getting out in the countryside

  

Connecting with nature.

Whipsnade Tree Cathedral is great place to visit for a walk or simply to sit and unwind. It’s a planned out space for peace and quiet reflection, a place where nature can be appreciated and enjoyed. Laid out here in sections that conform with the church structure, are a variety of trees and hedges to explore. 

Sections offer benches and ideal areas for children to explore. At the West (left side) you can follow the Western Approaches pathway of Horse chestnuts on to an avenue of Ash including towers of Holly, Beech, Birch and Scots Pine. At the top of the Cathedral you will find a dew pond (dry at present) containing Lawson's cypress. 

Exiting on the West side you can continue through a tree lined pathway out of the cathedral and up to the fields and eventually up into the National Trust - Dunstable Downs, car park.

“a chance to connect 

with nature and improve 

your wellbeing”

Exploring fields and trees is something I did in childhood that has stayed with me. This is an ideal area for children to run and explore to uncover the hidden treasures in the woodland and its wildlife. Perhaps taking a few conkers and acorns to plant in pots at home and waiting patiently for a trees first roots to grow. 

Looking back I appreciate what having that space to play in and enjoy did for me and my appreciation of nature. Unfortunately many of these spaces have gone so it is so important that we support and protect what we can because it is irreplaceable

The origin of the Tree Cathedral

Returning from the horror of the first world war Edmund Blyth created this arboretum in memory of his close friends who were killed. Laid out in the form of a cathedral using trees and shrubs.

Look out for this heart in the tree on the public footpath towards the 

National Trust - Dunstable Downs, car park