Whipsnade Tree Cathedral is a medieval cathedral plan laid out in trees, hedges and shrubs on the Chilterns escarpment by Edmund Kell Blyth, who lost three close friends in the First World War. Inspired by a visit to Liverpool Cathedral, he began planting in the early 1930s in a spirit of 'faith, hope and reconciliation'; work stopped for the Second World War, the first service was held in 1948 and the National Trust accepted the 9.5-acre site as a gift in 1960. Grass avenues form the nave, chancel, transepts and four chapels planted for the seasons, with hornbeams lining the nave and Wellingtonias as the towers; services are still held by an independent trust and admission is free. Reviewers describe a quiet, well-kept place, with carved animal benches and picnic tables. Tips from visitors: the free car park is small, so many walk the 1.1 miles over from Dunstable Downs, where the toilets and cafe are; there are none here, and dogs stay on short leads.
