The map on the left indicates how to get to the wood from the village. A walk up Highfield Road and across the A6 will bring you to the wood right opposite.
The wood has been in existence for hundreds of years and a recorded history of the wood dates back to 1799 when it was owned by the duke of Bedford. Throughout its history, the wood has been felled and replanted several times with the last major planting in Victorian times. The trees are mainly oak and ash with an area of hornbeam and some fine old beech trees. In the past, woods like these were regularly managed through the taking of underwood or coppice and the periodic felling of larger trees. This pattern of management has given rise to a special range of plants and animals that make use of changing conditions. Light open areas support woodland flowers and young trees whilst darker overgrown parts provide dead wood for insects and woodpeckers.
Today the wood is owned by Bedford Borough Council, and the management is aimed towards nature conservation and amenity rather than commercial forrestry. Occasional thinning of the trees is still required and the rides are kept open to encourage flowers and butterflies.

The field next to the wood has lain fallow for years, but during the year 2000 twenty-six thousand new trees were planted here extending Browns Wood by an additional 31 acres. The main trees are oak, ash and field maple with beech and hornbeam featuring on top of the hill.
Most of the wood will mature into large trees with smaller trees and shrubs underneath. The hornbeam may be coppiced to form many stemmed thickets. A few wayfaring trees were planted and these also occur locally on clay soil over limestone. In time, the new planting will provide valuable habitat for a range of woodland birds, butterflies and small mammals.

You are welcome to walk around the paths and rides of both the old and new woods. Please take care not to damage the rabbit fence, if rabbits get in, they will damage the young trees.

For further information or to enquire about becoming a Friend of Browns Wood, please contact the Borough Council's Conservation Officer on 01234 227407, or email: NHall@bedford.gov.uk

2. St. Mary's Church

Reference to the Parish Church of St. Mary`s is made in the history section of this site, but no specific reference is made to the history of the building. The Church is an ancient edifice of stone in the Early English style, consisting of a chancel, nave, aisles, porch and a lofty embattled tower, containing a clock and five bells, two of which were recast and rehung in 1899.

The ancient clock in the tower with an hour hand only is one of the most antique in the county, constructed about 1620, and it still keeps the most accurate time. The tower is the oldest part of the building, its lower part dating from the twelfth century.The two western bays of the nave arcades were probably first built at the end of the twelfth century. The east bay of the nave, which has two pointed arches, may belong to the same period. The chancel dates from circa 1220. The South aisle was rebuilt in the fourteenth century and the north aisle, the clerestory, the upper storey of the tower, the south porch and west end of the chancel are all from the same period.

The church can be found at the junction of Church Lane with Lovell Road and can be accessed through the gate on Church Lane towards the bridge over the river.

3. Two local War Time Museums

Strictly speaking, the following two sites are not within the boundaries of the parish of Oakley. However, I feel that they should be included as they recall events of the past and both are close to the village.
They are:

1. Twinwood Airfield and Control Tower together with the Glenn Miller Museum,

and

2. Thurleigh Airfield Museum home of the 306th Bombardment Group.

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This page was amended on January 17th 2007.