Bedfordshire

Exploring Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire stretches from the chalk hills of the Chilterns in the south to the wooded Greensand Ridge, river valleys and rolling farmland across the centre and north of the county. Between them are woodlands, historic towns, villages and open countryside, creating a varied landscape for walking and independent exploration.

The Chilterns National Landscape extends into southern Bedfordshire, protecting a landscape of chalk hills, woodland, farmland and valleys shared with neighbouring Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Around Dunstable and the southern edge of the county, the chalk landscape provides some of Bedfordshire's most distinctive higher ground.

Further north, the Greensand Ridge crosses Bedfordshire through a landscape of woodland, heathland, farmland and historic estates. This band of higher ground forms a distinctive contrast with the surrounding clay vales and river valleys and provides an important corridor for walking through the centre of the county.

The Icknield Way Path crosses southern Bedfordshire as part of its long-distance route from Ivinghoe Beacon towards Knettishall Heath. The route follows the chalk landscape through the county before continuing into Hertfordshire, forming part of a much longer trail linking the Chilterns with the countryside of eastern England.

Away from the long-distance trail, Bedfordshire's river valleys, woodlands, villages and countryside provide opportunities for shorter walks and slower exploration. The River Great Ouse shapes the landscape through the north of the county, while the River Flit, Greensand Ridge and chalk landscapes of the south add further variety to Bedfordshire's walking country.