Focus on Bedfordshire

Each month we turn our focus upon a different county, highlighting some key ancient tree sites and identifying some other places of general interest for tree-lovers. Other than Woodland Trust properties, admission or parking charges apply for many sites, and as access may be prohibited or limited to certain dates or times, it’s always advisable to check with the site owner or with the local Tourist Information Office before making a visit.

This month we turn our attention to Bedfordshire, an unassuming county, situated directly to the north from London and perhaps not typically associated with tourism and visitor attractions. It would be a mistake, however, to overlook this compact area of England, with its fine towns and villages, rich heritage and varied rural landscape. If you want to unearth this county’s natural gems though, it probably demands a little more effort than normal, but a bit of research will prove very rewarding!

North Bedfordshire is typically most rural. The River Great Ouse snakes across the north of the county passing through many picturesque villages and through Bedford, where an attractive landscaped riverside walk stretches right across the town. This county town boasts many fine buildings and a wealth of historical interest, including the King’s Ditch to the south of the river and the mound of a Norman castle. Check out the splendid churches of St Paul’s, St Peter’s and St Mary’s and seek out the numerous reminders of John Bunyan’s time in the town, from his cottage and the site of the old County Gaol to the museum and library collections in his honour.
At the heart of the county is Mid-Bedfordshire, where the Georgian towns of Woburn and Ampthill to the west complement the historic market towns of Biggleswade and Sandy to the east. Some splendid scenery is to be found in this area too, with wide open countryside playing host to some enchanting villages, grand country houses and historic monuments.

More commercialised than the north, South Bedfordshire is best known for Luton, the county’s biggest town, and for the historic market town of Dunstable, built by the Romans on the side of the Downs and accessed via Watling Street, once a busy stagecoach route. To the west are the Dunstable Downs, which offer some fabulous views over the Vale of Aylesbury and are set within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Other prominent places include the merged towns of Leighton Buzzard and Leighton Linslade, the historic town of Kempston (recorded as Camestone in the Domesday Book) and Whipsnade, famed for its Wild Animal Park and for its white lion carved in the chalk of the Downs.

There’s plenty to see and do in Bedfordshire, and in this relatively small county, you never have too far to travel! For birdwatchers there’s the headquarters of the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and a super nature reserve in Sandy; if you enjoy visiting gardens, then the Swiss Gardens of Lord Ongley (west of Biggleswade) and Wrest Park Gardens (south of Bedford) are two not to be missed; for shoppers, Luton provides a modern alternative to the quaint, market towns dotted throughout the county; and a visit to the Woburn Estate with its abbey and safari park may provide the answer if you’re looking for a family day-out.

So, what about the county’s top locations for ancient trees and treescapes?
 
Well, the Woburn Estate including Woburn Park (SP9631) is a good place to start. There’s public access to the Abbey gardens, the deer park and much of the woodland on the estate, and there’s plenty to see. The county’s only extensive arboretum is to be found here, and you may note several ancient oaks and a number of unusual trees as you wander across the parkland. Ten species of deer reside here too, and the herd is 1,000 strong. The woodland covers over 3,500 acres and makes up around one fifth of the county’s tree cover! There are two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within the woods, and a sizeable area is classified as ancient semi-natural woodland. The main woods comprise a 50/50 mix of conifers and broadleaf trees, whilst the private evergreen area contains many specimen trees and shrubs from around the world, some of which date back to the mid- 18th century or early 19th century.

English Nature and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough (BCNP for short!) jointly manage a superb site in the Bedfordshire Greensand Ridge area. The National Nature Reserve of King’s Wood (SP9329) is part of the largest surviving ancient semi-natural woodland in the county. There’s been woodland here since before the 15th century. In The Middle Ages it was part of the royal estate of Leighton, and this explains its regal name. Part of this 257-acre site is today designated a SSSI. Sessile oak and birch dominate the sandier areas, whilst pedunculate oak, ash, maple, hazel, small-leaved lime and hornbeam are found at the higher end of the wood in the chalkier, boulder clay. Look out for the wild lily-of–the-valley, primroses and devil’s-bit scabious; for unusual mosses and fungi; and for white admiral and purple emperor butterflies.

The BCNP Wildlife Trust manages a second site of particular interest, namely Hoo Bit (TL1129) on the Icknield Way. Under a canopy of beech, there’s hawthorn, hazel and field maple, and look out for the large coppiced beech trees on an ancient earthwork. The rich flora includes wild thyme, eyebright, yellow-wort, common spotted orchids, white helleborine and moschatel.

