We are excited to welcome The Forest Centre and Millennium Country Park as a member of Explore Bedford.

The Forest Centre and Millennium Country Park is an award-winning green space and Visitor Centre in Marston Moretaine, created and operated by the Forest of Marston Vale.
Millennium Country Park is home to 225 hectares of woodlands, grasslands, lakes, meadows and reed bed as well as a fantastic Sensory Garden and Wetlands Nature Reserve.
Visiting the park is free, and with many flat and surfaced paths around Stewartby Lake it’s a perfect for the whole family to explore whether walking, cycling or horse riding (with marked bridleways and horse trailer parking for anyone wanting to visit with a horse). There is an additional charge to visit the Wetlands Nature Reserve area of the site, but for that you get fantastic views of the sand martin wall and access to the bird hides which look across the wetlands, meadows and Pillinge lake. You could see cormorants, grebes, kingfishers, oystercatchers, otters, deer… the list goes on! It’s perfect for wildlife watching and definitely worth the small ticket fee.
The Forest Centre has all the facilities needed to complete a great day out – toilets, a gift shop and playground – and hosts a busy programme of events like activity trails and outdoor concerts throughout the year. The Lakeside Café in the Forest Centre offers a range of delicious hot and cold drinks and snacks, as well as heartier options for breakfast and lunch and a dedicated childrens menu. There are meeting and function rooms perfect for conferences, workshops or parties. Or if you’re thinking of getting married then the Forest Centre is the natural place – there’s a dedicated team delivering indoor and outdoor weddings, civil partnerships, alternative ceremonies and receptions.

The Forest Centre is also the headquarters of the Forest of Marston Vale Trust – the Community Forest and charity planting trees and managing woodlands in the 61 square mile area of the Marston Vale between Bedford and Milton Keynes. The Forest of Marston Vale have planted over 2 million trees to transform the landscape and improve the prospects of the Marston Vale, because trees make life better – for people, for wildlife and for the planet. Their ultimate goal is 30% tree cover across the Forest , and that means planting another 5 million trees. Any money spent or donated at the Forest Centre goes towards helping the Forest of Marston Vale and the work that it does.
Visiting the Forest Centre and Millennium Country Park couldn’t be easier: the Park is less than a 30 minute drive from Bedford, Milton Keynes, Luton and Biggleswade and is easily accessible by road and rail – Millbrook Station has a path leading directly to the Forest Centre – with parking onsite for anyone travelling by car (small car park charges apply – please see signage when you visit for info).
If you would like to know more about the Forest Centre, Millennium Country Park or the Forest of Marston Vale visit their website