This was the 49th and final walk of 2023. I only had one goal, to revisit the postbox in Lower Sundon, and finally decided to walk from Harlington to Lower Sundon and back, a different route each way.
Arriving at Harlington in the rain. We saw Harlington in the sunshine in walk 182back in November.Double lamp posts for people with double vision?From the top of Sundon Road you can see Sundon Substation in the distance.The Old Sun, Harlington, with the Ukrainian flag flyingI had hoped that the Park Leys post box had been decorated again, based on what we saw on walk 182, and it delivered.Almost the best one so far …Look at that shy little snowman at the back! Yet, why has one of the snowmen been lynched?!
The public footpath I intended to take was closed until October and appears that it may still be closed as it crosses a building site (new housing development), so I just took the road instead. This is another of those walks that is worth taking in the spring or summer.
Distant buildings.Turns out I’m glad I came this way … it’s nice.This part makes getting out of the way of cars harder though!Looking into the distance through the fog.So many alternative routes for those who drive, but they are of little use if you want to make your way back to the same railway line!
Arriving at Upper Sundon:
400 kV Supergrid line in the distance, quad bundle conductors on Balfour Beatty L6 towersUpper SundonThis place is quaint in its own wayWatchful kittyInteresting old place …… built in 1873OK now this was unexpected and very apt considering the aim of the walk …
This is what I was hoping to find when I got here: a “proper” post box complete with its Christmas topper: I hoped that whoever is making these in central Bedfordshire would have put one in Upper Sundon too. One of the ones on the way to the station, and the one where I live, have already been removed (before the year is up) so it was quite possible that I could have missed all of these, but you and I are in luck!
“Beak” Elizabeth II pillar boxNot sure what it is meant to be though … Face of Boe meets Elf?
Now time to leave Upper Sundon and head for Lower Sundon.
Upper Sundon pondHouses on the way outOne last house
Anyone who’s looked at my pylon pages (OK, none of you) (and none of you are reading this either) will recognise this view.
400 kV Balfour Beatty L6 and 132 kV J L Eve lines emanating from Sundon substation; for the former leads to Wymondley substation and the latter feeds Luton
Onto Lower Sundon …
Heading down the hillLower Sundon — spot the post box?Here it is, decorated just as expectedUnfortunately Santa is still completely sozzled and can barely stand up.OK that’s better.
No sooner than we arrive, we leave again. The route actually involves back-tracking up the hill to Upper Sundon, with a turn off to follow a different route to Harlington, along the Midland Main Line railway.
As a reminder, these are not post boxes. Anyone who says they are is full of crap, just as are these boxes.Still not sure if this road down to what was Sundon Landfill is actually now open to the public but I do meet people coming the other way, so it seems to be.Last glimpse of Sundon as we head down the hill.Off to the left however are some steps (per the sign above) …Lovely view from up here, at least, in better weather and during a more photogenic season! I must come back here in the summer …Looking out across LutonBack to the road One of the paths leading off it. It’s very easy to get lost down here, with the strange mix of trees and random concrete structures. Really fascinating.Quad bikers … just before they raced past me and showered me in mud. Thanks mates!Places to explore on another dayThe end of the “main” road. Note the trees on the left.An express train passing by: we’re close to coming back to the railway line. And this is those treesJust a short walk now to the railway… yet, a very pretty oneAnd the bridgeNow a class 700 Thameslink train—identical to the one I arrived on—passes us
This is a four-track (fast+slow) main line, so why three signals? The extra one is for the Sundon Up Loop: “The two and a half kilometre loop has been installed on the up slow and allows the slower stone trains from Peak Forest to the capital be overtaken. The loop is only required on the up as trains on the down were empty and also travelling downhill, therefore they did not cause as many pathing issues due to their higher sustained speed.”
Extra colour light signal in the up direction
Continuing on to Harlington:
The public footpath now follows the railway, as does the power line. Electric railway on the right, and electric supply on the left. The pylon here is an L7, 132 kV.Looking out over the fields … In the distance is the M1 motorway; The sound was very apparent when visiting SteppingleySomewhere else that would look so much nicer in late spring!Closed the last three times I was here and closed still now. I don’t know what it’s for as there is no public footpath on the other side. However, it leads back to the now-closed landfill area and may be a viable route regardless.Forbidden eye candy …Now this is a red flag if ever I saw oneHere is the tunnel you are meant to useNo tunnel is complete without graffitiYou can just see Harlington now.
By this point I had realised (around 15:31) that the train back was at 15:33 not 15:47 as I had mistakenly misremembered; besides; no way I could make it from here by then anyway. The trains between 15:33 and 16:33 had already been cancelled that morning due to lack of train crew, and 16:33 was the latest I could leave Harlington … uh oh.
Narrow passagewayGetting closer
One of those cancelled trains passed by, so they must have found a replacement driver after all. A good sign …
Now you can really see HarlingtonZooming in a bit …This isn’t just mud, this is more like a bogChristmas time isn’t over yetPassing the Old Sun pub againI just find this place charming …… not least because of its unusual street lights!The funny old houses helpA class 222 diesel-electric express train hurtles through Harlington station towards London. The journey is almost over!Waiting for the train
