Bridleway
6 (Tempsford)
Distance:
c.1000m. Direction: E –W
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Bridleway
6, almost 1000 metres long, starts on the Roman Road by the farm buildings,
stores and grain silos of Woodbury Low Farm (TL 196536). It takes you westward,
past Woodbury Low Farmhouse, 22 metres above sea level. A row of apple, plum
and pear trees has been planted on either side of the concrete track. Beyond
the farm, an avenue of saplings runs for about 600 metres on both sides of the
road, which will make an attractive avenue in years to come. Fields of rape,
the yellow-flowered crop that produces vegetable oil, can often be seen. Once
you pass through the gate at the beginning of a line of trees, you come to
Woodbury Cottages, two agricultural labourers’ dwellings built in Victorian
times (TL 188537).
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Woodbury Lodge Farm (TL 187537), a much
larger property, was another Victorian dwelling for the farm manager. Ducks can
be seen in the field opposite. The Bridleway ends at the next gate, beyond
which is the entrance to Aerodrome farm. This was one of the main entrances to
the airfield if you came from the A1 through the village of Tempsford and
crossed the railway line. Important personnel were picked up by car from the
railway station and brought onto the site. The
skill, daring and enterprise of the base brought special visits from the top
brass of the SOE and the Air Ministry. Sir Archibald Sinclair, the Leader of
the Liberal Party, came and on 9th November 1943 there was a royal
visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The Bedfordshire Times and
Standard included an article on the occasion a few days later.
King
and Queen Visit RAF Station
When
a short train drew into a quiet little countryside station in Bedfordshire on
Tuesday afternoon few people in the neighbourhood knew that two of the
passengers were the King and Queen, who had arrived to pay an unofficial visit
to an RAF station near by. The news of this Royal visit, however, had spread
among some of the villagers, and a small group of onlookers, mostly women and
children, had waited patiently at the level-crossing gates in order to catch a
glimpse of Their Majesties. There was excited chatter among the spectators when
they heard the approach of the Royal train, and heads were eagerly craned as it
slowly came to a standstill alongside the platform.
While
senior officers from the RAF and officials, including the Deputy Chief
Constable of the County, stood smartly to attention, the RAF Station Commander
was the first to greet Their Majesties as they stepped on to the platform. The
King was wearing the uniform of Air Marshal, and the Queen was charmingly
attired in an Air Force blue ensemble and fur.
Wing-Commander
J.E. Pelly-Fry, D.S.O., the bomber ‘ace’ recently appointed temporary equerry
to the King and Lady Delia Peel accompanied Their Majesties.
The
station bridge obscured the view of the people at the level-crossing gate, but
after a few moments the King and Queen came into sight, and children who were
returning home from school stood spellbound upon recognizing the smiling
visitors. Spontaneously the small crowd burst into cheer and waved. A mother
picked up her little daughter, and the Queen had an especially sweet smile for
the child.
At
the end of the platform Their Majesties, who looked the picture of health and
who were obviously in cheerful spirits, were introduced to the Station
Commander’s wife and little child, and they chatted for a minute or two.
Afterwards the Queen, with characteristic grace and charm, waved an
acknowledgement to a group of women and children, and then Their Majesties walked
over the railway crossing to a saloon car that was waiting to take them to
their destination.
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Once past Woodbury Lodge, there is a public road
through a beech “tree tunnel” WNW towards Tempsford level crossing (180542). The
upper branches have grown so far out that they merge to produce a shaded
tunnel. Both sides of the road are lined with cow parsley, which, when in
flower, their white blossom and the light green beech leaves produce an
attractive walk to the railway line.
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