Air cooling tower by the Visitor Centre, Dunstable Downs

Chilterns

The Chilterns lie only a few miles to the north west of London and yet they are a beautiful, unspoilt corner of England. The gently rolling hills are swathed in woodland and chalk downland and in quiet valleys attractive villages with their traditional brick and flint cottages nestle around medieval churches. The most dramatic feature of the area is the chalk escarpment, a ridge running south west to north east, which rises up steeply from the Vale of Aylesbury and slopes gently south east towards London. This underlying chalk geology gives rise to clear chalk streams which are home to valuable wildlife. More Information