Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire may be one of England's smaller counties, often passed through rather than explored, but it rewards closer inspection with a surprising range of scenery and historical significance. Criss-crossed with ancient tracks, canal towpaths and green lanes, the county's varied terrain offers walkers of all abilities opportunity to explore its many sights: bustling towns and thatched villages, stately homes like Woburn Abbey and Wrest Park, not to mention wartime airfields, open heath and panoramic ridges. Whether tracing the River Great Ouse, climbing the Dunstable Downs or following the Greensand Ridge, each route in this guide reveals a county of beguiling charm.