20 Attractions to Explore Near Harrold Odell Country Park

The Lea Valley Walk is a 50-mile long-distance footpath located between Leagrave, the source of the River Lea near Luton. From its source much of the walk is rural. At Hertford, the path follows the towpath of the River Lee Navigation, and it becomes increasingly urbanized as it approaches London. The walk was opened in 1993 and is waymarked throughout using a swan logo.

The Cowper and Newton Museum is a museum in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England, in the Borough of Milton Keynes. This museum is housed in 'Orchard Side', the former home of 18th-century writer and poet William Cowper. The museum contains exhibits illustrating the life and times of the two men.

This is a really nice place, full of nature if you fancy a round trip walk. It's about 2 miles and if you get a good pace on, it takes you about an hour.. This large, ex-gravel pit is made up of a main-lake with gently sloping banks, shallow areas of water and ponds, low lying islands, a large scrape, and a fringe of reeds surrounded by grassland and wet woodland.

Castle Ashby is the ancestral home of the 7th Marquess of Northampton. This majestc castle was set in the heart of a 10,000-acre estate, the 35 acres of extensive gardens are a combination of several styles including the romantic Italian Gardens, the unique Orangery and impressive Arboretum. It is a leading example of the Elizabethan prodigy house, with a Palladian section closing the front courtyard added in the 18th century.

A beautiful serpentine park and a Victorian garden which was set in the heart of a 10,000-acre estate, the 25 acres of extensive gardens are a combination of several styles including the romantic Italian Gardens, the unique Orangery, and impressive Arboretum. The full Castle Ashby experience also involves a menagerie, children's play area, plant centre, tea room and gift shop.

Hall Park is a 34 acre site which includes a walled garden. The site has been in public use since 1931 and was previously in the ownership of several wealthy local families. It was one of the iconic attractions in this area and is a unique place to soemd some time in peace.

Emberton Country Park is one of only two large parks in Milton Keynes which comprises play equipments, a lake, and public loos. A short walk from the main car park is a really good play area. The highlights include a pirate ship and a big green twisty slide. The green slide is quite quick so bear that in mind if you have younger children. It also Offers camping, fishing, walking, conservation area and picnicking.

Rushden Transport Museum is housed in the beautifully restored Victorian Midland Railway Station which once formed part of the Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers branch line. It comprises a vast collection of transport-related artifacts from the Rushden area, giving visitors a nostalgic glimpse into its past. Rushden station has been preserved by the Rushden Historical Transport Society. The station building is fully intact and open with no admission fee.

This spectacular former quarry boasts Jurassic geology, and has a wonderful children's play area in addition to a network of long and short trails through 83 hectares of mixed woodland. The park is home to the Quarryman's Rest Cafe, Jungle Parc UK, and the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.

Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum is a beautiful museum that is little the site associated with the initial ironstone railway, that is house to a collection of working steam and diesel locomotives. It includes 8 locomotives within the collection, 7 running on steam, the other a diesel engine, plus over 30 items of rolling stock. The museum is owned byThe Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Trust.

Bedford Park is a Grade Two listed English Heritage Victorian park in the north of Bedford. Created in 1888 it is the largest urban park in Bedford and contains a lake, multiple play areas, and sports facilities. The park has many mature trees and shrubs, as well as herbaceous borders and naturalized bulb borders. One of the beautiful locations where you can spend some good times.

This is a huge nature reserve made up of five connected wildlife sites. This extensive series of shallow and deep open waters are surrounded with a wide range of marginal features, such as sparsely vegetated islands, gravel bars and shorelines, and habitats including reed swamp, marsh and so more. It is also a birdwatcher's paradise and The reserve forms part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and is managed by The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire.

Mowsbury Hill is a 2.8 hectare Local Nature Reserve and Scheduled Monument in north Bedford. It is owned and managed by Bedford Borough Council with the assistance of the Friends of Putnoe Wood and Mowsbury Hillfort.

A majestic church has a long and rich history, and stands on the site where there has been a religious building for over 1000 years. It is an admired and much visited attraction in the town centre and welcomes thousands of visitors and worshippers each year. The church is situated centrally in the town, just north of the river and on the current A6 running through Bedford.

A beautiful museum that tells the story of the Bedford man who wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress, one of the greatest novels in the English language. It includes a mixture of sets and scenes highlighting key aspects if his life, and a wide selection of objects and examples of his works. The John Bunyan Library contains 3,000 books and is open by appointment to researchers.

The Higgins Bedford is a majestic art gallery and museum in Bedford. The museum is home to the Cecil Higgins Collection of fine and decorative arts, which features work by the designers William Burges and Edward Bawden.

The Panacea Museum is a beautiful Victorian house that was part of the community’s headquarters. It tells the story of the Panacea Society and other similar religious groups. The museum also incorporates several other buildings, set within the gardens, that formed the original community'scampus’. The museum is open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday between February half term and the end of October.

A majestic castle which was was first built as a motte in the 11th century, and later a shell keep was added, to be followed by a round tower with curtain walls. It was built by Henry I in a position overlooking the River Great Ouse. The castle remained a ruin until the urban expansion in Bedford during the 19th century when houses were built across much of the property. Today only part of the motte still stands, forming part of an archaeological park built on the site between 2007 and 2009.

Chichele College is a rare surviving example of a chantry college. It was founded in 1422 by the locally born Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury. It’s a very special place; a Scheduled Monument which has considerable historical significance to the town and many who visit the site are enchanted by its spiritual atmosphere.

The Wellingborough Museum built-in 1892 as an indoor swimming pool by David Dulley, a brewer in the town. Today, the museum welcomes visitors to explore a range of exhibits. This beautiful museum displays the collection of artefacts owned by the Winifred Wharton Trust, previously shown in The Heritage Centre at Croyland Hall in Wellingborough.