Activities:

To avoid disappointment, please book events in advance on 01582 500920 unless otherwise stated. Normal admission unless otherwise stated.

Further information about the centre is available here:

---------- May ----------

17 - Little Lambs Club

A crafty fun club for toddlers at Dunstable Downs. Suitable for children under 5yrs

Enjoy a chat with other mums as the kids enjoy some creative play!
They will get to make all sorts with us, as you relax and watch. The children can try different craft activities every week and listen to stories!

Date: Every Thursday, term time only
Time: 10:00am – 12:00noon
Cost: Free of charge (a donation towards materials would be appreciated)
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Tel:  Call 01582 500920 for details and to book
Website: Dunstable Downs
Twitter - DunstableDwnsNT

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20 - Discover Nature at Dunstable Downs

Discover the fascinating wildlife of Dunstable Downs. Enjoy a 2 hour walk to look for the
creatures that call Whipsnade Downs home. We might be lucky enough to see the rare
Duke of Burgundy butterfly. There will be walking up and down the hills.

Date: Sunday 20 May 2012
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Cost: £2 per person, booking advisable
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Phone: 01582 500920 for details and to book
Website: National Trust - Dunstable Downs

---------- June ----------

2 - Arts Celebration Day

Diamond Jubilee Weekend at Dunstable Downs

Come celebrate Art at the Downs as part of the Jubilee festivity Part of the Jubilee weekend celebrations in conjunction with Beds Arts Network. A Day to celebrate and encourage Art. There will be an array of activities including workshops, exhibitions, live art, speakers, demonstrations and activities.

Date: Saturday 2 June 2012
Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Cost: Free event (normal admission charges apply).
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Tel: 01582 500925 (Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop
)Website: Dunstable Downs
Twitter: DunstableDwnsNT

Download and event poster (PDF 143KB)

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3 - Jubilee Big Lunch

Diamond Jubilee Weekend at Dunstable Downs

Bedfordshire's biggest picnic - come and join us on the Downs to celebrate.
Part of the Jubilee weekend celebrations, we'll be participating in the BIG LUNCH to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. As announced by Buckingham Palace. The Big Jubilee Luch will be a part of the main programme of events over the central weekend of Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Join us with your picnic for the Funfair, craft stalls, entertainment, activities and yummy food treats on offer from the food stalls

Date: Sunday 3 June 2012
Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Cost: Free event (normal admission charges apply).
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Tel: 01582 500925 (Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop)
Website: Dunstable Downs
Twitter: DunstableDwnsNT

Download and event poster (PDF 143KB)

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4 - History Festival

Diamond Jubilee Weekend at Dunstable Downs

Come see history live again on the Downs!

Watch the lighting of the beacon and much, much more...
The Vikings have invaded the Downs, join us to explore the living history camp including an armoury, surgery, coin striking, calligraphy, textile and combat displays, weapons demonstrations and you’ll get a chance to watch a Holmganga (Viking duel) by torchlight. Why not enter the children into the ‘dress like a Viking competition’.

Part of the Jubilee weekend celebrations in conjunction with Beds Museum. This festival will rejoice in the diverse and fascinating history of the Downs. There will be workshops, exhibitions at the 5 Knolls, speakers, demonstrations and activities. The day will culminate with the lighting of the beacon.

Date: Monday 4 June 2012
Time: 11:00am - 10:00pm
Cost: Free event (normal admission charges apply).
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Tel: 01582 500925 (Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop)
Website: Dunstable Downs
Twitter: DunstableDwnsNT

Download and event poster (PDF 143KB)

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5 - Jubilee Family Fun Day

Diamond Jubilee Weekend at Dunstable Downs

All the family can celebrate the Jubilee at this diamond of an event!
Part of the Jubilee weekend celebrations. A family fun filled day, with activities and events for all the family.

Find our giant games on the Downs to play with and be entertained at the Funfair.

Date: Tuesday 5 June 2012
Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Cost: Free event (normal admission charges apply).
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Tel: 01582 500925 (Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop)
Website: Dunstable Downs
Twitter: DunstableDwnsNT

Download and event poster (PDF 143KB)

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6/7 - Bugs and Beasties hunt

Come and find creepy crawly insects. We'll let the children loose with magnifying glasses and nets to see what they'll find with our countryside team. They'll learn what bugs and beasties call the Downs their home and how they live.

