What to do and see in Bedfordshire, England: The Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day

We began selling chilli pepper plants in 2001. The plants, and later pickles and sauces, gained very favorable attention and in 2007 we purchased Cherwood Nursery in Chawston which we renovated. Known for its 'Pick Your Own' chilli tunnel which is open to the public, the nursery has become the destination of choice for European hot pepper enthusiasts. In addition to fresh retail and wholesale chillies we also produce a selection of gourmet sauces, spice rubs, dried, smoked, frozen, and pickled chillies processed onsite in a 5 'Stars On The Doors' production kitchen. We also 'grow-to-order' for many other European hot sauce producers, restaurants, farm shops, delicatessens, and distinguished retailers such as Harrods and Fortnum and Mason. We host tours and workshops. Our chilli sauces are available from the nursery and local Waitrose stores. Edible Ornamentals has featured in the national daily press, The Economist and leading national trade publications The Grocer and Fresh Produce Journal. Joanna featured as a chilli expert on BBC's 3 Counties Radio, Radio 2's 'Chris Evans Show', and Radio 4's 'You and Yours' and has appeared in many TV programmes including Ready Steady Cook, Economy Gastronomy, Market Kitchen, Countrywise, Gordon Ramsay's 'Ultimate Cookery Course', 'The Hairy Bikers' and ITV's 'Sunday Brunch'. Heston Blumenthol visited and filmed an episode of his Channel 4 series "Great British Food" which featured Shawn and Heston eating a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, hottest chilli in the world at that time. Edible Ornamentals won an extremely prestigious "Grower Of The Year Award" at the annual Horticultural Weekly sponsored event in 2011. That same year we were crowned "Best Chilli Grower UK" at the Fiery Foods Festival in Brighton. We were also named 'Local Food Hero' for East Anglia by the Good Food Channel's Market Kitchen and in 2015 awarded an extremely prestigious TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Located on St. Peter’s Street, in the heart of Bedford, we are the exciting new performing arts facility for Bedford School and the town. St. Luke’s Church has been sympathetically adapted into a venue that houses a 280-seat theatre, a 60-seat studio-theatre, a spacious bar opening onto the original church garden.

Ampthill Brewhouse was saved in 2015 and now brews three very 'gluggable' ales for local pubs, clubs and consumers in Ampthill and surrounding areas. We've got a great story and even better ales so come and try them and find out more about us on a tour of our microbrewery.

Experience the ​Thrills and Spills of some serious off road action at Woburn Farm; or just sit back and relax and enjoy our home grown food while your friends take to the track. Set within beautiful countryside and at the foot of Woburn Forest, you can enjoy all that nature has to offer, including wild lizards and birds of prey, along with of course the farm animals.

Situated above Ampthill Fireplaces, the Ampthill-micro museum is the first of its kind in Bedfordshire. Detailing the past of our historic Georgian market town, Ampthill. The exhibition shows the history of the small Bedfordshire town all the way back to 1089 with its initial mentioning in King William the Conqueror’s Domesday book. Travelling through time the exhibit shows how the town was involved with King Henry VIII, the rapid redevelopment of the 1700s and many more interesting points in the towns long history. The museum also allows visitors to get hands on with history, featuring a copy of the famous book ‘Masquerade’ by Kit Williams which sent the whole country on a treasure hunt for a golden hare which was buried in Ampthill and inspired a whole generation of treasure-hunting books, this amongst other things are available to view in the museum. The museum is open 10am-5pm Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm on Saturday.

Wardown House, Museum and Gallery is situated in the beautiful landscaped Wardown Park, on the outskirts of Luton town centre. The museum houses a range of displays throughout the building, including the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment Gallery and the popular Luton Life Gallery. The museum underwent a redevelopment during 2016, reopening in April 2017. Wardown House, Museum and Gallery also holds events and activities for all ages and interests throughout the year.

Started by Richard Shuttleworth, who collectected some of the exhibits still here, The Shuttleworth Collection is home to the best collection of genuine WWI aircraft that all still fly in Europe, alongside over historic aircraft from 1909 to the 1950s. The Collection includes the oldest aircraft still flying - the 1909 Blériot. Also, the oldest airworthy British aircraft 1912 Blackburn Monoplane, the 1934 race winning DH88 Comet, record breaking 1936 Mew Gull, 1938 special ops Westland Lysander and many more. Vintage vehicles including a steam locomobile and early buses, cycles and motorcycles are also part of The Collection. Shuttleworth is based at an aerodrome with a grass runway, PPR required but there are no landing fees and aviation fuel available at self-service pumps. It's just off the A1 at Biggleswade with free parking, on-site Play Area, restaurant and adjacent Swiss Garden, and a period Mansion (open event days). May to October it is a top class vintage airshow venue.

The museum has since been renamed the Military Intelligence Museum, and a new TripAdvisor review page has been created under that name.