Dunstable Downs

Forget About Your Worries At Dunstable Downs

Bedfordshire is undoubtedly a county full of beauty. There is any number of sites that you can go to take a look at the natural world, including a number of National Trust sites, but no trip to Bedfordshire is complete without taking the time to experience the picturesque views from Dunstable Downs.

The Dunstable Downs are located within the Chiltern Hills and is perhaps the most visited site in the hills today. As such, there has recently been a visitors’ area and information building built at the top. The view from there is simply breathtaking because, at 243m above sea level, it is the highest point of the entire county of Bedfordshire. This may also be the reason why there has been a lion cut into the side of one of the hills by Whipsnade Zoo. As the Downs are made of chalk, the lion cuts an imposing figure on the landscape and can be seen for miles around.

Dunstable Downs are actually an important part of he history of the area because they played host to a shutter telegraph chain station between 1808 and 1814. The chain linked London to Great Yarmouth, which was where many of the English Navy’s ships were housed during that period.

Today, the Dunstable Downs is still an integral part of the area, but in relation to tourism rather than the movements of the British Armed Forces. The London Gliding Club is based at the Downs and many others go to them to paraglide and hang glide, as well as fly kites and explore the beauty of the surroundings. It is common for hikers and walkers to visit the Downs regardless of the weather or conditions, although many more visitors go in summer than in winter. They are also home to varied wildlife today, including the Bee Orchid and other forms of rare wildflower as well as a number of butterfly species; the Chalkhill Blue and Marbled White for example. The area is truly beautiful and provides a great day out for everyone, regardless of age!and this is actually what draws people back time and time again!