Download further information (PDF 152KB)

Date: Wednesday 6 June and Thursday 7 June 
Time: Sessions at 11:00am, 12:00noon and 13:00pm
Cost: £3 booking essential
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Tel: 01582 500925 (Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop)
Website: Dunstable Downs
Twitter: DunstableDwnsNT

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13 - Evening ramble

Enjoy an evening stroll taking in the spectacular views of the Downs.  Enjoy a 2 hour ramble over Dunstable and Whipsnade Downs. Learn about what makes this landscape special and the creatures that call it home. There will be walking up and down the hills.

Date: Wednesday 13 June
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm 
Tickets: £2 per person (booking advisable)
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Tel: 01582 500925 (Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop)
Website: Dunstable Downs
Twitter: DunstableDwnsNT

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16 - Nature and orchid walk

Wonderful wildlife and gorgeous wild blooms.
Enjoy a 2 hour walk to look for the creatures that call Whipsnade Downs home. Hopefully the orchids will be in full bloom. Our wardens will guide you through the different fascinating and beautiful wildlife and plant life found at the Downs. There will be walking up and down the hills.

Date: Saturday 16 June
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm 
Tickets: £2 per person (booking advisable)
Venue: Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY
Tel: 01582 500925 (Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop)
Website: Dunstable Downs
Twitter: DunstableDwnsNT

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Address: Dunstable Downs, Chiltern Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY

Telephone: 01582 500920

Email: dunstabledowns@nationaltrust.org.uk

Opening times: Dunstable downs are open all year.  The Gateway Centre is open daily:

12 Mar - 30 Oct 11 -  10:00am - 5:00pm
31 Oct - 31 Dec 11 -  10:00am - 54:00pm

Activities:

The Forest covers sixty-one square miles of Bedfordshire. There are a growing number of beautiful woodlands, wetlands and open spaces for everyone to enjoy.

The Forest Centre is a lively conservation centre, set in the spectacular Millennium Country Park, just a few minutes drive away from Milton Keynes and Bedford. The main park and visitors centre are open all year round and entry's free! The Wetlands reserve has a ticketed charge in order to support maintaining this part of the site for wildlife. With easy parking and trouble free access for everyone, the Forest Centre is a natural place for the all your family to come and explore!

For walkers and cyclists, there are eight kilometres of traffic-free, surfaced footpaths and cycle paths. You can even rent a bicycle from the cycle hire.

Detailed information on events for 2012 at the Forest of Marston Vale is available here

For further information and updates contact The Forest of Marston Vale

Address: The Forest Centre, Marston Vale Millennium Country Park, Station Road, Marston Moretaine, Bedford. Mk43 0PR

Telephone: 01234 767037

Email: info@marstonvale.org

Opening times: Forest Centre

Winter (GMT) 10:00a.m. to 5:00p.m.

Summer (BST) 10:00a.m. to 6:00p.m

Activities: Gardens open for Charity in Bedfordshire 2011

Every year National Garden Scheme (NGS) gardens across England and Wales welcome over half a million visitors. Most gardens which open for the NGS are privately owned and open just a few times each year. Some gardens open as part of a group with the whole community involved.

The tradition of opening gardens of quality, character and interest is supported by the schemes Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales.

The NGS raises over £2 million each year for nursing, caring and gardening charities.  A full list of NGS facts and figures (PDF 58KB) can be downloaded here.

• Founded in 1927, The National Gardens Scheme (NGS) has donated more than £22 million to charity in the last ten years. 
• The NGS gave £2.6 million in 2011 to nursing and other caring charities from money raised by opening more than 3,800 private gardens in England and Wales.
• The 2012 edition of the famous Yellow Book, listing opening details of all 3800 gardens is  available to purchase from bookstores and garden centres or it can be ordered direct from the NGS – for £9.99 which includes all post and packaging charges.
• Charities supported by the NGS include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help the Hospices and Crossroads Care.
  

