Day 35 - February 4th

This morning we repeated the walk we did on New Years Day and walked from Priory Park, Bedford to Danish Camp, Willington and back again.

We did a slight detour off the route to visit the nearby Dovecote at Willington owned by The National Trust. The 16th century Dovecote is a grade I listed building and was built by Sir John Gostwick, self appointed Lord of the Manor at Willington.

During the Tudor period, pigeon was considered a luxury delicacy. Only the very wealthy could afford to rear pigeons in dovecotes which they then served at banquets or offered as gifts. Wanting to boast his status, John Gostwick commissioned the building of the dovecote in the 1540s, following a visit from King Henry VIII.

Near the Dovecote is a smaller building, the Stables again commissioned by John Gostwick. With its large interior and striking gables, the stables building creates an impression of how extravagant this may have once been. It’s likely this wasn’t originally intended as stables, but rather a hunting lodge or accommodation for important guests.There is evidence of the different ways this building may have been used in the past. The top storey is complete with a fireplace and windows and evidence of plastered walls and ceilings, and traces of glass in the windows can still be seen. This would have provided living quarters but over time, the status of the residents varied greatly.

After stopping to look at the buildings we then carried on our way to Danish Camp.

Whilst there is no evidence of Danes using Danish Camp, the site beside the River Great Ouse, is called Danish Camp because the Danes, or Vikings, are known to have been active in the area, using the River Great Ouse to attack Bedford. Today there is just a log cabin surrounded by woodlands. We enjoyed a drink on the veranda overlooking the river.

After our pit stop we retraced our steps back to Priory Park but this time through more of the woodlands.