Wherever you visit, it’s always likely that The Woodland Trust will have several woods, which are well worth a visit, and Bedfordshire is no exception. In Kempston Wood (SP9947) you may be able to spot the few remaining ancient oaks and some field maple pollards. Holcot Wood (SP9638) and Reynolds Wood (SP9539) within the Marston Vale Community Forest are predominantly ancient semi-natural woodland, which was heavily coppiced until the turn of the 20th century. Old hazel and ash coppice is common, with oak, midland hawthorn and field maple otherwise most notable. Also designated ancient semi-natural woodland, Bramingham Wood (TL0625), just outside Luton, seems to comprise two areas of ancient woodland linked by a more recent wooded area. This wood dates back to the 14th century or earlier and was owned by the crown for several centuries. It’s well-known locally for its rare fungi, and the ponds provide a home for dragonflies, smooth newts, marsh marigolds and reed buntings.

Ancient woodland accounts for less than 1% of this county today. Nine woods including King’s Wood, Kempston Wood and Holcot Wood were included in the Bedfordshire Ancient Woodland Project. Its stated aims were to conserve and enhance the wildlife and historic heritage of Bedfordshire’s ancient woodlands for the benefit of present and future generations; to enhance the accessibility and understanding of woodlands for everyone to enjoy; and to implement conservation with traditional management techniques. The other woods named within the project were Chicksands Wood, Flitwick Wood, Maulden Wood, Potton Wood, Marston Thrift and Wilstead Wood.
 
Several of these woods are in the Greensand Ridge area. Firstly, Chicksands Wood (TL1039) is a plantation of pedunculate oak and ash, which is owned by the Ministry of Defence. Secondly, Flitwick Wood is designated semi-natural ancient woodland and is doubtlessly a remnant of a much larger area of forest. It’s believed that clearance began in mid-Saxon times and that it has links to royalty. Visit in May for a superb display of bluebells, and keep an eye open for the elusive muntjac deer, which play hide and seek amongst the trees. Thirdly, the Forestry Enterprise’s Maulden Wood is a combination of ancient woodland and newer conifer plantations, and stands adjacent to Maulden Heath and Grasslands, part of which is designated a SSSI.
There are several other woods of interest in the Greensand Ridge area. Aspley Woods covers some 800 acres and consists of woodland and heath. You’ll find beech and ash dominant at Heath Wood, but see if you can locate the American black locust tree, which was planted here! Accessible from the popular Greensand Ridge Walk and sited near the River Ouzel, there are good views as well across the Ouzel Valley toward Linslade Woods. They comprise the ancient deciduous woodland of Bluebell Wood, which may date back some 800 years, and an almost brand new community wood. Impressive views, including the Chilterns, may be obtained from these woods.
Country parks can provide some wonderful treescapes, and Bedfordshire boasts a wide variety. Stockgrove Country Park, situated at the top of the Greensand Ridge, comprises ancient coppice woodland, conifer plantations, remnants of heath, grassland, and landscaped Georgian parkland. There’s is a neo-Georgian manor house and a lake, which is a breeding location for mandarin ducks. Wood-banks dating from The Middle Ages are still visible in Baker’s Wood, a SSSI, and the ancient oak coppiced woodland that provides the south-eastern park boundary, includes trees believed to date back some 800 years.
 
Ampthill Park is similarly at the top of the Greensand Ridge and provides panoramic views over the Marston Vale. It’s thought that this has been parkland since the 15th century when a castle was built on the land. In the late 18th century, the parkland was linked to Park House and was landscaped by Capability Brown. A fine collection of veteran trees remains here, providing an important habitat for a wide variety of beetles and other insects, and the wetland areas are also particularly interesting.

The Marston Vale Millennium Country Park opened (not surprisingly) in 2000 and boasts wetlands, lakes, lagoons and woodland. The park forms an important element in the community forest of Marston Vale, which covers some 61 square miles between Ampthill, Milton Keynes and Bedford. The Forest Centre provides an interesting insight into the progress made to date and into future plans for this exciting community project. Whilst at the centre, be sure to take in the fabulous views over Stewartby Lake and the park’s wetland areas.

Here’s a final selection of Bedfordshire locations, which merit a mention – and a visit. Firstly, some fine examples of veteran oaks, together with ash and field maple, can be found at Luton Hoo near Hyde. This extensive parkland was landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century. Secondly, taking the footpath northwards from the green in Whipsnade village, with its timber-framed houses, will bring you to Whipsnade Tree Cathedral (TL0018). At this National Trust property, you’ll discover the unusual sight of trees and hedges planted after the First World War in “faith, hope and reconciliation” to match the ground plan of a medieval cathedral! Last but not least, Luton – not known for its natural attractiveness – has two fine municipal parks, Wardown Park and Stockwood Park, a quaint Victorian park through which the River Lea meanders.

If you know of other ancient trees in Bedfordshire or if you wish to suggest a site for inclusion in next month’s article, Focus on Cornwall, we’d love to hear from you!
Please e-mail us, providing as much information as possible and preferably including an Ordnance Survey map reference. We’re also very keen to build up a library of photographs of ancient trees and ancient tree sites. Can you help? If you’re willing to share your treescapes and tree portraits, please e-mail them to us, remembering to provide location details for each photo, with an Ordnance Survey map reference if possible. We’d love to include them in a future article!