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Bedfordshire Geology Group
Formed in 2004 by a group of amateur and professional geologists aiming
to encourage an understanding of the rocks and landforms of the county for
the benefit of all.
For more information, contact us through our website
www.bedfordshiregeologygroup.org.uk or by email to
Greensand Country Landscape Partnership (GCLP)
Launched in January 2017, and secured £1.66m National Lottery funding
from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support an array of exciting projects.
We’re working across Greensand Country – from Leighton Buzzard to
Gamlingay – to help manage and preserve historic parklands, woodlands
and heathland in the area.
We’re also working with local communities to celebrate the history and
heritage of the area. For more information, contact us through our website
www.greensandcountry.com
Dir
ecti
on
s fr
om
RS
PB
This
circ
ular
wal
k ha
s so
me
stee
p se
ctio
ns a
nd s
tarts
from
th
e R
SP
B’s
Gat
ehou
se c
ar p
ark
(par
king
cha
rge)
. Fol
low
the
Gal
ley
Hill
Tra
il, b
egin
ning
opp
osite
the
Gat
ehou
se, t
hrou
gh
heat
hlan
d. A
t the
T-ju
nctio
n, tu
rn ri
ght t
owar
ds S
andy
and
on
your
righ
t, lo
ok fo
r a s
mal
l for
mer
qua
rry
reve
alin
g an
out
crop
of
rock
(1).
Ret
race
you
r ste
ps, r
ejoi
ning
the
trail
pass
ing
the
head
of a
val
ley
(2) t
o re
ach
the
oute
r ditc
h an
d ba
nk o
f a
hillf
ort (
3), s
ituat
ed o
n a
vant
age
poin
t ove
rlook
ing
the
Ivel
va
lley.
Con
tinue
and
des
cend
into
and
out
of a
noth
er v
alle
y (4
) fea
turin
g m
anm
ade
pool
s. O
n th
e fa
r sid
e, jo
in th
e Q
uarr
y Tr
ail a
nd ta
ke s
teep
ste
ps o
n th
e rig
ht, c
ontin
uing
unt
il yo
u re
ach
the
old
quar
ry (5
). A
bove
it is
the
Lodg
e. A
fter e
xplo
ring
the
quar
ry, f
ollo
w th
e Tr
ail w
ith o
ccas
iona
l vie
ws
out t
hrou
gh
the
trees
(6).
Ski
rt th
e ba
ck o
f The
Lod
ge, t
hrou
gh a
gat
e an
d co
ntin
ue u
ntil
the
trail
reac
hes
the
acce
ss ro
ad a
nd fo
llow
it
back
to th
e G
ateh
ouse
car
par
k.
Lin
kin
g d
ire
cti
on
sFr
om th
e R
SP
B G
ateh
ouse
car
par
k, c
ross
the
B10
42 ro
ad a
t th
e tra
ffic-
light
s an
d fo
llow
the
brid
lew
ay a
head
. Adj
acen
t to
the
pylo
n (L
1), t
ake
the
right
fork
and
follo
w th
e pa
th to
war
ds
San
dy H
eath
Qua
rry.
At a
T-ju
nctio
n (L
2), t
urn
right
to p
ass
the
driv
e to
Oak
Far
m, o
n th
e le
ft. O
ppos
ite th
is, t
urn
right
thro
ugh
the
trees
tow
ards
the
boun
dary
fenc
e of
San
dy H
eath
Qua
rry,
fo
llow
the
boun
dary
fenc
e un
til y
ou s
ee a
mag
nific
ent v
iew
into
th
is w
orki
ng p
it (L
3). R
etra
ce y
our s
teps
bac
k to
the
mai
n pa
th,
then
turn
righ
t with
the
TV m
ast t
ower
ing
abov
e yo
u.
Eastern Geotrail
Earth Heritage of Greensand Country
This leaflet has been developed by Bedfordshire Geology Group in partnership with Greensand Country Landscape Partnership to bring our landscape and heritage alive.
At t
he c
urve
in th
e m
inor
road
(L4)
, tur
n le
ft to
Diro
k th
en tu
rn
right
and
follo
w th
e br
idle
way
eas
twar
ds in
to P
otto
n. T
urn
left
into
New
tow
n, ri
ght i
nto
Mill
Lan
e an
d co
ntin
ue a
head
into
E
verto
n R
d. J
oin
the
Pot
ton
circ
ular
wal
k by
turn
ing
right
at
the
junc
tion
into
Will
ow R
oad
(P5)
.
