Local Attractions
Approximate distances from The Griffin are given
in brackets.
Woburn Safari Park (11 miles)
| Woburn Safari Park is home to
lions, tigers and a host of other wild animals -
from antelope to zebra! You can see them all
from the comfort of your car on the safari
drive. But more than big mammals, Woburn also
has penguins and birds of prey.
Find out more at
http://www.woburnsafari.co.uk/ |
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Woburn Abbey (12 miles)
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The history of the house begins in 1145. Hugh de Bolebec founded a religious house for a group of Cistercian monks, with the monastic buildings following the usual Cistercian pattern.
Thus, the north wing is on the site of the monastic church and the present courtyard is on the site of the great cloister and garth. In 1538 the Abbot, Robert Hobbes, was found guilty of treason and the monastery confiscated. Legend states that he was hanged from an oak tree at the Abbey's gate.
Edward VI granted Woburn Abbey to Sir John Russell in 1547, though it did not become a family home until 1619. In 1747, the Fourth Duke commissioned Henry Flitcroft to rebuild the west range, including the grand series of staterooms. In 1802, Humphry Repton landscaped the park as it appears today.
Visit the Woburn Abbey website. |
Whipsnade Wild Animal Park (9 miles)
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Whipsnade is the sister of
London Zoo in Regents Park. It opened in 1931
with the remit to "keep and study large animals
in more natural surroundings." A beautiful
estate of some 200 acres, Whipsnade was voted
Zoo of the Year 2002 by the Good Britain Guide.
Find out more at
http://www.whipsnade.co.uk/ |
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Bedford Butterfly Park (25 miles)
Set in 10 acres of wildflower haymeadows, the Bedford Butterfly Park offers visitors the chance to see a range of British insects in their natural habitats. The Park also offers the opportunity to walk their Explorers' Trail through some beautiful countryside. Bedford Butterfly Park also has a petting zoo for children and demonstrations of traditional crafts throughout the high season.
Visit the Bedford Butterfly Farm website. |
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Cecil Higgins Art Gallery (20 miles)
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The Cecil Higgins Art Gallery is an unusual combination of recreated Victorian Mansion (originally the home of the Higgins family, wealthy Bedford Brewers) and adjoining modern gallery housing an internationally renowned collection of watercolours, prints and drawings, ceramics, glass and lace.
Visit the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery website |
Conger Hill (0.2 miles)
| Conger Hill is an ancient
British fortification ,thought to date from the
Bronze Age. It can be found in Toddington about
a 3 minute walk from The Griffin.
The fort can be clearly seen from this
aerial photograph (The Griffin can be seen
just above and to the left of the fort,
adjoining the main road) |
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Leighton Buzzard Railway (10 miles)
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The Leighton Buzzard Railway is one of the few narrow-gauge light railways to survive in England. Built in 1919 to transport sand, the line has carried a steam-hauled passenger train service since 1968, and now houses the largest collection of narrow-gauge locomotives in the United Kingdom.
The railway operates a passenger service on a 65-minute round trip for most of the year. Find out more about the Leighton Buzzard Railway.
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Mead Open Farm (7 miles)
The Mead Open Farm has over 200 animals to see, and lots to make a visit a great day out for all the children. There's an adventure log play area, ride on pedal tractors, large sandpit and plenty of space for energetic children to unleash their energy in a safe environment. A Heated Indoor Playbarn with Ballpool, Ride on Toys, Soft Play Area, Spiral Tube Slide, Motion sphere, Inflatable and Country Cottage Activity House
Visit the Mead Open Farm website.
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The Forest of Marston Vale (12 miles)
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With the Forest of Marston Vale on the doorstep of thousands of people, the opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors are widespread and increasing. With improved networks of footpaths and bridleways, new cycle routes, wildlife havens and places of interest, the Vale has something to offer everybody.
A number of circular walks are within the Forest of Marston Vale area. Look out for the easy to follow circular waymarking; blue on public bridleways, yellow on public footpaths, and white on permissive footpaths.
Visit the Forest of Marston Vale website.
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The Swiss Garden (20 miles)
The Swiss Garden, Old Warden, Bedfordshire, created in the 1820s by Lord Ongley, is the outstanding example of the Swiss picturesque. The Swiss chalet is the main feature amongst a number of contrived vistas. The unusually smooth hill on which it stands is suggestive of the work of the architect John Buonarotti Papworth (1775-1847) who lived nearby; he recommended the use of unpeeled bark for the rustic buildings in the Swiss manner and may have designed this chalet with its pillar and thatch and interior decoration of bark and fir-cones. The garden includes a grotto-fernery, a thatched tree shelter, a stream and fine specimen conifers.
Visit the Swiss Garden website.
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