Bedfordshire

BEDFORDSHIRE: Dunstable Downs (797feet/243 metres)

51° 51′ 51″ N, 0° 32′ 15″ W

IN 1936 Vera Lynn released a song called “Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire”, in which she sang, unsurprisingly “Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire, heading for the land of dreams”.

Vera Lynn lived almost her entire life in London, and while it is entirely plausible she visited the county in her lifetime, most visitors to the county will remain convinced the “land of dreams” is entirely figurative. Before the M1 opened in 1959, which would have made Vera’s visit considerably easier, I have no doubt the Dunstable Downs, would have been an idyllic escape from the hustle and bustle of London to the south. But with that road, came the commuter belt, Bedford and Luton grew, swallowing villages around them.

That all said, city dwellers and villagers alike need a place to escape, and the Chiltern Hills will always provide. Indeed several southern county tops can be found, and Bedfordshire’s is at the northern end known as Dunstable Downs. £3.50 parking all day, and the visitor centre serves vegan sausage rolls. Is this the land of dreams about which Vera sang?