Dir
ecti
on
s fr
om
Ch
urc
h o
f S
t M
ary
th
e V
irg
inP
leas
e ta
ke c
are
whe
n cr
ossi
ng ro
ads
and
be re
spec
tful
arou
nd p
rivat
e dw
ellin
gs. P
ark
at th
e ch
urch
hal
l and
cro
ss
to th
e C
hurc
h of
St M
ary
the
Virg
in (P
1). H
avin
g ex
plor
ed
this
, ret
urn
to th
e ch
urch
hal
l (P
2) a
nd w
alk
alon
g C
hurc
h C
ause
way
(P3)
, cro
ssin
g ov
er P
otto
n B
rook
to re
ach
Kin
g S
t. Tu
rn ri
ght,
pass
(P4)
, at t
he fa
r end
, tur
n le
ft in
to
Eve
rton
Rd.
Con
tinue
stra
ight
on,
pas
t the
Ris
ing
Sun
pub
to
Will
ow R
d (P
5). T
o re
ach
the
RS
PB
circ
ular
wal
k vi
a th
e lin
k, c
ontin
ue s
traig
ht o
n he
re. O
ther
wis
e, tu
rn le
ft al
ong
Will
ow R
d, a
t the
end
, go
right
into
Sta
tion
Rd.
At t
he m
ini
roun
dabo
ut is
Rai
lway
Sta
tion
Hou
se (P
6). T
urn
arou
nd
and
retu
rn a
long
Sta
tion
Rd,
con
tinui
ng p
ast (
P7)
, and
turn
le
ft in
to C
hape
l St (
P8)
. Ret
urn
to S
tatio
n R
d an
d tu
rn le
ft,
cont
inui
ng in
to B
lack
bird
Sta
nd a
t the
cor
ner,
veer
righ
t in
to H
orne
Lan
e to
see
a g
arde
n w
all (
P9)
. Tur
n ar
ound
an
d re
turn
to B
lack
bird
St w
hich
runs
into
Sun
St.
Bef
ore
reac
hing
the
won
cen
tre, l
ook
left
alon
g C
hape
l Cou
rt (P
10).
Con
tinue
alo
ng S
un S
t and
imm
edia
tely
afte
r ent
erin
g th
e at
tract
ive
Mar
ket S
quar
e, tu
rn ri
ght t
hen
into
Bro
ok E
nd in
th
e co
rner
. Whe
re th
is b
ends
righ
t, co
mpl
ete
the
circ
ular
w
alk
by fo
llow
ing
the
Mill
enni
um P
ath
thro
ugh
to C
hurc
h C
ause
way
and
retu
rn to
the
chur
ch h
all.
GreensandCountry
GreensandCountry
The information here is believed to be correct at the time of publication (2018)
P1P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7P8
P9
P10
Intr
od
ucti
on
Usi
ng p
ublic
foot
path
s an
d pa
vem
ents
, thi
s tra
il ex
plor
es th
e ge
olog
y, la
ndsc
ape
and
natu
ral r
esou
rces
of G
reen
sand
C
ount
ry in
the
east
, con
sist
ing
of tw
o sh
ort w
alks
. The
firs
t (4
mile
s/6.
5 km
) beg
ins
at R
SP
B G
ateh
ouse
in S
andy
, map
re
fere
nce
TL19
1484
and
the
seco
nd (2
mile
s/3.
2 km
) at P
otto
n’s
Chu
rch
of S
t Mar
y th
e Vi
rgin
, map
refe
renc
e TL
2284
94. T
o co
mpl
ete
the
full
geot
rail
circ
ular
wal
k (1
2 m
iles/
19km
) the
two
circ
ular
wal
ks a
re li
nked
acr
oss
San
dy H
eath
(3 m
iles/
5 km
).
Ma
ps
no
t to
sca
le
Ge
olo
gic
al I
nfo
rma
tio
nG
ree
nsa
nd
Co
un
try e
xte
nd
s a
lon
g a
rid
ge
cro
ssin
g B
ed
ford
shir
e b
etw
ee
n
Leig
hto
n B
uzz
ard
in
th
e w
est
and
be
yond
Po
tto
n in
th
e e
ast
. Wo
bu
rn S
and
s Fo
rma
tio
n is
the
ha
rd r
ock
tha
t lie
s b
en
ea
th G
ree
nsa
nd
Co
un
try.
De
po
site
d
betw
ee
n 1
25
and
95
mill
ion
ye
ars
ag
o, i
t is
pa
rt o
f th
e L
ow
er
Gre
en
sand
G
rou
p, i
t re
sist
s ero
sio
n b
ett
er
tha
n t
he
cla
ys
of
the
su
rro
und
ing
va
lleys.
