Dunstable Downs/Chilterns Gateway Centre
Whipsnade Road Dunstable Bedfordshire LU6 2GY
At the northern fringe of the Chilterns, overlooking the Vale of Aylesbury, Dunstable Downs is a National Trust-run swathe of chalk grassland with a modern visitor centre. If you're after an introductory blast of the Chilterns, with its rolling hills, numerous kites (both avian and loop-the-loop varieties) and big views, this is the place to start. The Downs are the highest point in Bedfordshire, making for blustery winds and stirring views. Kite-flying is almost de rigueur here: you can buy one from the visitor centre or watch the pros during July's Kite Festival. The London Gliding Club is nearby too, providing more aerial acrobatics. There are numerous walking trails in the area (download guides from the centre's website): the popular, circular Countryside Walk is 6.5 miles and takes in a medieval rabbit warren, an iron age hillfort and views of Ivinghoe Beacon – the end of the Ridgeway national trail. The visitor centre has ample parking, a good shop and a café with more than a nod to local cuisine. Local butchers and bakers supply goodies, and you can try a Bedfordshire Clanger – a pasty combining sweet and savoury fillings.