Fairfields footpaths, bridleways and new paths

In July 2021, more than twenty Fairfields residents joined a walk from Watling Street through Fairfields, past Lower Weald, across fields, almost to the borough boundary of Milton Keynes, then back through Calverton. This 3-mile walk was led by Mike LeRoy of MK Ramblers and showed how many delightful paths there are within and close to Fairfields.

Four sets of long-established footpaths and bridleways are woven into the fabric of Fairfields. These are legally-protected Rights of Way for walkers and riders. Developers are still adding golden-gravel paths, Redways and other footways, as Fairfields is developed. This network connects to field-paths in the wider countryside beyond.

Joining organised walks in Milton Keynes

One way of exploring paths in and around Milton Keynes is to join organised walks led by MK Ramblers. You don’t have to be a member to try out some of their walks. They lead short and long walks, and you can find the current programme on their website. Other walks are organised by The Parks Trust and by Walking for Health.

Exploring on your own

To explore countryside paths on your own, the most reliable source of information is Ordnance Survey (OS) Explorer maps. These show all the Public Rights of Way across the countryside, though not all paths within towns. You can buy the two local maps: 192, Buckingham & Milton Keynes and 207, Newport Pagnell & Northampton South; or pay a subscription for an OS App for online access to their most up-to-date maps of all the UK. An online alternative is Open Street Map but this omits some Rights of Way and shows Redways as Cycleways, although they are shared paths for walkers and cyclists.

Milton Keynes Official City Atlas

The most reliable mapping of paths within MK is the full-colour printed ‘Milton Keynes Official City Atlas’. But hurry to buy one soon from local Waterstones or WH Smith as the most recent edition (2017) may be the last. It shows Leisure Paths, local paths and Redways throughout MK, though not much of Fairfields and Whitehouse had been built when this was published.

How to find all types of path in Fairfields and Whitehouse?

A different kind of mapping is available from MK Council online. This shows all the Public Rights of Way (Footpaths and Bridleways), the Redways, Leisure Paths, and other linking paths once you have clicked on ‘My Maps’, put Fairfields into the search box, and use the left-hand side to click on ‘Public Rights of Way’. (NB please bear in mind that as the area develops, some of these routes may change).

How to report problems with paths?

If a Public Right of Way is blocked or overgrown or a stile or gate is broken you can report this to Milton Keynes Council from their Rights of Way webpage where it says ‘Reporting an Issue’.

You can check the code number of a footpath or bridleway for this report on the Mapping Milton Keynes website, by clicking on the line of the path on the map.