Address: The National Gardens Scheme, Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7RT

Telephone: 01483 211535

Email: webmaster@ngs.org.uk

Opening times:  A list of properties open under the National Gardens Scheme in Bedfordshire can be downloaded here (PDF 466KB)

Further information about gardens open in Bedfordshire can be found on the National Gardens Scheme website

Activities:

The King's Arms Garden is a small woodland garden of about 1½ acres created by plantsman the late William Nourish. Trees, shrubs, bulbs and many interesting collections throughout the yr. Maintained since 1987 by 'The Friends of the Garden' on behalf of Ampthill Town Council.

Since 1987 the garden had been maintained by the Friends of the Garden on behalf of the Ampthill Town Council. It is usually open the last Sunday in the month to the public and to groups by arrangement. The first opening of the year is in late January for the many varieties of snowdrops and hellebores. Bill planted so well that there is something new to be seen every month, especially in the Spring when there is something is a splendid succession of bulbs. It is usually open on the last Sunday of each month except in November and December.

Further information can be found on the National Gardens Scheme website

Address: Ampthill, Bedfordshire, MK45 2PP

Telephone: 01525 403945

Email: bryden.k@ntlworld.com

Opening times: Sun 29 Jan 2012 (2-4)

Admission:Adm £2, children free

Activities: About The Lodge

The Lodge nature reserve opened in 1961. The woodland, heath and acid grassland here cover 180 hectares, and are being restored to form the largest stretch of heathland in Bedfordshire.

You can explore this attractive nature reserve along 8 km of trails, visit the beautifully managed gardens, the Iron Age banks and ditches on Galley Hill, or watch woodland birds from the hide. You can see a wide range of woodland species throughout the year, and spotted flycatchers and hobbies during the summer.

The shop has an excellent range of binoculars and telescopes, books, bird food and gifts. Guided walks can also be booked here. There is a picnic area, and snacks are available at the shop. The hide, gardens and toilets are wheelchair accessible.

Address: The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy. SG19 2DL

Telephone: 01767 680541

Email: thelodgereserve@rspb.org.uk

Opening times: The reserve is open from 7:00am to 9:00pm (or sunset when earlier). The shop is open from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays and 10:00am to 5:00pm at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

Entrance charges: Non-members: £4 per motor vehicle. Members, and those just visiting the shop, can park for free. Please get a ticket from the ticket machine in the visitors' car park and display it in your vehicle.

Activities:

Ancient woodland and chalk escarpment with fantastic views.

The hill top beech wood on the Clappers is thought to have been an Iron Age Hill fort, and the chalk grasslands on the slopes below are important for many species of butterfly. The area comes alive in the summer with the sound of skylarks. (Natural Interest)

Start/Finish Point: Start at the car park at Sharpenhoe Clappers. Start Nat GR: TL064295.

How to get there by car/Parking: This area lies off Sharpenhoe Road, reached from the village of Streatley on the A6 between Luton and Bedford. There is a small car park at Sharpenhoe Clappers, on the road between Streatley and Sharpenhoe, signposted from the road.

How to get there by Car:This area lies off Sharpenhoe Road, reached from the village of Streatley on the A6 between Luton and Bedford. 
There is a small car park at Sharpenhoe Clappers, on the road between Streatley and Sharpenhoe, signposted from the road.

More information can be found on the Let's go website or The National Trust 

Address: The National Trust, Dunstable Downs Gateway Centre

Telephone: 01582 608489

Email: dunstabledowns@nationaltrust.org.uk

Opening times:are available on the National Trust/Sharpenhoe webpage.

Activities:

Take a trip down Memory Lane, and visit our museum to see bygone vehicles from the beginning of the century right up to modern day classics. Most of our exhibits originate from the largest private collection in the country, plus more recent acquisitions by the museum, making a total of over 350 exhibits.

Coffee shop for tea, coffee, snacks and ice creams.

Gift Shop with wide range of associated memorabilia.

The Museum is located in Lower Stondon, which is on the A600 between Hitchin and Shefford. The museum is signposted from the roundabout on the A600 in the centre of Lower Stondon. Follow the turning towards Shillington. After about half a mile you will see the entrance to the museum on the left hand side.

