1 boundary fence ahead of you. The grass is kept well cut and is fairly level, but take care on any uneven parts. You will soon come to another surfaced path.

[4] Turn right onto the surfaced path that runs parallel to the motorway and follow it along the area of young trees until you come to a line of larger, older trees.

[5] Follow the path downhill in the same direction towards the corner of the park ahead of you.

[6] When you come to the corner, turn right to stay in the park, rather than going over the bridge. Walk beside the stream on your left, going under the electricity cables. At first the field to your right is a meadow, later it is mown as a football field. You will come to a fence ahead of you with a gateway at the left hand end.

[7] Go through the gateway. There is a bollard here and the ground is uneven, take care. Go straight ahead, keeping the stream on your left and a fenced area of asphalt pitches on your right. Carry straight on at the end of the fence, still with the stream on your left. You will pass football, basketball and tennis facilities.

[8] As you reach the children’s play area, keep to its left and join the path at the edge of the park. Turn right here to walk parallel to the road until you reach the swimming pool car park.

A. 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.Fortunately a large part of the estate has been saved as park and recreation grounds. You can still see many of the field boundaries, marked by the hedge lines. If you count the average number of woody species per 100 yards of hedge, you can roughly calculate the age of the hedge. Each species represents 100 years.

B. The view here is of the Blow's Down. This chalk slope is part of the Chiltern Hills. Passing through it is the Icknield Way, an ancient route that has been used since the days of Queen Boadicea. There are Neolithic graves and signs of early farm terraces in the hills. You may be able to see the steep sides of a disused chalk pit. Blow’s Down is a SSSI nature reserve with many rare plants and birds.

C. From this corner of the park you will be walking parallel to the M1. This was Britain's first full-length motorway and opened in 1959.

D. This part of the park has been left as natural meadow. It is likely that many birds and small animals will thrive here. It is a possible nesting site for skylarks.

E. There are many sporting facilities within Lewsey Park, There are tennis courts, basketball courts, football pitches and  fenced asphalt pitches which can be booked on 01582 54673.The swimming pool is 25m long, has 6 lanes, and is 6ft maximum depth. There are various classes and clubs as well as open swimming. Lewsey Sports Park is part of Active Luton Profiles. There is a gym and exercise studio. Classes include Pilates, spinning, Zumba and circuits. The café in Lewsey Sports Park is comfortable and provides snacks and drinks.