Rushmere Park has scooped a top award in the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s fifth annual Living Countryside Awards.
The Heath and Reach site was awarded the CPRE Mark for landscape improvement at a ceremony held at Sandy Lodge, the RSPB headquarters.
The park, on the Linslade Road, is 400 acres and includes woodlands, heathlands, meadows and lakes, with paths and trails for all to explore.
It is jointly owned by Central Bedfordshire Council and the Greensand Trust, and is managed by the Trust.
Its visitor centre has a spectacular view over a pine forest and a lake with a heronry which can be viewed though a CCTV system. Its extensive footpath network through woodland also holds surprises such as sculptures and adventure playgrounds.
Dr Mike Clarke, chief executive of the RSPB presented the awards, along with the Lord Lieutenant Helen Nellis and chairman of Central Bedfordshire Council, Councillor Angela Barker.
Councillor Barker said: “The awards evening was really fantastic and it was brilliant to see place after place in Central Bedfordshire being recognised for their excellence.
“From my own visits there, I can say that Rushmere Park is really going from strength to strength and I would really encourage people to go and see for themselves.”
Chairman of the Greensand Trust, Peter Smith, said: “We’re honoured to have received this award.
“A lot of work has gone into getting Rushmere Country Park up and running and creating somewhere special for people to enjoy which respects the landscape it sits within – and this award shows we’re on the right lines!”
Other places in Central Bedfordshire that received the CPRE Mark were Unity Hall in Barton-le-Clay in the historic and new buildings category and the Community Tree Trust in Clophill for sustainable living.
Other sites in LBO land to be recognised were Leighton’s Oak Bank School’s horticultural area and Stanbridge Meadows (both commended).