Environs

Dunstable Downs

Dunstable is contained by its countryside within a natural gap in the northern Chiltern Hills. To the east you will find Blows Downs, acquired on behalf of the public by the Wildlife Trust, with funding from Dunstable Town Council and the National Lottery. To the west are Dunstable Downs, with ancient history and modern pastimes, providing another large open public area with breathtaking views. Miles of green lanes lead to Sewell, the prehistoric camp at Maidenbower, and the earthworks at Totternhoe Knolls. Other areas of the town are well served by marked rights of way such as Dog Kennel Walk, which is a favourite route from the town centre to nearby Houghton Regis.

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is located in the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside and is home to more than 200 species of rare and exotic animals, making it one of the largest conservation centres in Europe.

The Safari Bus and Jumbo Express steam train give the visitor the opportunity to see tigers, elephants, hippos, giraffes, rhinos and more, out and about in their huge outdoor enclosures. Don’t be surprised to find a free-roaming wallaby, peacock or one of the strange-looking mara wandering idly by as you make your way around the zoo.

New exhibits include Cheetah Rock, In With The Lemurs and the meerkat mound. See the charismatic cheetah close-up through the floor-to-ceiling glass in an African-style hut and have fun while you compare your running start with that of a fast four-legged feline at the running track. Among the latest “zoo babies” are Rap, a rare greater one-horned Asian rhino and two cute Highland Cattle calves. There are plenty of free shows to look out for which run daily through the season, including the Sealion Splash, Birds of the World and elephant demonstrations as well as bear, giraffe and penguin feeds. Don’t forget visit the Discovery Centre, which is home to a fascinating array of species from tamarins to turtles, from big snakes to sea horses.

The zoo also features the Wild Bite Cafe and the Lookout Café; both serve a range of hot and cold food, snacks and drinks.

With beautiful picnic areas, free daily keeper talks, animal shows, exciting events and exhibitions, there are plenty of reasons to visit ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, for a big day out that’s full of discovery and wild fun.

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is open daily, with the exception of Christmas day, and located just off Junction 9 of the M1.

For current ticket information and further details please visit zsl.org or call 01582 872171.

The Chilterns Gateway Centre & Dunstable Downs

For incredible views there’s only one place to visit - the highest point in the East of England that’s voted one of the region’s Seven Natural Wonders.

….this section of the ridge points to far horizons as it does nowhere else …. The numerous outliers; the surge of the plateau, seamed with coombes and pitted with depressions; the churches on their mounds in the midst of the generous tableland; the clean scoring of the ridge against the sky; the scene of the meeting of the two ways, of three counties and of the Chilterns with the watershed of the Upper Thames; the source of the Ouse – all contribute to the pivotal sense’.

So described author H Massingham in his book Chilterns Country (1943-44)the wonderful landscape of the Dunstable Downs.

Nowhere else in the UK can you leave a bustling town and within minutes be in countryside offering the most exceptional views and fascinating history. 

The Chilterns Gateway Centre

The hub for visitors to the Downs is the Chilterns Gateway Centre crowning the hilltop at Dunstable. The centre boasts an outstanding panoramic view from the comfort of a light and spacious glass fronted café, where visitors can sample the delicious Bedfordshire Clanger and a range of locally sourced food. There’s also a National Trust shop selling gifts, state of the art environmentally-friendly toilets and baby changing facilities and a new parking area close to the centre, which is fully accessible to people with disabilities.

New educational facilities and interpretation material for the area is in development, which will equip visitors with the confidence and knowledge they need to get the most out of a visit to the Downs and to extend their visits to explore further into the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The Downs

Perhaps the most obvious gateway into Bedfordshire from the Chiltern Hills, from the west the Downs often appears to be the final stretch of the Chilterns proper. A visually imposing area of chalk Downland looming over the Icknield Way, the Downs show many traces of man’s influence throughout history. Currently the most visual area of this is the patchwork of scrub and grassland which developed during the late 20th century as a result of the cessation of grazing. Look a little harder and the 5 Knolls, Bedfordshire’s’ only surviving Round Barrow cemetery appears on the skyline close to Dunstable. As the highest point in Bedfordshire, the Downs provide an awe-inspiring panorama which encompasses no less than six other counties. The wind swept ridge provides ideal conditions for a variety of air sports and on calmer days offers the ideal site to enjoy the view over a picnic.

The Chilterns Gateway Centre is open daily, with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and is located on the B4541 between Whipsnade and Dunstable.

Notes on Access: The centre has a level access into the building and (surfaced) ramped access from the viewing terrace onto the Downs; a surfaced path allows wider access. The remainder of this countryside property has steep slopes which can be hazardous particularly in wet weather.

For more information on the Chilterns Gateway Centre and our programme of family friendly events please visit; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstabledowns or phone 01582 500920. For more information on neighbouring National Trust Properties visit; www.nationaltrust.org.uk

 (Batsford, London – taken from The Chilterns Landscape, Countryside Commission 1992)

Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

On National Trust land near Whipsnade Common, not far from the wild animal park, a man called Edmund Kell planted his dream following the First World War in ‘faith, hope and reconciliation’. If you walk there now you will find trees making a Nave, Transepts, Cloisters and Chapels. This beautiful and serene place with a pond in the centre is open all year round with no charge for admission.

Date Updated: 19/05/10

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