Address: Lower Stondon, Henlow, Beds. SG16 6JN

Telephone: 01462 850339

Email: transportmuseum@supanet.com

Opening times: Open 6 days a week, 10:00am to 4:00pm

Closed Fridays (other than Good Friday)

Visit Stondon Motor Museum website for further information

Activities:

Stotfold Watermill, in its idyllic setting on the River Ivel, is unique - it is a Grade II listed watermill that has been completely rebuilt since it burnt down in 1992 and has three fully accessible floors to view. Some of the machinery survived the fire and has been restored by a team of volunteers working alongside the mill specialists. Notable features are the 4.4 metre wide overshot corn mill waterwheel which is the widest in the country, and the hursting frame originally installed in 1897 by Whitmore and Binyon.

The adjacent 8.5 acre Mill Meadows, which has been officially designated a Local Nature Reserve by Natural England.

Open to the public some Sundays from April - October. Free entry to the mill. Tea room, gift shop, quality stone-ground flour.

Christmas at Stotfold Mill

Date: 26th and 27th November 2011
Time: 10:30am - 5:00pm.

Visit Santa in his grotto. Mince pies and mulled wine in the Tea Room. Gifts for sale. Free entry.

Address: Stotfold, Bedfordshire, SG5 4NU

Telephone: 01462 734541

Email: enquiries@stotfoldmill.com

Opening times: 2011 opening times

Activities:

The Shuttleworth Collection depicts the history of flight from the early 1900s to the 1950s and shows how the aeroplane operated in the pioneering years, was rapidly developed through necessity during World War I, was used for sport, pleasure and business in the 1920s and 30s and once again became a fighting machine in World War II.

Admission: Adults £12.00 (On non event days)
Seniors £10.00 (On non event days)

Accompanied Children up to 16 yrs FREE when with paying adults. Maximum number of children four.
For all adult groups, youth groups, cubs, beavers, cadets, play schemes, please telephone our groups organiser 01767 627924
Admission includes a gift aid donation.
At certain times during the year there is a charge for car parking of £3, this can be redeemed against Collection admission or a hot meal in the restaurant

Address: The Shuttleworth Collection, Shuttleworth (Old Warden) Aerodrome, Nr. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. SG18 9EP

Telephone: 01767 627927

Email: marketingevents@shuttleworth.org

Opening times: 9:30am to 4:00pm Last admission 3pm

Further information is available on the Shuttleworth website

Activities:

A visit to The Swiss Garden takes you back to the early 19th century, when an interest in ornamental gardening and picturesque architecture first came together.

The Swiss Garden, Old Warden Park, Bedfordshire, created in the 1820's by Lord Ongley, is a late Regency garden and an outstanding example of the Swiss picturesque.

The Swiss Cottage provides the main element for this unusual and atmospheric garden. It provides the principal aspect for a number of contrived vistas which lead the eye towards this attractive thatched structure.

Please visit the Swiss Garden website for further information, opening times and entrance fees.

Address: The Shuttleworth Collection, Shuttleworth (Old Warden) Aerodrome, Nr. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. SG18 9EP

Telephone: +44 (0)1767 627927

Email: marketingevents@shuttleworth.org

Opening times:Opening times: please see the Swiss Garden website
Admission: Adults £5, Seniors £4 and children up to 16yrs free

Activities:

Exciting days out at English Heritage’s Wrest Park

From fun family trails to meet the author events – are set to make winter more eventful at beautiful Wrest Park.

Here’s what’s on offer:

Address: Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, MK45 4HR

Telephone: 01525 860152

Email: customers@english-heritage.org.uk

Opening times: Information on Opening times for 2012/13 is available on the Wrest Park website

Prices
Member Free
Adult £8.00 (From 1 April £8.50)
Child (5-15 years) £4.80 (From 1 April £5.10)
Concession Students with official student card also over 60's
Note: Concessionary rates vary from property to property £7.20 (From 1 April £7.70)
Family (2 adults, 3 children) £20.80 (From 1 April £22.10)

Overseas Visitor Pass Available