Bedfordshire - 82 Attractions You Must Visit

Shaw's Corner was the primary residence of the renowned Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw; The house was designed very much in the Arts and Crafts style with stained glass windows and hearts cut into the banisters. It tells the story of his life and gives a great description of much of his life. The Arts and Crafts interiors are small yet beautiful. The garden contains a revolving summerhouse where Shaw used to work.

A beautiful natural location that was covered with trees, hedges, and shrubs planted in the form of a medieval cathedral. This incredible Tree Cathedral was created after the First World War in the spirit of "faith, hope, and reconciliation". The cathedral, which covers 26 acres, was begun in the interwar years in an effort to foster ‘Faith, hope and reconciliation’. The Tree Cathedral contains chapels meant for each of the four seasons.

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.

A unique working estate, with an impressive mansion at its heart. Discover Wimpole’s acres of parkland, miles of walks, vibrant Walled Kitchen Garden, and Home Farm. Explore the hall, where intimate rooms contrast with beautiful Georgian interiors. The house, begun in 1640, and its 3,000 acres of parkland and farmland are owned by the National Trust. The estate is regularly open to the public and received over 335,000 visitors in 2019.

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.

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.

The Park is home to the very popular Splash ‘n’ Play facility, the beach, the skate park, and also the bandstand. The Splash ‘n’ Play water park is currently closed for winter. the area surrounding the green became the focus for fine houses and grounds built by merchants and the gentry within easy distance of London, yet in a more salubrious setting than the urban environs. A number of Georgian houses have survived, some of them replacing earlier Tudor and Elizabethan buildings.

Paxton Pits Nature Reserve is a rich area of wildlife habitats in the heart of the Ouse Valley covering 78 hectares of lovely lakes, riverside, meadow, reedbed, scrub, grassland and woodland. It offers a great learning experience for visiting education and community groups as well as families - including a chance to get up close to local wildlife on the surrounding nature reserve throughout the year.

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.

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 Riverside Miniature Railway (RMR) is situated in Riverside Park, in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. Founded by Ivan Hewlett, the railway is run on a not-for-profit, community basis. One of the iconic attractions in this area and you can spend a good time there.

Rothamsted Park is a huge 56-acre public park adjacent to the world-famous Rothamsted Experimental Research Centre, which includes a sports centre, a paddling pool and an indoor swimming pool, the park is much loved for its wide-open spaces which provide opportunities for walking and relaxation. There is also a popular children’s play area and the District’s only purpose-built skateboard Park.

RSPB The Lodge nature reserve and gardens is one of the best places in the county to visit wildlife friendly gardens in attractive natural landscapes. Gardeners will enjoy the beautiful gardens around The Lodge, which are the UK headquarters of the Royal Society for the Protections of Birds. The reserve sits on the Greensand Ridge, overlooking the River Ivel valley and includes areas of broadleaved and coniferous woodland.

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.

Rushmere Country Park is 400 acres of woodland, heathland, and meadows. The main impression you'll most likely come away with is of a heavily wooded area that breaks out into some quite large grassy areas here and there. It is an attractive and accessible public open space, zoned in a manner that enables a wide range of leisure and countryside activities, whilst protecting and enhancing the sensitive natural and historic environment.

The Shuttleworth is an aeronautical and automotive museum located at the Old Warden Aerodrome, Old Warden in Bedfordshire. It is one of the most prestigious in the world due to the variety of old and well-preserved aircraft. The Shuttleworth Collection puts an emphasis on restoring as many aircraft as possible to flying conditions, in line with the founder's original intention.

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.

St Neots Museum is a friendly local museum Housed in a former police station and court building, telling the story of a busy market town on the River Ouse, from prehistoric times to the present day. It is also home to the original goal cells where prisoners were detained and local history including the story of the railroad that reshaped the town in 1851 and local domestic life as it’s changed over the ages.

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.

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.