Bedfords Park

The name is thought to derive from a John Bedford or Bedforde who held land in the area in 1362; Bedfords was taken into the Gidea Hall estate in 1412 and sold as a separate estate in 1659. The visitor centre was built in 2003 on the site of the old mansion house and cafeteria. The council took ten years of Natural England Higher Level Stewardship funding in 2013, and Red Poll cattle were first used to graze the park in spring 2014. Ancient woodland indicator species in the park include remote sedge, bluebell, wild service tree and wood melick. Upper Bedfords Farmhouse, built by John Heaton as the estate's home farm, is listed Grade II, NHLE 1079901. The park took Gold for Large Conservation Area and Gold for Country Park of the Year at London in Bloom 2019. There is a free car park at the Broxhill Road entrance, and the Helmsdale Road stop on the 499 is 479 m from it.