HousesBedfordshire

'A palace like cottage, the most luxurious and lovely thing I ever saw'. This was how Gladstone's daughter, Mary, described Ascott after a visit in the 1880s. Ascott, as well as being open to the public, has continued to be a family home, just as Anthony de…

Harrold‐Odell Country Park ‐ Amusement Park in Bedford, . Contact venue on telephone number 01234720016 for opening times, entrance costs, and attractionsrides available at this park.…

This 17th‐century mansion was reputedly the inspiration for House Beautiful in Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. Today, its remains still contain elements that justify the description, including work attributed to Inigo Jones. .…

The shuttleworth Collection home of the 'Edwardian Flying Machines' The Shuttleworth Collection ‐ a unique flying collection showcasing the first one hundred years of flight.The Shuttleworth Collection is in a quiet countryside setting, actually on an old fashioned all grass aerodrome with eight hangars. The Collection…

This is one of the most magnificent gardens in England, but one of the least well known. Unlike 'Capability' Brown's natural landscape styling, favoured during the late 18th century, Wrest Park's formal gardens provide a fascinating history of gardening styles, laid out over 150 years and inspired…

Over 600 acres of parkland set in the Chiltern Hills makes this one of Europe's largest conservation parks. /pp/ppAnimals to see include tigers, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, bears, hippos, przewalski's wild horse, crocodiles, flamingos, buffalo, camels, cheetahs, goats, wolves, mongoose, red panda, pere david's deer, chinese water deer,…

For a day packed with animal encounters and wonderful wildlife, visit Woburn with over 80 species of animals including lions, tigers and bears. Today, it is an award winning attraction which makes a valuable contribution to conservation. Most of all, it is a place where families can enjoy…

Alan Davie (b.1920) is a Scottish painter and was one of the first British artists to win international acclaim after the Second World War. /pp/ppA highly individual painter, Alan Davie is considered to be one of the most important British artists of the post war era./pp/ppMuch of Davie's…