Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

Enjoy a day out amongst an ancient forest or discover age-old traditions in a number of quaint, quiet villages in the counties of Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

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Two people walking in spring across Dunstable Downs, Bedfordshire

Place

Dunstable Downs and Whipsnade Estate

Dunstable Downs is within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The highest point in Bedfordshire, from here you can enjoy views of a landscape that has been sculpted over time.

The Easter Chapel at Whipsnade Tree Cathedral, Bedfordshire in spring

Place

Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

This incredible tree cathedral, made from trees, shrubs and plants, was created after the First World War in the spirit of 'faith, hope and reconciliation'.

View from Sharpenhoe Clappers, Sharpenhoe, Bedfordshire in July

Place

Sharpenhoe

An ancient woodland and chalk escarpment, crowned with traces of an Iron Age hillfort.

Person walking a dog in a field at Hatfield Forest, Essex

Place

Hatfield Forest National Nature Reserve

Shaped by people over centuries and home to the rarest species of wildlife and oldest ancient trees, no other forest on earth evokes the atmosphere of a medieval hunting Forest so completely.

View across the pond of Bourne Mill, Essex

Place

Bourne Mill

A picturesque watermill with working waterwheel a short stroll from the centre of Colchester.

View of the exterior of Paycocke's House in Essex

Place

Paycocke's House and Garden

Book a guided experience around this perfectly formed Tudor merchant's house whose walls have more than a few stories to tell.

The exterior of Grange Barn in sunshine, Essex

Place

Grange Barn

One of Europe's oldest timber-framed buildings, Grange Barn stands as a lasting reminder of the once powerful Coggeshall Abbey.

A path through very green woodland with tall trees

Place

Danbury Commons and Blakes Wood

Explore Essex's second largest area of common land.

Bluebells in Dockey Wood, Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire

Place

Ashridge Estate

Ashridge Estate is a 5,000 acre area of the Chiltern Hills, with ancient trees, rolling chalk downlands and lush meadows in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The garden at Shaw's Corner, Hertfordshire

Place

Shaw's Corner

Join a guided tour of Shaw's Corner and learn more about its owner, playwright George Bernard Shaw, who lived here for 44 years.

View of the causeway across the Blackwater Estuary to Northey Island, Maldon, Essex, at low tide.

Place

Northey Island

The closest you'll get to true wilderness in Essex

A close view of the windows and the plasterwork on the exterior of Paycocke's House, Colchester, Essex

Places to eat

Here are some of our top walks to enjoy this spring.

Sheep grazing on Dunstable Downs, with grassy fields below

Trail

Dunstable Downs Five Knolls wildlife and heritage walk

An accessible, waymarked, out-and-back route highlighting the downs' history and the rich variety of birds, insects and plant life that you'll see up here.

The view across the lake at Hatfield Forest, Essex with some grass in the foreground and Shell House in the distance

Trail

Capability Brown walk at Hatfield Forest

Discover how the Houblon family turned Hatfield Forest into a Georgian pleasure ground with the help of the famous 18th-century landscaper Capability Brown on this circular trail around the lake.

A path snaking through woodland at sunset with orange light dappling through the branches

Trail

Danbury Common to Lingwood Common walk

An easy, 1.5 mile walk through wetlands, wooded glades and open heathland, that makes an ideal family walk.

Refresh the mind and blow away the cobwebs as you explore the Essex coast.

A view over the Blackwater Estuary at Northey Island, Essex

Article

Plan your visit to Northey Island

Plan your visit to Northey Island, and discover what you can see and do while you're there.

Woman with a dog at Copt Hall Marshes, Essex

Article

Explore Copt Hall Marshes

Explore Copt Hall Marshes, a wildlife-rich working farm on the Blackwater Estuary, part of the extensive Essex coastline.

Rangers planting trees at Dunstable Downs as part of major woodland creation project

News

Major project underway to plant 15,000 trees at Dunstable Downs

An ambitious project at the National Trust’s Dunstable Downs is underway to plant 15,000 trees, creating 11.5 hectares (27 acres) of new wood pasture and woodland.

