Accessibility in the Millennium Country Park Expand There is 8km of level, surfaced track around the Park, including the Wetlands Trail (though we don’t allow bikes in the Wetlands). The Forest Centre is fully accessible, with step-free access and a baby changing facility/disabled toilet. Some areas of path are uneven and therefore may not be ideal for buggies or wheelchairs – click here to see a map of the Park. If you have any questions about your visit, please call 01234 767037 or 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.
Bikes, horses and walkers Expand You can hire a bike from the Forest Centre when the Bike Hire facility is open (check our Bike Hire page for dates/times) or bring your own and follow 8km of level, surfaced track, or even join Route 51. Please note, no bikes are allowed on the Callow Mounds or on the Wetlands Trail. We have over 4km of bridlepaths in the Park, and plenty of space for horse boxes in our car park. Walkers can pick up the Timberland Trail and other popular routes from the Park – for more details and other walks that you can start at the Forest Centre & Millennium Country Park, check out Walks and Routes.
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.
Dog owners Expand Dogs must be in sight and under close control at all times, if off the lead. Please pick up after your dog, and use the dog bins provided (or take it home!) No dogs are allowed in the Wetlands Nature Reserve. Clean, well-behaved dogs are welcome in the Forest Centre Café but must follow our house rules to make sure everyone can enjoy their visit. House rules: Dogs must be kept on a short lead. No dogs allowed in the upstairs area. Keep your dog with you at all times. Ask owners permission before approaching their dog. There is plenty of useful info for dog owners on the Government's website: Controlling your dog in publicDog Fouling
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 £65 a year (for individuals) or £69 (for families). For more information, call 01234 767037 or send us an email.
Management Plans and Drone Policy Expand Management Plans Here are the current management plans, appendices and 5 year action plan for the Millennium Country Park. Management Plan - setting out the aims, objectives and priorities for the successful management and development of the Park. Appendices to Management Plan - Supporting documentation (e.g. maps, species lists, etc) 5 Year Action Plan Woodland Management Plan If you have any further questions about these documents, please contact our Head Ranger Anna on 01234 762614 or send her an email. Drone Policy We recognise the recent increase in the popularity of flying drones (unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs) as a recreational activity. We are also seeing concerns expressed by visitors to our sites, where the flying of drones is causing nuisance and disturbance to others. Drones also have potential to disturb birds and other wildlife (particularly during the breeding season). Few non-commercial users have sufficient training or permission to operate drones, and should a drone cause damage or harm, pilots generally do not have the correct insurance to compensate those affected. For the safety and enjoyment of other people and to protect wildlife, drone flying is not allowed from or over Forest of Marston Vale Trust land except by contractors commissioned by the Trust for a specific purpose, who satisfy stringent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) criteria and have the correct insurance. For further information on flying drones, and how to do so safely, please consult the Civil Aviation Authority guidelines and Dronesafe.
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)
Things to see in the Millennium Country Park Expand Explore our Sensory Garden – find the dinosaur eggs and sit in the wooden throne overlooking the pond; walk over the bridge onto the meadow and have a kick about or fly a kite; go a bit deeper into the woods; take in the sights of Stewartby Lake…there’s loads to see and do in the Park. For more inspiration or to start planning your adventure, check out our Map.
What's the Wetlands Nature Reserve? Expand Prices Adults £2.50Concessions £1.75 The Wetlands Trail takes you around our Wetlands Nature Reserve – the home of our bird hides, sand martin wall and Tower Hide and Woodland Walkway. This part of the Park is a haven for wildlife so no dogs or bikes are allowed. Click the link for seasonal maps and more info.
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.