The Forest Centre

The Forest Centre

The Forest of Marston Vale covers 61 square miles between Bedford and Milton Keynes which was a very different place before we came along. Massive pits had been dug throughout the countryside to supply Stewartby Brickworks with clay – many were then filled with waste and became landfill. Tree cover was a pitiful 3% – a third of the national average at the time. At centre of the project is The Forest Centre

Your Community Forest

To help the area recover from the effects of these industries, the Government designated the area as a Community Forest – one of 13 in the UK – in the early 90s. The idea was that planting trees and using woodlands would make life better for people, and wildlife.

Why trees?

Trees make life better for all of us – for people, for wildlife and for the planet. They help to cool and clean our air, lock up carbon, reduce flooding, provide sustainable raw materials, and are our best hope in combating the climate crisis. Creating the Forest has given hundreds of thousands of people more woodlands and green spaces to explore and enjoy, helping to improve their physical and mental health.

Since we started creating the Forest, we’ve planted over 2 million trees which has not only made the area a better place to live, work and spend leisure time but the work we’ve done to create new woodlands and bring other woodlands into management has created jobs, brought millions in investment to the area and actually saved the NHS money. We didn’t manage all of this alone – we’ve worked with local businesses, authorities, schools and national partners to get to where we are today. Thankfully we’ve come across many like-minded people and companies who share our vision for the area.

The Forest Centre is open all year round and provides the perfect place to stop for some hot food or drinks and has a fabulous play park and outdoor seating area.