Dunstable Downs - National Trust

Dunstable Downs - National Trust Dunstable Downs and the Whipsnade Estate featuring extensive chalk grassland, amazing views, and the We welcome feedback – both positive and negative.

Extensive chalk and grassland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Soar above a breathtaking landscape, sculpted over time, decorated by nature and enjoyed by generations. Stand on top of Dunstable Downs for a view that will simply take your breath away. These Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are designated for the quality of their chalk grasslands. As well as two Scheduled Ancient Monum

ents (Five Knolls and Medieval Rabbit Warrens) there are many other historical features and the site has much to offer you. The chalk grasslands of the Downs have miles of footpaths and several circular walks, a fascinating history and an abundance of plants and wildlife. Dunstable Downs is within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the highest point in Bedfordshire. The wind-swept ridge provides ideal conditions for a variety of air sports, especially kite flying. On calmer days it's the ideal site to enjoy the view and a picnic. Please note: Chilterns Gateway Centre is owned by Central Bedfordshire Council and managed by the National Trust. House Rules

We want our page to be a place where people can share how they feel about the National Trust and talk about their experiences in a fun environment. It helps us to learn and grow. These house rules aim to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves while they’re here:

We ask you to be nice and polite to one another – you almost always are! - and respect each other’s views and comments. We ask all users to ensure your contributions are civil, polite, tasteful and suitable for all ages. We won't tolerate disruptive, offensive or abusive behaviour, unlawful or objectionable content. This includes any material which might be defamatory, offensive, infringing, obscene, lewd, pornographic, violent, abusive, insulting, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, blasphemous, indecent or otherwise unlawful or objectionable. It also includes any material which is aggressive, argumentative or likely to be construed as bullying, and it includes spamming or repetition - in particular the posting of off-topic material in subject-specific threads or areas.

*Moderation policy*
In general, we don’t moderate posts, except on the rare occasions - for example where someone has posted offensive, threatening or libellous content about named or identifiable individuals on our page. We have a duty to protect our staff and volunteers, so while deleting comments is totally out of character for us, our position is that any post containing a libellous accusations, should be removed. We’ll also remove any posts that in any way target individual teams or members of staff. We will not comment on our staff and volunteers in this way in public forums. If any correspondent has feedback to share about any individual members of staff or teams in the organisation, please get in touch with us directly. If an individual continues to post offensive, threatening or libellous content then we’ll be forced to block that person from the page. Similarly, if any individual repeatedly posts contributions of the nature noted above in the 'material' list, we'll again be forced to block that individual from the page (in this scenario, we will have previously warned the individual about their content). We won’t tolerate postings, content, or links that are racist, sexist or homophobic. We also don’t permit linking to or posting any content which endorses illegal activity, or any activities against the values of the National Trust. If you’re concerned that a posting or user content has broken any of our house rules or you’re worried about any comment or content then please send us an email to [email protected] and let us know. Finally, please note that the views on our page are created by our community and don’t necessarily represent the views or opinions of National Trust.

10/06/2026

Come to Dunstable Downs this week to appreciate some local artists 🎨

The Dunstable and District Art Club is hosting an exhibition and art sale here at the Chilterns Gateway Centre on Thursday 11th & Friday 12th June (from 10am - 4:30pm).

There will be friendly faces on site who will be happy to chat about the club and what they do, whilst working on current small drawings or paintings.

It's Great Big Green Week!To celebrate, we're holding a Nature Day event here at Dunstable Downs on Sunday (14th June). ...
08/06/2026

It's Great Big Green Week!

To celebrate, we're holding a Nature Day event here at Dunstable Downs on Sunday (14th June). Among other plans on the day, there's going to be a Wildflower, Orchid & Wildlife Walk 😍

This gentle guided stroll will take you through our chalk grassland and down the slopes of our sunken trails, where there's a colourful display of wildflowers, bulbs, and butterflies to see.

This year's orchids have just started to appear, so you might just be lucky enough to spot one of our varieties, such as the pyramidal, fragrant and common spotted orchid, or the bee orchid - the flower of the county of Bedfordshire.

If you're interested, we recommend that you book ahead, as there'll be limited availability on the day. To learn more and secure your spot, click here: https://bit.ly/4dWzi7F 🔗

Image copyright: Rob Coleman / National Trust Images

As we come to the end of Volunteers Week 2026, we wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who offers their time here a...
07/06/2026

As we come to the end of Volunteers Week 2026, we wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who offers their time here at Dunstable Downs 👏

Pictured are some volunteers helping our Countryside team with some tree planting - there are lots of other volunteer roles that help here, including:

🌟 Litter-pickers - they make a huge impact every day in our work to try and keep the sites tidy.
🌟 Whipsnade Tree Cathedral - maintaining the Tree Cathedral to a high standard for visitors.
🌟 Infrastructure - volunteers have helped out with the Dell Fields fencing, memorial bench installations, and much more.

We also want to thank our volunteers for their support in delivering our events and all their ideas and enthusiasm, especially with our programming! And there's a special shout-out for David Galloway, who's built a lovely new display cabinet for our outdoor garden items (which you can see outside our Visitor Centre).

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer and would like to find out more information, you can email us at [email protected]

Image copyright: Lisa Manning / National Trust

Trying to plan a free day out with your friends and family this weekend?This Sunday (7th June), visit Whipsnade Tree Cat...
03/06/2026

Trying to plan a free day out with your friends and family this weekend?

This Sunday (7th June), visit Whipsnade Tree Cathedral for a picnic, celebration, and annual service.

