A detailed guidebook to walking in Bedfordshire, in southern England. Bedfordshire offers a variety of lowland landscapes from the chalk downland of the Chilterns in the south, estate parkland such as that at Woburn in the west, and the heathland of the Greensand Ridge in mid-Bedfordshire to the marsh and fen country of the east, and mixed farmland and woodland almost everywhere. There are appealing riverside paths along the Ouse, Ivel and Lea, and the charming villages of north Bedfordshire with their pretty thatched cottages and ancient churches are another attractive feature of the county. Bedfordshire, birthplace of the 17th-century preacher and writer John Bunyan, is full of historical associations, and there are many prehistoric sites to investigate. The routes, all except one of which are circular, are described with detailed notes on the many places of interest passed en route. The walks are suitable for both experienced and novice ramblers and for family groups with children. The area has good transport connections with both the South-East and London area and the Midlands. Many of the walks are suitable not only for motorists but also for those making use of public transport. The guide contains: 32 circular walks which thoroughly explore Bedfordshire; walks ranging from 5 to 12 miles, providing 245 miles of walking; over 30 sketch maps and black and white photos; and 12 pages of high-quality colour plates.

Alan's first encounter with the Southern Upland Way was in 1995, when he backpacked the full length of the trail. A decade later he repeated the complete trail a second time, this time mainly using bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation, in order to research this guidebook. He has travelled extensively on foot in most areas of the Southern Uplands, having climbed all of the Donalds and most of the other hills above 500m in height, and traversed them from south to north in 2003 as part of his walk between Land's End and John o'Groats.