Autumn colour at Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

Press release

‘Crumbling cloisters’ at Whipsnade Tree Cathedral World War I memorial restored for people and nature

Whipsnade Tree Cathedral in Bedfordshire, one of only three tree cathedrals in the UK, is undergoing vital conservation works to restore its natural, architectural beauty for people and nature after being devasted by ash dieback over the past five years.

Project

Ashridge Estate - Protecting Our Roots

We are looking at making changes to the infrastructure across the estate to help manage the careful balance of increased visitor numbers with the impact on nature. Read about the 'Protecting Our Roots' project and find out more about our vision for the future of Ashridge Estate.

Project

Bridgewater Monument conservation works at Ashridge Estate

The Bridgewater Monument at the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate is to be steam cleaned for the first time in its history as part of major conservation work taking place this summer.

A yellow digger stands behind a grey wooden fence which separates it from a newly created pond in the foreground

Press release

Remote Essex island ‘lets the sea in’ to create new saltmarsh in fight against climate change

Major works to create and retain swathes of new saltmarsh habitat on a remote Essex island have reached a major milestone, providing a lifeline for the land and its wildlife in a changing climate and in light of rising sea levels.

A flock of dark-bellied brent geese on Northey Island, Essex

Press release

Numbers of protected birds soar to new record after overhead power lines are removed on remote Essex island

National Trust rangers at Northey Island in Essex, with support from volunteers, have recorded record numbers of two protected bird species following the re-routing of the island’s power infrastructure.

Protective track mats in midst of trees in ancient woodland at Ashridge Estate

Press release

National Trust's largest ancient woodland set to be restored on a scale rarely seen

A major restoration project is underway at the National Trust’s largest ancient woodland, Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire, to improve the site’s prospects for wildlife and protect its diverse habitats, which are home to many species that are endangered or in decline.

Project

Coastal adaptation project at Northey Island

Learn about the major conservation work we’re carrying out at Northey Island in partnership with the RSPB to restore and retain vital saltmarsh habitat in the Blackwater Estuary.

Volunteer ranger hedgelaying at Kingston Lacy, Dorset

Volunteering in Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

Making new friends, working in amazing places, and knowing that you're helping a cause you care about – just three great reasons to volunteer with the National Trust in Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

Visitors on a guided nature walk at Sharpenhoe Clappers, Sharpenhoe, Bedfordshire

Article

Supporter groups in Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

There are a number of supporter groups in Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Find out more about what they do and how you can join one near you.

Family on a bike ride in autumnal woods, looking at a map

Article

Sustainable travel in Essex, Beds and Herts

There are a number of sustainable options for travelling to and from the places in our care in Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, whether you’re looking to travel by train, bus, bike or foot. Here’s a little more information that can help you plan your visit.

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Event

Bluebells at Dockey Wood

Ashridge Estate, Near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

The spring spectacle at Dockey Woods is back!

Event

Garden Tour: Blossom Watch

Shaw's Corner, near Welwyn, Hertfordshire

Celebrate the joy of the season with an exclusive tour of our orchard!

Event

April Open Day 2025

Willington Dovecote and Stables, near Bedford, Bedfordshire

Come see inside the Dovecote & Stables which hosted a Henry VIII visit in the 1540s. The Dovecote appears on the front cover of the book "60 Remarkable Buildings of the National Trust".

Event

Ranger’s accessible ramble: protecting our ancient bluebell woods

Ashridge Estate, Near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

Using our mobility vehicles, join one of our rangers as they guide you to experience our ancient woodland and how we protect it during its springtime bloom.

Event

Ranger’s ramble: protecting our ancient bluebell woods

Ashridge Estate, Near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

Join one of our rangers, as they guide you to experience our ancient woodland and how we protect it during its springtime bloom.

Event

Quiet Mornings

Paycocke's House and Garden, Colchester, Essex

Join us for a calmer and more relaxed visit to Paycocke’s. These sessions are designed for anyone who would benefit from a quieter environment, including neurodivergent visitors.

Event

Forest Bathing

Hatfield Forest, Bishop's Stortford, Essex

Shinrin Yoku, or Forest Bathing, is the Japanese practice of spending time in a woodland environment to improve health and wellbeing through gentle activities that reawaken the senses and our connection to nature.