The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is protected for being one of the finest areas of countryside in the UK. Join us as a Lumenator and enjoy its spectacular landscapes.
Event information
Where will it be?
Chilterns (North Easterly) – 19 miles from Milton Keynes. 8 miles from Luton and 36 miles from London.
How long do I need to be there?
If you would like to join us, why not bring a feast with you and head up to The Chilterns for a picnic before participating as a Lumenator. If you do, then we’ll need you to join us for up to 7 hours between 4pm – 11pm.
Lumenators who are not picnicking can join us for 4 hours between 6pm – 11pm.
What will I be doing?
If you join us for a picnic, then you can take part in activities including workshops and share your stories of the outdoors with us.
Performances: There will be live music and dance performances to enjoy whilst you picnic with us.
From 9pm you will take part in a rehearsal with other Lumenators creating patterns in the landscape and then a performance will be filmed on the ground and in the air by drones.
Event accessibility
The site is fully accessible by coach (drop off), car (car park) and foot (from the town).
Coach drop off is next to the canvas / base camp (our registration area). Disabled parking and toilets on site.
The area is flat, with paths surrounding the site. The multi-use pathway from the town, is approximately 1.8km long with average gradient: 1.5%, Maximum gradient: 9.9%, with an elevation gain: 129 m.
We will help to make it possible for people with access needs to take part wherever possible. Please let us know your access needs when you sign up to take part.
Some sites are more accessible than others – we will be providing more information here about the activities involved, walking level difficulty and accessibility in the future.
There will be a BSL Interpreter available on site throughout the day.
The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers 833 square kilometres across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The many rare species and habitats, rolling chalk hills, magnificent beechwoods and wildflower-rich hills are just some of the special features of The Chilterns, which are enjoyed by local people and visitors alike.
The Chilterns AONB is home to England’s largest population of Red Kite birds of prey as well as a stronghold of rare flowers such as the Chiltern Gentian, the Military Orchid, Lady Orchid, Monkey Orchid and Pasqueflower. It’s also home to nine colonies of the threatened Duke of Burgundy butterfly. With around 700 hectares of chalk grassland, The Chilterns support a diverse range of plant and animal species, and can have up to 40 different species per square metre. There are nine rare chalk streams in the AONB, one of which, the Chess, hosts the only known remaining population of water vole in The Chilterns.
There are few landscapes which could claim to have as much recreational opportunity as The Chilterns, the extensive network of well-signposted footpaths and bridleways make it easy to explore the area by foot or bicycle. There are also lots of countryside sites where you can relax, enjoy the scenery, have a picnic, or take a walk. With 1.6 million people living within 8km and 10 million people living within an hour, The Chilterns is one of the most accessible protected landscapes in Europe.
More about this location
Held at Dunstable Downs, looked after by National Trust
Event Film
Location: Dunstable Downs
As we continue our journey into the landscape, we will be sharing films from every Green Space Dark Skies event, as well as stories, photos, music and more.
This event has now happened. Check out the event film to see what we got up to.