Priory Country Park in Bedford to get major upgrade with new outdoor gym

Priory Country Park is getting a revamp in the hope visitors will continue with outdoor physical exercise post lockdown.

Bedford Borough Council will carry out the improvement work in two phases.

The deteriorating path around the lake area will be upgraded to an all-weather tarmac pathway during phase one.

And during phase two, an outdoor gym will be installed where the labyrinth currently is, which has deteriorated and suffered severe vandalism over the past two years.

Dave Hodgson, mayor of Bedford borough, said: “Over the past year, we’ve seen how important it is to invest in our parks and open spaces. Not only to encourage people to get out and exercise but for their mental wellbeing as well.

"That is why we’re making the walk around the lake at Priory Country Park more accessible and ensuring that it is usable all year round.

“We’ve also seen a sharp increase in the number of people using our outdoor gyms for exercise and we want to make sure they have access to a high-quality space that is free to use and available to everyone.”

The first phase of these works is scheduled to start on Monday (May 17) and is anticipated to take up to six weeks.

Although minor disruption is expected, this will be limited to ensure visitors can still use the park. Phase two works will begin later this year.