H
ere
in
th
e e
ast
, Wo
bu
rn S
and
s is
a b
locky
, ha
rd s
and
sto
ne
th
at
is e
asi
ly
fra
ctu
red
and
oft
en
se
en
in
loca
l bu
ildin
gs.
Fin
ally
, it
is a
ctu
ally
re
dd
y-b
row
n!
Wh
en
fir
st d
isco
vere
d, i
t w
as
con
fuse
d w
ith
a y
oun
ger
rock
wit
h s
imila
r ch
ara
cte
rist
ics
- exc
ep
t fo
r th
e c
olo
ur!
Pot
ton
is a
sm
all m
arke
t-gar
deni
ng to
wn
with
a w
ealth
of
sand
ston
e bu
ildin
gs a
nd a
her
itage
of i
ndus
trial
geo
logy
. D
urin
g Vi
ctor
ian
times
, Pot
toni
ans
enga
ged
in th
e co
prol
ite
indu
stry
. Cop
rolit
es (p
hosp
hate
nod
ules
) wer
e ex
tract
ed
from
aro
und
the
villa
ge a
nd e
xpor
ted
for u
se in
ferti
liser
.
The
gard
en w
all i
n H
orne
Lan
e sh
ows
som
e ve
ry u
nusu
al ir
on-r
ich
sand
ston
es th
at a
ppea
r al
mos
t bla
ck, i
ndic
ativ
e of
the
geol
ogy
arou
nd
Pot
ton.
The
iron
is th
ough
t to
be
from
a s
uper
plum
e ev
ent (
a m
assi
ve u
nder
w
ater
vol
cani
c er
uptio
n)
that
occ
urre
d 12
5 m
illio
n ye
ars
ago
depo
sitin
g en
orm
ous
amou
nts
of ir
on
into
the
ocea
ns c
reat
ing
iron
ferti
lisat
ion
and
a hu
ge c
hang
e in
glo
bal e
nviro
nmen
ts. H
ence
, iro
n-ric
h sa
ndst
ones
that
we
see
acro
ss G
reen
sand
Cou
ntry
.
Chu
rch
of S
t Mar
y th
e Vi
rgin
, firs
t men
tione
d in
109
4,
is b
uilt
from
an
asso
rtmen
t of
loca
l san
dsto
ne, p
ebbl
es a
nd
limes
tone
.
The
chu
rch
hall
show
s th
e di
stin
ctiv
e he
rrin
g-bo
ne p
atte
rn
of c
onst
ruct
ion
usin
g th
e th
inne
r be
ds o
f loc
al s
ands
tone
. Oth
er
build
ings
aro
und
the
villa
ge
show
this
pat
tern
, am
ongs
t ot
her m
ore
conv
entio
nal s
tyle
s
and
.
RS
PB
link
rout
e jo
ins
here
.
The
railw
ay c
ame
to P
otto
n as
par
t of t
he m
arke
t gar
deni
ng
and
copr
olite
boo
m o
f the
18
50’s
, whe
n th
e in
dust
ries
need
ed to
mov
e fru
its,
vege
tabl
es a
nd p
hosp
hate
no
dule
s m
ore
quic
kly
and
furth
er a
roun
d th
e co
untry
.
This
unu
sual
bui
ldin
g,
Cas
tle H
ouse
, loo
ks o
ld b
ut w
as
built
in th
e 19
th C
.
(1) R
SP
B g
eotra
il be
gins
with
a
smal
l out
crop
of W
obur
n S
ands
ex
pose
d th
roug
h hi
stor
ical
qu
arry
ing.
Bio
logi
cal w
eath
erin
g by
tre
es h
as k
ept t
he e
xpos
ure
visi
ble.
La
rge
cros
s-be
ddin
g ca
n cl
early
be
seen
ben
eath
the
tree
root
s
The
last
sto
p on
the
wal
k is
Con
greg
atio
nal H
all,
anot
her b
eaut
iful s
ands
tone
stru
ctur
e th
at is
dis
tinct
ly in
th
e P
otto
n he
rrin
gbon
e st
yle
of c
onst
ruct
ion.
Man
y qu
arrie
s ha
ve b
een
dug
in G
reen
sand
Cou
ntry
, but
S
andy
Hea
th is
the
only
act
ive
one
rem
aini
ng in
this
are
a.
