Parks

The urban areas served by the Marston Vale Line are blessed with many beautiful parks, oases of calm in busy towns and cities. Whether you just fancy a stroll, buy an ice cream, take part in sports, it sit by the river, there is something for you. Below are details of the main parks, and how to access them.

Bedford Parks

The parks of Bedford are the most easily accessible from the Marston Vale Line. In the north of the town there are the Bedford and Mowsbury Parks. Bedford Park is a grand Victorian town park with original bandstand, pavilions and lodges. The park features flower borders, superb specimen trees together with a lake and fountain. This popular park, in the heart of town, buzzes with activity all year round. Mowsbury Park has extensive sports facilities in an attractively landscaped area providing good walks though the park and into the countryside beyond. The medieval Putnoe Wood forms a tranquil backdrop to the park, nestling below historic Mowsbury Hill.

In the west of the town there are the the Addison Howard, Allen, and Hillgrounds Parks. The Addision Howard Park is the landscaped gardens of the former home of the Howard family whose son Addison lost his life in the First World War. This parkland features a mixture of fine trees and sport and play facilities. The Addison Centre in the park offers a busy schedule of community functions and events both large and small. Hillgrounds is a this network of popular sports pitches is next to a deceptively peaceful riverside environment, providing quiet walks through willows and water meadows stretching from Queens Bridge to Kempston Mill. Allen Park is dedicated to W H Allen, who employed almost 3,500 people. Much of Queen’s Park was built to accommodate the workers and Allen Park was home to many of the workforce’s leisure activities. Nowadays it is still a popular ground for cricket, football and bowls.

The centre and the south of the town is also blessed with beautiful parks. Priory Country Park is a premier Country Park, just a stone’s throw from the centre of Bedford, with acres of open space, water meadows and riverside walks. A lakeside visitor centre is a hub of activity with guided walks and environmental education. This Green Flag Award winning park strikes a balance between active outdoor pursuits and nature conservation. Jubilee Park is a hidden gem in Bedford’s treasury of green spaces, this busy park is a thriving community focus for young and old. The distinctive Jubilation Centre offers a wide range of facilities for local people and is surrounded by tree lined parkland.

Lastly, and by no means least, there are the riverside parks of the Embankment and Russell Park. These are the pride of Bedford: a riverside Victorian promenade characterised by its formal gardens, decorative footbridges and network of river islands and meadows. Russell Park provides traditional recreational facilities and hosts regular large events including the Kite and River Festivals. Our bigger green spaces have many attractions but the smaller sites are well worth exploring and enjoying. And if you want some peace and quiet, they may often be less busy. Fenlake Meadows nature reserve includes traditional water meadows which provide a glimpse into the area’s agricultural past and the Sandy cycleway leads the walker or cyclist into the nearby countryside in no time at all.

Milton Keynes Parks

Milton Keynes is built around its beautiful parks. From the city centre heartland of Campbell Park to three river floodplain parks and the ancient woodlands, the greenery permeates the local landscape. Visitors are often surprised to discover the degree of environmental sensitivity with which central Milton Keynes has been developed. Boasting over 4,500 acres of parkland and woodland and with over 20 million trees, little wonder it is often referred to as the "city in the country" or the "city of trees".

At the very heart of the city of Milton Keynes, Campbell Park is well known as the site of the city's big annual festivals - the City Spectacular and Fireworks Display. But year round its mix of formal gardens, woodland, open countryside and special features make it a fascinating place to visit, and is widely considered to be Milton Keynes' premier park.

The Willen Lakes are also worth a visit. The north lake is home to one of Milton Keynes' best-known landmarks, the Peace Pagoda, and of an amazingly rich bird population. The tranquility which attracts them makes the north lake an inspiring place to visit throughout the year. The 'One World' Tree and the Medicine Wheel are also notable local landmarks. The south lake is the city's most popular park, with over a million visitors a year. This lake is most famous for its water sports, while the paths and cycle ways are an excellent way to get away from it all.

If you are a nature lover, then Walton Lake is the one for you. Originally built as a 'balancing lake' for the River Ouzel, Walton Lake was no longer needed to absorb floodwater once Willen and Caldecotte Lakes were created. The lake was allowed to fill with reeds, creating a very different habitat from the open waters of most of the city's other lakes. The boardwalk through the reeds is linked to two birdhides, offering fantastic opportunties to see the bird and waterlife really close-up.

Running between the Willen and Walkton Lakes is the Ouzel Valley Park. The park has a spacious, open atmosphere with long views. Much of the land is still leased for grazing by Milton Keynes Parks Trust and between the livestock you can still see the remnants of an old field system. Incorporating the villages of Woolstone and Woughton the park is bordered on its western side by the Grand Union Canal.

Nearby is Caldecotte Lake. Built in 1982 as a balancing lake - designed to prevent the River Ouzel from flooding the southern part of Milton Keynes - Caldecotte Lake provides many opportunities for leisure. Walking, cycling and, of course, watersports, are all popular, and there is an excellent children's play area close to the windmill. But the size of the lake means it's also easy to escape the activity and find a peaceful spot to enjoy the plentiful wildlife.

The final major park of Milton Keynes is the Ouse Valley Park. The Ouse Valley Park lies in the flood plain of the Great Ouse which flows from Oxfordshire to the Wash. The park is the most rural of any found in Milton Keynes and is a great place to go to experience the feeling of the countryside without leaving the city. Old trees, hedgerows, meadows, and new plantations combine to provide excellent habitats for wildlife, while along the river itself you may be lucky enough to see kingfisher or little grebe.

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