Plant a tree - everyone can do it (image John O'Reilly)

New date – Sunday 11 March

We are sorry to have to announce that due to the extremely cold weather forecast for the rest of the week, we have postponed the tree planting planned for Sunday 12 February.

This morning, most forecasts suggest that the nights leading up to Sunday will be very frosty – perhaps as cold as minus eight degrees Celsius. Importantly for planting trees, the day temperatures are forecast to remain at or below freezing until well into each day. If this is the case, the results will be:

• Frozen ground that is too hard to dig
• Cold damage to tree roots
• Possible risk of hypothermia to participants, especially combined with a significant wind chill

We greatly regret this being necessary, but please read on for details of the alternative – Sunday 11 March.

The good news is that we aim to reschedule the public planting day for Sunday 11 March (subject to confirmation). All details will remain the same – time, parking, transport. These are detailed below.

Owned by Bedford Borough Council, the first part of Octagon Wood was planted a year ago and it will be great to get back to finish things off. As the Wood lies astride Route 51 of the National Cycle Network, at the heart of Bedford River Valley Park, the new planting, which once again will be run in partnership with Bedford Borough Council, will add an extra experience to the ride from Milton Keynes to Sandy or for the less ambitious, it’s very easily accessible by bicycle from Priory Country Park click for map If you can ride from Priory on 11 March, why not give it a try? 

Naming the wood

Last February, we ran a competition to name the wood and the two winners who both suggested the name Octagon Wood will, we hope, be able to come back and join Mayor of Bedford, Dave Hodgson, to officially name it. The ceremony will take place at midday – don’t miss it.

Can’t ride or walk? Catch a free bus

Please don’t drive to the site – there’s no parking. A free bus service will run to the planting site from:

• the Forest Centre at Marston Moretaine (departing every half hour between 10.30 and 14.00) ,
• Elstow Park & Ride (every half hour between 10.45 and 14.15). Click for location map

The last bus will leave the planting site at 15.15

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We can’t promise it will be warm, sunny and dry, in fact it will probably be cold, grey and wet, so please wear something warm. We can promise, however, that there will be free tea, coffee and biscuits for all and there will be bacon rolls and soup on sale to warm you up a little. We always have  a loo on site too.

Ride with a guide

We are very keen to encourage people to come to the planting day under their own steam, so there’s going to be a ‘ride-in’ from Priory Country Park Visitor Centre.

Why not bring your bicycle to Priory and join our guide at 10.45am who will lead you at a steady pace along the surfaced, flat and well signed National Cycle Network Route 51; a distance of  just over 1 mile. Riding in a group’s fun and you won’t get lost!

Of course it’s a lovely walk too!

For more information about the day call 01234 762608 or email 

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