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R is for ridge

Our series of posts helping you to explore the county is an A-Z of Bedfordshire places, landscapes and history. Each post includes tips for walks and places to visit.

Bedfordshire isn’t exactly renowned for having height in its landscape, the highest point in the county is just 243 metres above sea level, close to the road at the top of Dunstable Downs. Despite this, the Greensand Ridge defines the character of a significant part of Bedfordshire. It stretches from Buckinghamshire through to Cambridgeshire, but is predominately in Bedfordshire, running diagonally from Leighton-Linslade to Sandy. The wider landscape has now been designated as Greensand Country, helping visitors to appreciate the special qualities of the area.

Map with Greensand Ridge highlighted in green and key landmarks and attractions illustrated. — Greensand Country map. | greensandcountry.com

Geology

Around 125 million years ago, the area was dominated by warm shallow seas. Sediments of sandy minerals were deposited as silt, sand and gravel, which eventually became compressed into the form of sandstone known as Greensand. The Greensand rocks were surrounded by softer clays which eroded more quickly, leaving the ridge as the prominent feature we know today.

Lives in the landscape

Greensand makes an excellent building material because it has both strength and stability. The church at Husborne Crawley is one of the best buildings to spot Greensand at its most green. On the other side of the coin, the soil is acidic and not well suited to agriculture. However, rabbits could easily burrow in the sandy soil and so in the medieval period the area became a popular location for warrens, land set aside for the breeding and management of rabbits which were bred for their meat, fur and skins.

The lack of good crop growing land meant that monasteries were founded in the area around the ridge. After the Reformation they were sold to major landowners and turned into stately homes, gardens, deer parks and estate villages. Nearly all of Bedfordshire’s Grade I listed manor houses are located within Greensand Country, including Woburn Abbey, Haynes Park, Moggerhanger Park, Southill Park and Wrest Park, as well as the ruins of Houghton House.

View of countryside seen through red brick ruins. — Houghton House.

From the mid nineteenth century, the area saw more industrial activity, including quarrying for Fuller’s Earth and coprolites for fertiliser, and brick making.

The Greensand Ridge historically provided a dry route above the poorly draining clay, allowing people to move more easily. Today it forms a popular walking trail, the Greensand Ridge Walk, which covers the 40 miles of the ridge. The area is also well provided with bike trails, golf courses, country parks and nature reserves.

Nature

The Greensand area is home to all of Bedfordshire’s remaining heathland. Key sites include the RSPB reserve at Sandy, Cooper’s Hill in Ampthill, and Stockgrove and Rushmere Country Park. Open heathland is an important habitat, but in the UK we have only about 16% left of the area that existed in 1800. Heathland thrives on the poor soil and is an excellent natural carbon store. It is also vital to many species of wildlife, reptiles thrive here on the dry warm sandy soils, including adders, lizards and slow worms. A wide range of insects favour heathland habitats, feeding on the grasses and flowers and using areas of bare sandy ground for their burrows, examples include Sand Wasps, Digger Wasps and Green Tiger Beetles. Birdwatchers might spot kestrels, hobbies and stonechats.

People walking through shady pine woodland. — Rushmere Country Park

The wider landscape is one of gentle hills and valleys, often heavily wooded and rich in wildlife. King’s Wood is known for its bluebells in spring and is a haven for birds such as woodpeckers, treecreepers and nuthatches. Butterflies enjoy the woodland flowers. Maulden Woods is also worth a visit, as is Linslade Wood, and all three are home to ancient woodland.

The Greensand Trust, an independent environmental charity, manages several nature reserves, including the recently opened Clophill Lakes Nature Reserve and the Kings Wood and Rushmere National Nature Reserve.