Priory Marina - including how to purchase a Bedford Borough Fishing Licence

The Park is an area of beauty designated and maintained for both wildlife and people and is open all day.  Features include a large lake, the smaller finger lakes, wooded areas and open spaces of meadows and woodland.  It benefits from a riverside path.  The Ouse follows part of the perimeter of the Park.   There are habitats from meadows to reed beds, quiet walks for all, fishing, boating, play areas and bird hides.

The marina benefits from a free Council car park which is closed at 9pm in the evening and other overflow car parks by the beefeater pub in the park and Aspects just a few minutes walk along a path that is wheelchair accessbile  so parking is virtually unlimited.  There are good sized modern public toilets with wheelchair access which are located at the rear of the cafe building being run by the Bedford Council. They were refurbished in 2018.

Accessibility 

Work has completed on upgrading the deteriorating path around the lake area of Priory Country Park to an all-weather tarmac pathway, making the lakeside walk more accessible for people who use buggies and wheelchairs. 

Café

The Cloverdale Retreat has excellent views across Priory Country Park Lake and includes a large area of elevated decking outside. The menu includes fine homemade cuisine and a range of teas, coffees, and cold drinks.

Visit the Cloverdale Retreat website. 

Beefeater Priory Marina pub and resturant 

On a summer day the beefeater pub beer gardens is always a nice spot to relax enjoy a refreshing drink and offers a garden food menu.  Or you can access the full menu in the onsite restuarant.  https://www.beefeater.co.uk/en-gb/locations/bedfordshire/priory-marina  Or alternatively bring a picnic and relax, there are some picnic benches close to the car park overlooking the lake or plenty of open spaces for a picnic and a game of rounders or football.  The park has a good size play area.  

Facilities

Currently open 

• Bird watching
• Café - Social distancing take away service only 
• Car park on site
• Fishing (permit only)
• Water sports 
• Walking trails

 

Country park trails

• Priory Country Park guided walk leaflet red trail (PDF)
• Priory County Park guided walk leaflet blue trail (PDF)
• Priory County Park guided walk leaflet green trail (PDF)

All information on where you can and cannot fish is posted outside the park's Visitors' Centre and on fishing map boards located around the Priory Country Park. 

Download a copy of the fishing rules at Priory Country Park (PDF)

What's on

• Guided bird walks

Volunteering

Join the Park Warden to undertake practical conservation, habitat and maintenance tasks around the park. The volunteers meet every Monday and Thursday and one Sunday a month.

For further information please contact Jon on 01234 718012 (answer phone) or email prioryrangers@bedford.gov.uk.  

All sessions start at 9.30am from the visitors centre and finish at 3pm.

Fishing in Priory Country Park

Fishing at Priory Country Park is restricted. In some waters fishing is not permitted at all. Where fishing is permitted you will need a current Enviroment Agency rod licence which you can apply for here

In other areas you must also purchase a fishing permit from Bedford Borough Council.

Fishing permit

 

Fishing at Priory Country Park is restricted. In some waters, fishing is not permitted at all. Where fishing is permitted you will need a current Environment Agency and a fishing permit from Bedford Borough Council.

All information on where you can and cannot fish is posted outside the park's Visitors' Centre and on fishing map boards located around the Priory Country Park. 

Fishing permits are valid for one season only. The fishing season runs from 16 June to 14 March each year.

See our rivers, waterways and fishing page for more information about fishing permits.