You can bring your own picnic any time from 11am - 4pm, and there's also going to be guided history tours that you can join to learn more about this unique location 😍

At 2pm, the yearly service will be led by Whipsnade Church and accompanied by the Salvation Army Band.

Younger visitors can take part in a teddy bear hunt, alongside a range of games and activities perfect for a bit of friendly family competition.

Everyone is welcome - just remember to bring along your own blankets or chairs to make yourselves comfortable!

More details: https://bit.ly/4fYMTN6

Image description: light shining into the nave at Whipsnade Tree Cathedral, Bedfordshire (copyright: National Trust Images)

It's time to meet the last of our five new sculptures 🦋Installed in early March, visitors have been enjoying the newest ...
30/05/2026

It's time to meet the last of our five new sculptures 🦋

Installed in early March, visitors have been enjoying the newest additions to our walking paths. In previous weeks, we've shared information about the owl, slow worm, bat, and fox. Last but definitely not least, let's learn a bit more about butterflies!

There are many types of butterflies that call Dunstable Downs home, among them the ever-popular Duke of Burgundy. This eye-catching butterfly has dark wings patterned with little orange markings that look a bit like flickering lanterns.

Did you know? Duke of Burgundy butterflies normally lay their eggs in May and June on the undersides of primrose and cowslip leaves, either singly or in small batches. These take one to three weeks to hatch, with the caterpillars staying hidden during the day and feeding only at night. After around six weeks, the caterpillars leave their foodplants to pupate in nearby grass tussocks over winter.

All five sculptures can be found along the trails near the Visitor Centre, overlooking the sights of the Downs below. Try to find all five sculptures on your next visit!

Image credit: Claire Davison / National Trust

If you go down to the Downs for a walk, here's a new friend to meet 🦊If you've visited Dunstable Downs over the past few...
26/05/2026

If you go down to the Downs for a walk, here's a new friend to meet 🦊

If you've visited Dunstable Downs over the past few months, you will have noticed five new sculptures dotted along the paths leading from the Visitor Centre. We've already met the owl, slow worm & bat, and today it's the turn of the fox!

During the month of May, fox cubs will start venturing out with their parents for hunting expeditions. Although a lot of hunting happens at night, cubs can occasionally be spotted starting to explore in the daylight as well - so long as they don't suspect there are any humans about!

This majestic fox sculpture can be found on one of the paths heading away from our Visitor Centre, which will be part of our May Half-Term trail! Running until Sun 31 May, visitors can learn about each animal and the important role they play in keeping the Downs thriving. More details here: https://bit.ly/4wkHRAs

Did you know? Foxes have complicated relationships with badgers. Sometimes the two species will compete for food, but they have also been recorded living alongside each other in badger setts.

Image credit: Claire Davison / National Trust

There are few things as good for the soul as getting out into nature, especially at this time of year when the Downs are...
24/05/2026

There are few things as good for the soul as getting out into nature, especially at this time of year when the Downs are full of life and beauty 😍

If you're looking for something to get up to now that half-term is underway, join us for a guided walk!

On Wednesday 27th May, there are two options available. There's a kids orienteering & exploration walk (10:30am - 11:30am), and an adults wellbeing walk (2pm - 4pm).

Bookings are still available, so click this link to reserve your space: https://bit.ly/4tx2V48

Image description: Visitors walking on a footpath at Dunstable Downs (copyright: John Millar / National Trust Images)

Fancy a good dose of fresh air and stunning scenery? Then, why not join us this half term for a series of guided walks a...
23/05/2026

Fancy a good dose of fresh air and stunning scenery? Then, why not join us this half term for a series of guided walks across the beautiful Downs landscape?

On Tuesday 26th May (10:30am - 12:30pm), we'll be hosting a medieval history walk along the Five Knolls. It'll include some birdspotting along the way, and will provide an opportunity to immerse yourself in the local history and wildlife, and meet new people.

For more info and to book your spot on this or any of the other guided walks, click this link: https://bit.ly/4tx2V48 🔗

Image copyright: Lisa Manning / National Trust

Step into history this Spring Bank Holiday 🌳Over the May half-term, we're hosting some guided walks around the Downs, le...
22/05/2026

Step into history this Spring Bank Holiday 🌳

Over the May half-term, we're hosting some guided walks around the Downs, led by our team of rangers, staff, and volunteers. On Monday 25th May, this is going to be a Tree Cathedral history walk!

🕘 10:30am - 12:30pm

Booking is essential, so to learn more and to book your spot, click here: https://bit.ly/4tx2V48 🔗

Image description: sunlight shining into the nave at Whipsnade Tree Cathedral (copyright: National Trust Images)

We're all set for May half-term!If you're looking for a family activity to keep your little ones entertained, come along...
21/05/2026

We're all set for May half-term!

If you're looking for a family activity to keep your little ones entertained, come along to Dunstable Downs and try out our Wildlife Trail 🌳

Bring the kids and their favourite teddy bear to meet a special cast of local wildlife along our new sculpture trail. Children will complete fun, simple activities and learn about each animal and the important role they play in keeping the Downs thriving.

It runs from 10am - 4:30pm every day, from Sat 23rd to Sun 31st May. Come to our visitor hub in the courtyard outside our visitor centre, where our team will give you all the information you need, and you can collect your trail sheets.

More info: https://bit.ly/4wkHRAs (no booking required)

Image copyright: National Trust

Address

Chilterns Gateway Centre
Whipsnade
LU62GY

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

01582500920

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