🥾 Walking route
Olney Circular Walk
City of Milton Keynes
- 📏 7.1 km · 4.4 mi
- ⛰ +76 m
- ⏱ 1 hr 45 min
- 🐕 On lead
Walk stats
- Distance7.1 km · 4.4 mi
- Elevation+76 m
- Duration1 hr 45 min
- DifficultyModerate
- Route typeCircular
- TerrainField paths, riverside tracks and a short climb to the beacon; can be muddy after rain.
- Best seasonLate spring to early autumn for the best riverside and garden views.
- DogsDog friendly, though expect livestock and stiles; keep on lead near the river and fields.
About this walk
Starting and finishing in Olney, a handsome market town on the northern edge of the City of Milton Keynes, this 7.1 km circular threads together riverside meadows, gentle rises and quiet field paths. From the town centre the route heads out via Sandwich Land before climbing steadily to Olney Beacon, where the surrounding Ouse valley opens up on a clear day.
From the beacon the path drops back down towards the Old River Ouse, following the water through the kind of soft, willow-lined scenery that defines this stretch of north Buckinghamshire. You pass close to the Flower and Summer Gardens before curving back into Olney, with the option to detour to the War Memorial, a nearby Roman site, and the quietly named pools and pits, The Whirlypits, Otter Pool and Heron Water.
With around 76 m of ascent spread over 4.4 miles, it makes a comfortable half-day outing, allowing plenty of time to explore Olney's Georgian market square at either end.
Route map
Route line drawn from OpenStreetMap footpath data. Numbered markers are waypoints on the route; amber star markers are points of interest a short detour away.
Waypoints along the route
5 waypoints along the way
- 1
Olney (start and finish)
- Start / finish
Start and finish of this circular route.
- 2
Sandwich Land
- 3
Olney Beacon
- 4
Old River Ouse
- 5
Flower and Summer Gardens
Worth a short detour
Points of interest just off the route, look for the amber markers on the map.
Olney War Memorial
~255 m off the route
Roman Site
~402 m off the route
The Whirlypits
~217 m off the route
Otter Pool
~234 m off the route
Heron Water
~312 m off the route
Route & waypoint data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).