What would we have done during 2020 if it was not for our beautiful outdoors? It gave us a chance to appreciate and fall in love with our wilderness all over again. Many embraced walking during 2020 and thankfully we are still able to exercise outside, provided we stay local and stick to government guidelines.

Thankfully Bedfordshire has some amazing hiking trails as well as green spaces and picturesque destinations for you and your family to get out and stretch your legs. We have taken the time to curate some fabulous places to visit for some top views.

Barton Hills, Barton-le-Clay

If you’ve ever been to the Chilterns, you’ll have an idea of the natural beauty that stretches all the way from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

There are tones of hiking routes leading into the hills of Bedfordshire, and along these trails is one spot, in particular, Barton Hills, which just southeast of the village of Barton-le-Clay.

A majority of the area of Barton-le-Clay is a nature reserve managed by Nature England and is home to a large natural expanse of untouched grass and woodlands. Barton Hills overlook the source of a freshwater chalk stream river, and during the summer, if your lucky you might spot some Dartmoor ponies roaming the hills.

If you follow the track towards Ravensburgh Castle you will come across an Iron Age Hill Fort. The spot offers top views of the surrounding countryside and an excellent opportunity to see butterflies, rare flowers and other wildlife.

Dunstable Downs

Dunstable Downs lay west of Luton and is made up of a vast expanse of field and grasslands that are home to Neolithic burial mounds and a host of wildlife. The downs are situated at the highest point of Bedford County which means that you can take advantage of the rolling hills and spectacular views. The downs are a chalk escarpment in the Chilterns. Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of the downs is the enormous lion shape cut out into the chalk on one of the hills which are managed by The National Trust and are a part of the Whipsnade Estate property. The property is closed due to national restrictions but you can still enjoy a walk in the Downs.

Apart from the top views, you may also be able to spot a red kite, which is one of the most beautiful birds of prey in Britain, which bread in the area in April. 

Pegsdon Hills and Hoo Bit

Pegsdon Hills and Hoo Bit is a nature reserve made up of 79 acres and is another beautiful spot to catch views across the country. The chalk hills overlook woodlands and farmlands but be careful as it’s fairly steep to climb up. The reserve spans all the way from Pegsdon Hills and deacon Hill in Bedfordshire to Hoo Bit in Hertfordshire which means that the views are spread across two counties.

The spot is particularly popular with nature lovers due to the fact that it is home to skylarks and wheatears, as well as a wide range of wildflowers. Hoo bit is a flower meadow surrounded by woodland, which can be accessed from Hitchin Road.

Forest of Marston Vale

Bedfordshire is a fair bit flatter beyond the Chilterns, but this doesn’t mean that there still are not some great places to explore around the north of the county. Specifically, the forest of Marston Vale and Millenium Country Park, which is home to 225 hectares of woodlands, grasslands, meadows and a wetlands nature reserve.

The area once upon a time was used to supply Stewartby Brickworks with clay, during this time workers dug massive pits in the countryside to extract it, so if you look hard enough, you may be able to still see some remnants of this. 

During the 90s the UK government reclaimed the area and made it a community forest and replanted over a million trees to create the dense forest we see today. This means is there plenty of new wildlife in the area for walkers and beautiful views throughout the forest land.

Harrold Odell Country Park and Priory Country Park

Another place to visit in Bedfordshire is Harrold Odell Country Park in North Bedfordshire which is made up of 144 acres of lakes and river meadows along the River Ouse.

In this area, there are two picturesque lakes to have a stroll around, as well as woodlands and an abundance of wildlife, including wild birds, shrews and otters. 

The park is maintained by the Bedford Borough Council who have provided a cafe to drop into after your walks. If you’ve been there before, try Priory Country Park, another stretch of parkland maintained by the Council. This park is much larger, at 360 acres, and there are a series of hides from which you can watch birds on the water and take pictures of the top views.

Smithcombe, Sharpenhoe and Sundon Hills

Just above the village of Sharpenhoe is another beautiful spot in the Chilterns.

Sharpenhoe Clappers is part of a National Trust property that also includes Smithcombe and Sundon Hills. Stretching across 86.1 hectares, the sight is made up of chalk grassland, full of rare plants and orchids. The word clappers might seem strange but it comes from the French word “clapier”, for rabbit warrens. Rabbit meat, fur and leather were once very important to the local economy and there are medieval rabbit warrens within Sharpenhoe Clappers, an Iron Age hill fort.