(2) a
nd (4
) Cut
into
this
flat
pla
teau
are
dry
val
leys
. whi
ch
form
ed d
urin
g Ic
e A
ges
whe
n gr
ound
wat
er w
as fr
ozen
fo
rmin
g pe
rmaf
rost
, so
wat
er th
at n
orm
ally
soa
ked
into
th
e gr
ound
flow
ed a
cros
s its
su
rface
, for
min
g va
lleys
. Whe
n w
ater
cou
ld a
gain
soa
k in
to th
e gr
ound
; the
se v
alle
ys b
ecam
e dr
y. S
ever
al Ic
e A
ges
have
oc
curr
ed in
the
last
2 m
illio
n ye
ars,
the
Ang
lian
Ice
Age
(4
72,0
00 y
ears
ago
) cha
nged
G
reen
sand
Cou
ntry
the
mos
t.
(3) I
ron
Age
bui
lder
s us
ed th
e na
tura
l geo
logi
cal p
rom
onto
ry
over
look
ing
the
Riv
er Iv
el to
ere
ct th
eir f
ort,
Gal
ley
Hill
, whi
ch
was
eas
ily d
efen
dabl
e.
Visi
ble
from
the
view
ing
plat
form
at t
he b
otto
m o
f the
st
eps
is la
rge-
scal
e cr
oss-
bedd
ing
and,
with
bin
ocul
ars,
yo
u ca
n se
e m
ud d
rape
s an
d rip
ples
indi
cativ
e of
the
depo
sitio
nal e
nviro
nmen
t 120
m
illio
n ye
ars
ago.
W
obur
n S
ands
san
dsto
ne w
as d
epos
ited
in a
n es
tuar
y si
mila
r to
The
Was
h in
Nor
folk
toda
y. M
any
of th
e bu
ildin
g st
ones
of P
otto
n m
ay h
ave
com
e fro
m th
is q
uarr
y.
Thro
ugh
a ga
p in
the
trees
is a
vie
w o
f the
val
ley
of th
e R
iver
Ivel
whi
ch c
uts
thro
ugh
the
Gre
ensa
nd R
idge
, wes
t of
San
dy.
(7)
This
sec
tion
of th
e w
alk
skirt
s th
e w
orki
ng q
uarr
y of
San
dy H
eath
whe
re th
e ad
jace
nt w
oodl
and
exhi
bits
di
stin
ctiv
e “g
reen
sand
” flor
a an
d fa
una,
incl
udin
g m
any
rare
an
d sc
arce
spe
cies
suc
h as
ha
wfin
ches
, sev
eral
spe
cies
of
fung
i, pu
rple
em
pero
r but
terfl
y an
d m
any
othe
r pla
nts
and
anim
als
suite
d to
the
acid
gr
assl
and
and
woo
dlan
d of
G
reen
sand
Cou
ntry
1. C
ross
-bed
ding
: Thr
ough
out W
obur
n Sa
nds
ther
e ar
e si
gns
that
cur
rent
s an
d tid
es m
oved
the
sand
s ba
ck a
nd fo
rth.
Th
ese
mov
emen
ts b
uilt
up m
any
thin
la
yers
of s
and
to fo
rm d
unes
on
the
seafl
oor;
we
see
the
patte
rn o
f tho
se
laye
rs w
hen
cliff
s an
d qu
arrie
s di
spla
y se
ctio
ns th
roug
h th
e du
nes.
P1. S
t Mar
y’s
Chu
rch
P2. S
t Mar
y’s
Chu
rch
Hal
l sh
owin
g he
rrin
gbon
e sa
ndst
one
cons
truc
tion
P6. P
otto
n R
ailw
ay S
tatio
n,
now
a p
rivat
e dw
ellin
g.
P7. D
istin
ctiv
e 19
th C
entu
ry h
ouse
bu
ilt o
f Wob
urn
Sand
s sa
ndst
one,
a
priv
ate
dwel
ling
P9. C
opin
g st
ones
of v
ery
iron-
rich
loca
l san
dsto
ne.
P10.
Driv
eway
lead
ing
to th
e ol
d C
ongr
egat
iona
l Hal
l, no
w
priv
ate
dwel
lings
.
2. V
iew
dow
n a
dry
valle
y
5. E
xpos
ure
of W
obur
n Sa
nds
Form
atio
n
L1. S
tart
of t
he li
nk p
ath
acro
ss
Sand
y H
eath
1
P1 P2 P3
P4
P5 P6 P7
P8
P9
P10
L3L1
324
5 6
Map © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. RSPB licence 100021787.
Sa
nd
y H
ea
th
B10
42
B10
42
RS
PB
Sa
nd
y
Po
tto
nL1
L2
L3L4
1 2 3
4
5
6
LOD
GE
OA
K F
AR
M