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Life on Mars - via east Beds
Discover Biggleswade and the many pretty village which surround it
Why not leave the car at home and take a bus journey on an adventure through some of Bedfordshire's stunning countryside?
The Stagecoach Mars bus service (M4) runs hourly (Mondays to Saturdays) from Bedford bus station to the market town of Biggleswade in rural east Bedfordshire.
It passes through a number of quintessentially English villages en route. These include Cardington, famous for its historic airship sheds which can be seen for miles around and which once housed the ill-fated R101 airship. Here is a pretty village green, on the edge of which stands the Kings Arms public house.
Beyond Cardington the bus passes through Cople, and then on to the
picturesque village of Northill, which is centred around a duck pond. Close by is St Mary's Church, which dates from the 14th century and is built of ironstone.
The village lies on the Greensand Ridge Walk, Bedfordshire's premier long-distance route, which runs from Leighton Buzzard in the west, to Gamlingay in the east, a total of 40 miles.
Next stop is the pretty village of Ickwell which is known for its annual May Day festival, held around a permanent red-and-white striped maypole. Cricket and football matches are played on Ickwell Green,
surrounded by thatched cottages.
Close by is the cottage that once belonged to Thomas Tompion, the 'father of English clockmakers'.
From Ickwell it is possible to walk to the scenic village of Old Warden, or to the Shuttleworth Collection which is about 1.5 miles away, although care should be taken owing to the rural nature of the route.
The Shuttleworth Collection is not only famous for its collection of vintage aircraft but also for being home to the delightful Swiss Garden and the Bird Of Prey Centre.
Beyond Ickwell the bus passes through the village of Upper Caldecote, which dates back to Roman times.
The largest town in east Bedfordshire is Biggleswade, which stands on the River Ivel. The impressive Market Square, in the town centre, holds a large weekly market, and there is a farmers' market on the third Wednesday of each month.
The Kingfisher Way, a 21-mile riverside walk along the River Ivel, passes through the town.
Biggleswade has its own railway station, also close to the town centre, from where there are regular services to other places of interest such as Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.
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Weather for Bedford
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
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