Marston Vale Hidden Britain Centre
Historically, the
Marston Vale is an area where people typically pass through, on the
roads or railways that traverse it, or to travel to Bedford or
Milton Keynes. But if you stop for just a little while, you will
find out that there is so much more the Marston Vale than meets the
eye!
This section is home to the Marston Vale Hidden Britain Centre.
The centre is a Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity-led
initiative which encourages locals and visitors to uncover the
lesser-known secrets of the Marston Vale, and to encourage tourism.
On these pages you can discover what you can do in the Marston
Vale, where you can stay, and places to eat. You can also find out
information on nearby Hidden Britain centres by clicking on the
links above.
The Story of the Marston Vale
A trip along the 16-mile Marston Vale
Line really tells the story of the vale itself. The line starts in
the historic County Town of Bedford. Here, you can explore the
ancient market and all of the hidden treasures of the historic
streets. You can also find out more about Bedford's most famous
resident, John Bunyan, author of A Pilgrim's Progress.
The line then passes into the rural areas of the vale, who's
landscape has been heavily influenced by the once-abundant brick
industry. This area was the focus of the production of London
Bricks for much of the 20th Century, and was once home to the
Coronation Brickworks, the largest brickworks in the world. Now,
the brickworks are all but gone, and the area has been subject to
massive environmental restoration, led by the Forest of Marston
Vale. The best example of this is the beautiful Millennium Country
Park and Forest Centre, near Millbrook station.
As the
service gets towards the Bletchley end of the line, the line skirts
along the southern border of the new city of Milton Keynes. Built
to help tackle overcrowding in major cities such as London, Milton
Keynes has grown into a bustling, modern city. Despite it's
reputation for Concrete Cows, Milton Keynes is a beautiful city,
with extensive parkland throughout. The most notable are Caldecotte
Lake, just a stone's throw from Bow Brickhill station, and Campbell
Park in the heart of the city. The city can easily be explored on
bike by the city's extensive Redways system of off-highway walking
and cycle routes.
Bletchley, the final stop, has the best example of a historic
building on the line; Bletchley Park. Bletchley Park is most famous
for being home to the Enigma code-breaking machine and the
world-famous World War II code-breaking establishment. Other
notable historic buildings accessible from the line include Woburn
Abbey, accessible from Woburn Sands station, and Elstow Moot Hall,
accessible from Bedford St Johns station.
All of this is easily accessible from the Marston Vale Line, so
why not make the Marston Vale your next destination?
Staying in the Marston Vale
The
Marston Vale has plenty of wonderful places to stay. These range
from high class, modern hotels, to more homely bed and breakfast
accommodation. You can stay anywhere from right in the heart of
major urban areas, to more tranquil rural accommodation.
You can find out more information on where you can say in the Eat,
Drink & Stay section of this website.
About Hidden Britain
The centre is
one of a number of Hidden Britain Centres across the country. Set
up in the wake of the Foot and Mouth Crisis, ’Hidden
Britain’ is a charity-run initiative to encourage tourism, to
uncover lesser known areas of the countryside, and to provide a
different and more meaningful experience for the visitor. Hidden
Britain ‘centres’ are run by their communities, and are
achieved by:
-
Drawing up the plans
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Implementing the projects
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Participating in the benefits
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Having the support and guidance of a national network
The benefits of Hidden Britain to local communities include:
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Promotion of local business
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Encouragement of local employment
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Enhancement of local community life
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