Bedfordshire is the secret heart of England, with ancient forests, family attractions and whopping great country houses crisscrossed by Britain’s oldest walkways.
Santa Pod Raceway
Airfield Road, Wellingborough NN29 7XA
Santa Pod Raceway, located near the Bedfordshire – Northamptonshire border, opened in 1966 as Europe’s first permanent venue for the world’s fastest motorsport, drag racing. ‘Santa’ evokes the spirit of California, the cradle of drag racing, while ‘Pod’ refers to the nearby village of Podington, from which the ex-WW2 airfield took its name. Today, Santa Pod is a busy place. 400,000 people a year attend a packed calendar of 70 fun and varied events, embracing family and festive occasions, specialist and enthusiast events, modified car shows, dedicated weekends for individual vehicle marques, public track days – and of course, championship drag races. Visit website
Shuttleworth
Shuttleworth House, Biggleswade SG18 9EA
Shuttleworth is a visitor attraction with lots to offer for all ages. The Collection is a treasure trove of airworthy vintage aircraft from 1909-1950, agricultural exhibits, classic cars, motorcycles, bicycles and vintage buses. Explore the Swiss Garden with 13 listed structures, woodland sculpture walk, and a resident peacock. Flying displays take place May-October, events and children’s activities run throughout the year. Visit website
Clue HQ
Locked in a room… can you escape Clue HQ in under 60 minutes by solving a series of clues, riddles, locks and puzzles? You and your team of explorers must retrieve the Cluetan Crystal, but watch your step – who knows what happened to the last exploring party… Teams of two to six players can enjoy this fun, immersive experience and work together to escape the room. Visit website
Ampthill Great Park
Woburn Street, Ampthill, MK45 2HX
Visit Ampthill Great Park, the only Public Park in England designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown. It is situated in the historic Georgian town of Ampthill. The Park offers 70 hectares of historic park with origins as a Tudor deer park, site of Ampthill Castle, residence of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon and was redesigned in the 18th century by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The Park hosts the annual AmpRocks and Fireworks Festivals. Visit website
Ride
Ride Leisure Events, The Water Sports Centre, Wyboston Lakes, Wyboston MK44 3AL
Situated at the stunning Wyboston Lakes complex, near St Neots just off the A1, the purpose built facilities, lakes and off road course at Ride are in the perfect location to offer a variety of top-class exhilarating experiences. You can experience the thrill of being a hovercraft pilot, the exhilaration of riding a jet ski, the adrenaline of zooming a zego, the rush of wakeboarding/water skiing or combine them all for a physically charged experience. Either in or on the water, Ride offers fun activities and experiences for all the family. Visit website
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