20 Attractions to Explore Near Oughtonhead Common Nature Reserve

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.

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.

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.

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.

Norton Common is a 25.7-hectare park and Local Nature Reserve in the centre of Letchworth Garden City. It is a park which is perfect for walks and picnics and it also offers 63 acres of unspoiled grass and woodland, tennis courts, bowling green and outdoor pool.

Howard Park and Gardens is a vital green space in the heart of the town surrounded by mature trees and with formal gardens around the bowls area. It also has quiet areas for reading or relaxation. Created as a central part of the world’s first garden city in Letchworth the park continues to play an important role in the life of Letchworth and makes a significant contribution to the quality of life of those who live and work in or visit the town.

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.

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.

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.

St Paul's Walden Bury is a notable landscape garden, laid out in the early 18th-century, covering about 50 acres. It is the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The surrounding estate, with its arable and livestock farm and its ancient woodland, is a traditional country estate set in the heart of the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside.

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.

Cainhoe Castle remains as a prominent earthwork on the north side of the road from Clophill to Shefford. The castle was of the motte and bailey type. The motte was the mound, on which would have stood a wooden tower. The bailey was the open area enclosed by a bank, ditch, and wooden wall. The castle was of the motte and bailey type. The motte was the mound, on which would have stood a wooden tower. The bailey was the open area enclosed by a bank, ditch, and wooden wall.

Fairlands Valley Park is renowned for its wide range of water sports facilities, with sailing, windsurfing, angling, kayaking and dragon boating taking place on the 11 acre Main Lake. It was situated within the heart of Stevenage and covering 120 acres of beautiful parkland, Fairlands Valley Park provides extensive leisure facilities for all.

Wardown House, Museum and Gallery is situated in the beautiful landscaped Wardown Park, on the outskirts of Luton town centre. The house was formerly the home of the Scargill family, then a military hospital and is now a museum and gallery. It was one of two free admission museums situated in Luton which are part of the charitable trust, Luton Culture.

Wardown Park is one of seven district parks in Luton, providing a green refuge within walking distance of the town centre. It provides the setting for Wardown Park Museum and offers a wide range of opportunities for formal and informal recreational activities. With its outstanding features and is one of the most visited parks in Luton. It provides an oasis of calm within walking distance of the town center.

Someries Castle is one of the biggest and earliest surviving brick buildings of this type in England and is therefore of great significance. The house is unique in that it is regarded as one of the first brick buildings in England. Demolished in the 1700s, the fine brickwork can still be seen in the remains of the gatehouse. A unique place to visit and you can spend some good time in the history of England.

Knebworth House was the former Home of the Lytton family for over 500 years, Knebworth was transformed in 1843 from a red brick Tudor house into a veritable feast of Victorian Gothic turrets, gargoyles and gryphons, by writer-statesman Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Other notable family members include Lady Constance Lytton, Hertfordshire’s own Suffragette and the Edwardian architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who married into the Lytton family.

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.

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.

There’s so much to discover at Stockwood, which includes Beautiful gardens, interactive exhibitions and the largest carriage collection in Europe. The discovery centre displays collections of local social history, archaeology, geology and rural crafts. It also houses the biggest collection of horse-drawn carriages in Europe, the Mossman Collection.