Accessibility at the Forest Centre Expand There is step free access throughout the building, with automatic doors into Reception and a baby changing facility/ disabled toilet. There is also a lift if you are using the upstairs spaces. We have a range of adapted bikes available for hire, from a wheelchair carrier to a quad. If you have any questions about your visit, please call 01234 767037 or click here to email us.
BBQs and fires Expand BBQs and fires can be as devastating to wildlife and habitats. Naked flames and hot ashes can gain momentum and become out of control fires very quickly (no matter how controlled you may consider them to be) especially in wooded areas. They can cause devastating damage to the landscape, habitat and wildlife in the Forest as well as endangering people and property. This is why members of the public and visitors are not allowed to start fires or have barbeques (including instant single-use BBQs) on our sites. Every fire has the potential to get out of hand and harm the trees and wildflower glades in the Forest, in areas that we’re working so hard to create for our communities. All incidents of unauthorised fires on our property will be reported to the Police.
Bike Hire at the Forest Centre Expand Our Bike Hire has a range of bikes for all ages, with tricycles, buggies and a range of adapted bikes. Click here for opening times, prices and more info. If you are after something specific, we recommend calling 01234 767037 to let us know in advance so that we can make sure it is available.
Car parking Expand Up to 1 hour £1 Up to 3 hours £2 Over 3 hours £3 Over night £5 Please note - there is a 15 minute grace period for drop offs/collections/using the bottle banks. Become a Friend of the Forest for free parking On arrival, enter your registration and the length of time you'd like to stay on the payment machines - there is no need to display the ticket as it's automatic number plate recognition. The machines accept cash or cards (chip and pin and contactless) - unfortunately these machines do not give change. You can also pay on the Pay By Phone website or app (Location: Marston Vale, Bedford Number: 800979). The car park closes promptly at 8pm in summer and 5pm for the rest of the year, unless there is an evening event on, in which case the gate will close after the last guest leaves. However, the Park is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year on foot, for horse riders and cyclists. Please note: if your car is locked in the Centre’s car park overnight you can collect it the following morning - to arrange release before the car park reopens, please call 07458 053549. A £25 release fee is payable to the member of staff upon their arrival.
Coach parties and groups Expand We are happy for large groups or coach parties to visit the Forest Centre & Millennium Country Park, but please let us know in advance that you are attending, so that we can make sure we are ready to accommodate your group. Call 01234 767037 or email us.
Electronic scooters Expand Privately owned e-scooters are currently illegal to use on public roads and pathways in Bedfordshire, and it is only legal to use an e-scooter or powered transporter on private land with the permission of the land owner. We do not give permission for e-scooters to be used on any of our sites. If you are caught doing so by the Police you could receive; Six points on your licence £300 fine Your scooter could be seized The rules for private e-scooter and other powered transporters have not changed despite the introduction of government run e-scooter trials in certain areas. We're aware that locally some similar venues are part of the e-scooter trials on their private land, but we are not one of the trail venues. To find out more about the rule surrounding private e-scooters and other powered transporters, visit the government website (opens in new window). If you witness anyone breaking the law and using an e-scooter on our sites please report it to the Police by calling 101 or via the web form: https://www.bedfordshire.police.uk/report/Report-Shared/Report-a-concern#71133378
Fishing in the Millennium Country Park Expand Fishing is not permitted anywhere in the Millennium Country Park, other than the area of Stewartby Lake controlled by Stewartby Watersports Club. You can purchase an annual membership to do this at Reception for £62 a year (for individuals) or £66 (for families). For more information, call 01234 767037 or send us an email.
Food and drink Expand The Lakeside Café serves a range of hot food, kids’ meals, cakes and drinks throughout the year, with daily and seasonal specials! Ice creams are also available at Reception. If you visit us by train, on the Bedford - Bletchley line, present your ticket when you make your order to get 10% discount in the Café (must be a valid ticket for travel on the day you present it).
Opening times and map Expand The Park is open 365 days a year, 24/7. Click here to view our current opening times. Don’t worry though, as there is some out of hours parking at different entry points around the Park – click here to download our map for free(paper copies are £1 at the Forest Centre)
Room Hire and Kids' Parties Expand You can hire the Forest Centre for a party, wedding, or any special events including kids' parties. Browse the Venue Hire section of the site, call 01234 767037 or email us for more information.
Things to do at the Forest Centre Expand As well as our Bike Hire, we have a Gift Shop selling a variety of gifts, toys and books and an outdoor play area right next to the picnic area of the Lakeside Café. We also have a whole host of events running throughout the year, from nature walks to tribute concerts - if you're interested in hosting an event at the Forest Centre, call 01234 767037 or email us.
Who manages the site? Expand The site isn't run by the council or a private company - the Forest Centre & Millennium Country Park is run by us - the charity - the Forest of Marston Vale. Any money spent there helps us to plant more trees and look after our woodlands across the Forest area. Sign up to our newsletter You can choose to just hear about our events, or our campaigns and the work that we do locally. The more people that get involved, the quicker we'll be able to plant 5 million more trees and that can only be a good thing. Not just for the local area but for the planet.
Wild swimming and recreational water use Expand Stewartby Lake at Millennium Country Park is leased for exclusive use to Stewartby Water Sports Club and used for watersports throughout the year, so is not available for any public use. For the safety of swimmers and other lake users, public swimming is strictly prohibited. We understand that some experienced wild swimmers are able to swim responsibly and safely, however unfortunately we are unable to determine intent or ability based on trust or make assessments on an individual basis. Many of our water bodies are also managed for wildlife, so disturbance from people must be kept to a minimum. Therefore in order to secure the safety of all visitors and conservation of habitats we do not allow wild swimming or recreational water use (e.g. paddleboarding, dinghy use etc) for the general public on any Forest of Marston Vale sites, including Stewartby Lake and the Pillinge at Millennium Country Park.