20 Attractions to Explore Near Cainhoe Castle

Wrest Park is a real treat for the senses. Explore the 92 acres of award-winning gardens, gold winner of Anglia in Bloom Awards 2017. The park ranges from From dazzling parterres and fragrant borders, to sweeping views and woodland walks. There is also an ornate marble fountain, the 18th century Bowling Green House and a striking Chinese Bridge and Temple.

The De Grey Mausoleum is attached to the mid-15th-century parish church of St John at Flitton, Bedfordshire. It was first built in the early 17th century, before being expanded in 1704.The mausoleum contains a remarkable collection of funerary monuments spanning three centuries. The mausoleum is possibly the largest and most magnificent sepulchral chapel attached to an English church.

Summerfields Miniature Railways has been a hidden gem in Bedfordshire ever since it was opened to the public around 20 years ago. It was operated by the members of Bedford Model Engineering Society and is located on the A600 to the North West of Haynes – approximately half-way between Shefford and Bedford. The railways will be in operation for three days during the Greensand Country Festival.

Houghton House is a ruined mansion house in the parish of Houghton Conquest, Bedfordshire. It was built in the early 17th century by Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, as an elaborate hunting lodge. The house is reputed to have been the model for the ‘Palace Beautiful’ in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, published in 1678.

A beautiful nature reserve that has a large population of the rare pasque flower and several other rare plants are present in the downland, including greater pignut and fleawort. This post is also flourished with different verities of butterflies and the occurrence of springs and a chalk stream at the foot of the valley increases the beauty of this area. Between April and August is the best time to visit this paradise.

Within Zilker Park's 358 acres lies one of the crown jewels of Austin - Barton Springs Pool. The pool itself measures three acres in size and is fed from underground springs with an average temperature of 68-70 degrees, ideal for year-round swimming. The Springs serves as home to the endangered Barton Springs Salamander and is listed as a federally protected habitat.

Pegsdon Hills and Hoo Bit is a 79-hectare nature reserve in Pegsdon in Bedfordshire. It offers some of the best views in the county. In spring, moschatel, or town-hall clock, named after the arrangement of its flowers, can be found in the woodland, while dingy and grizzled skipper butterflies flutter around in the grassland.

Oughtonhead Common is a Local Nature Reserve with a wide variety of wildlife habitats. The River Oughton flows alongside the common. Park seats are installed at various locations by the riverside making it a pleasant place to relax and enjoy. The site has a variety of habitats, including wet and dry woodland, the river margin and fen areas. Willow, reed and rush were formerly grown and harvested in the wetter areas, and there was a corn mill at the eastern end. Birds include kingfishers, water

a perfect day out for the family! It brings up to 30% tree cover, transforming the landscape and making it a thriving place to live, work and play. The Forest of Marston Vale is one of twelve of community forest projects in the United Kingdom. The total area covered is 61 square miles, but most of this land is in private ownership. There are incentives for landowners to plant trees, and the target for community forests, in general, is to reach 30% tree cover.

Hitchin Lavender is a lavender farm attraction close to both London and Cambridge. The farm has some spectacular views of rural Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and there are many interesting walks in the surrounding area. It attracts a lot of tourists here and also this picturesque spot is also a good venue for film shoots too.

Jordan's Mill is FREE to wander around. It is owed by the people who make the cereal and the cereal bars and still has a working water mill. You can wander around the mill, they also do guided tours and have a spot of lunch. The restaurant is a bit pricey and they don't allow picnics.

The Moot Hall was originally built to serve Elstow Abbey as a market house but is now a museum. Built around 1550, this timber framed brick building is now home to the Aldeburgh Museum, as well as still being used for local council meetings. Sarah and her son recently visited Aldeburgh and just had to take a look inside this incredible building.

Standalone Farm is a great place to take the kids for a day out. A small working show farm set in 170 acres of Hertfordshire countryside. A delightful small working show farm set in 125 acres of farmland on the outskirts of Letchworth. The sights and sounds of newborn lambs, calves, and chicks delight the visitors. Ducks waddle around the farmyard and paddle happily in Pix Brook, which meanders through the farm.

Priory Country Park is a green space made up of lakes, meadows, and woodland which is in part enclosed within a bend in the River Great Ouse. There are habitats from meadows to reed beds, quiet walks for all, fishing, boating, play areas, and bird hides. This beautiful green area is set in a 360-acre ground and it attracts a lot of people.

The British Schools Museum in Hitchin bills itself as the 'Home of the Education Revolution', a bold claim but one that has a great deal of truth about it. The museum is built around an authentic early Victorian school established in the 1830s and is remarkably unaltered since it was opened. It includes a monitorial schoolroom based on the educational theories of Joseph Lancaster for 300 boys, which opened in 1837, and a rare galleried classroom, dating from 1853.

The Wildlife Trust BCN mission is to create a wilder future by protecting and restoring wildlife and wild places across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire, for the benefit of both wildlife and people. It aims to conserve wildlife, inspire people to take action for wildlife, offer advice and share knowledge.

A majestic working watermill with three fully accessible floors and an adjacent 8.5-acre Local Nature Reserve. Milling demonstrations on open days. visitors can watch the millstones grinding flour and learn about the process from exhibits and demonstrations as they explore the building. The Mill stands in a local nature reserve with riverside and woodland walks.

Woburn Safari Park is a drive-through wild animal park. Set in over 300 acres of beautiful Bedfordshire parkland, just off junction 13 of the M1, the park offers visitors a memorable day out on safari with some of the most endangered wild animals in the world. It was opened in 1970 by the 13th Duke of Bedford.

Go Ape! is an outdoor adventure company which runs tree top ropes courses under the names Tree Top Challenge, Tree Top Adventure and Zip Trekking, as well as ground-based Forest Segway Safaris.

Willington Dovecote is the most famous thing in Willington. It was listed by the former Department of Environment in July 1964 as Grade I, of exceptional interest. The cote and adjoining stable block are thought to have been built with stone from Newnham Priory. A signature on the stone above the fireplace in the stables reads "John Bunyan", but its authenticity has not been proven. They have a fascinating history and are well worth a visit.