Windsor Drive Local Green Space is located towards the eastern side of the town; it is primarily an open area of grassland with a beautiful range of views, north towards the River Lea corridor and northeast towards woodland.

A surfaced and lit cycle path to the south side of the space provides a link to the National Cycle Network Route 6.

The woodland area and River Lea corridor provide important habitats within an urban setting for many species, including a variety of birds, foxes, bats, squirrels, hedgehogs and badgers who use the area.

In addition, there are a wide selection of mature English indigenous hedgerow species and trees, such as Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Dogrose, Elderberry, Blackberry, Holly, Birch, Rowan, Field Maple, Oak, Plum and Cherry.

The land, formerly part of Poynters Farm, was used as pasture land for cattle and sheep for around 200 years. Now it is a much loved space used by residents for recreation including football, rounders, running club activities, exercise, picnics and dog walking, but perhaps most importantly of all, as a space to help improve mental health and wellbeing.

The community also greatly benefits from an active and fully engaged Friends of Windsor Drive group, which is working closely with Houghton Regis Town Council to help increase biodiversity by carefully managing the space and woodland over the next couple of years. This includes implementing a new mowing regime to reduce how often sections of the space are mown to encourage a greater range of wildlife and flora back into the area.

Details of this group and its activities can be found here: Friends of Windsor Drive Open Space website

The land is recognised in the CBC Local Plan as recreational space and is somewhat protected as an Asset of Community Value (more info on this can be found here:  Localism | Central Bedfordshire Council 

Located in the heart of Houghton Regis, Houghton Hall Park is a hidden gem - unlocking 42 acres of parkland, woodland and more to visitors and the local community. Jointly managed by Central Bedfordshire Council and Houghton Regis Town Council, the park has undergone an impressive transformation and offers contemporary amenities while retaining its valuable history.

Please come along to find out more about the park, its history, the events & activities on offer and the wildlife that visit the park, we hope you enjoy exploring on your visit.

Cafe
With plenty to offer on the menu, the dog-friendly café makes for the perfect stop after a refreshing walk in the park…and a perfect setting to catch up with some friends over a coffee and slice of homemade cake. Indoor and outdoor seating is available - providing exceptional views of the park while you relax in your surroundings.

Kitchen & Formal Garden
Please join our mid-week sessions and spend time developing our ever-changing Formal and Kitchen Gardens! Tasks may involve weeding, planting, growing vegetables and generally maintaining the Gardens for the community to enjoy, all whilst learning new skills and making friends within the Friends of Houghton Hall Park group of volunteers. Please sign up to our mailing list, making sure to select 'Volunteering' to receive updates about our Garden volunteering sessions restarting.

Volunteering
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with the developments at Houghton Hall Park and we welcome all abilities and ages to join our Friends of Houghton Hall Park to make a difference in the local community whilst learning new skills, making friends and creating a more enjoyable space for park users.

The ecologically diverse area of land at Dog Kennel Down offers residents an informal open space for leisure. The significant flora and fauna of the area make it an attractive landscape for all to enjoy with extensive views over Houghton Regis and Dunstable.

The Former Railway Line, running from the A5 Dunstable along to Dog Kennel Down, is under the ownership and management of Houghton Regis Town Council. The route is fully accessible and provides a useful link between Dunstable and Houghton Regis for both pedestrians and cyclists.

Whilst Sewell is a small hamlet, it is also home to a nature reserve, which was opened in 1981. The nature reserve, which covers eight acres of land is part of the London North West Railway line, which ran from Dunstable to Leighton Buzzard and was closed in 1962. The reserve contains orchids and chalk land flora as well as many types of butterfly. The land is also near to the prehistoric Maidenbower Earthworks, which is also within the parish of Houghton Regis. The Earthworks were surrounded by a series of deep ditches in Neolithic Times and is thought to have been a religious or defensive site.

Houghton Regis was once a much larger parish, which extended on to part of High Street North, Dunstable. This section of the High Street was called ‘Upper Houghton’ and stretched North from Union Street, Dunstable. The hamlets of Sewell and Thorn were also part of the parish of Houghton Regis and are still recorded as such today.

If you are looking to explore Houghton Regis and the wider area follow this link to the Central Bedfordshire website which links you through to maps showing designated footpaths, bridleways, cycleways and byways: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/82/countryside/431/rights_of_way

Please remember when you are out exploring that you keep to designated rights of way and that you follow the countryside code.