The Ashridge Estate

Ashridge is about 6 miles outside the town of Dunstable, it is National Trust and is approximately 5,000 acres. To get to Ashridge you have to travel along the B489 coming out of Dunstable and then turn left at the New York Diner roundabout and then go straight through Dagnall, across the roundabout and into the Ashridge Forest, you travel about 2 miles and you then turn right and you will see the Bridgewater Monument at the end of the road in front of you.

They have a nice cafe and facilities available. Whenever I go I tend to park on the right hand side and follow the paths into the forest, it is really beautiful especially at the end of March when the bluebells come out. There are large herds of fallow deer and alot of muntjac wandering around.

I found a Greater Spotted Woodpecker's nest once and sat watching them return to the nest continously feeding it's young.

Ashridge gets very busy in the summer with people having picnics and the odd game of football.
If you want to you can walk from Ashridge down to the village of Aldbury, which is really nice and has a great pub called The Greyhound Inn. The village was also seen in the film THE DIRTY DOZEN and was also used in the latest Bridgit Jones's film.

At the end of the village is the beginning of the famous RIDGEWAY PATH which goes from near Ivinghoe Beacon to Overton Hill in Wiltshire is 87 miles long and is said to be the oldest road in Europe and is thought to be 8,000 years old.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ashridge-estate