Dunstable Downs are part of the Chiltern Hills, in southern Bedfordshire. They are a chalk escarpment forming the north-eastern reaches of the Chilterns. At 244m, Dunstable Downs are the highest point of the East of England.
Whipsnade Zoo has cut an enormous lion shape into the chalk into the side of one of the hills. The lion can be seen from the Aylesbury to Dunstable road.
The downs are used by gliders, kite fliers, hang gliders and paragliders in the area because of their height. The London Gliding Club is based at the foot of the downs.
Much of the downs are managed by the National Trust, and the Downs are also home to a wide variety of wildlife including many rare wild flowers, such as the Bee Orchid, and different butterfly species, like the Marbled White and the Chalkhill Blue .
See also
Last updated: 08-22-2005 19:22:32
