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Windy
Sayles
Whipsnade, Nr Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
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The
Windy Sayles Story
The Tree Cathederal Story
The Holiday Accomodation
The Camp Sites
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WINDY
SAYLES
is owned by the
DUNSTABLE DIVISION
of the Guide Association.
It is ideal for Pack Holidays and Guide Holidays
and is an ideal location for Guide Camps and Pack
Holidays Under Canvas.
"lettings
for the house and field are taken from members of
the Guide Movement only"
The site is 5-10 minutes walk from Whipsnade Wild
Animal Park.
Click
for a map
Contact Details
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THE WINDY SAYLES
STORY
The Blyth family, specifically
Edmund Blyth (who built the tree cathedral) gave the
Dunstable Division of the Guide Association half of
the field now known as Windy Sayles. The other half
is on loan. This gift was in memory of his mother and
the work she had done in the early days of Guiding.
Mrs Blyth had been a pioneer of guide camps and Guide
trainings and set the first camp training sessions for
Guiders under the title ''Girl Guide Officers Training
Service''. She ran these trainings from her home which
was called Windy Sayles, hence the name of our activity
centre and from the Training Service initials ''GGOTS''
we get the Windy Sayles symbol of a goat.
One
of the conditions of this gift of land was the site
facilities would be used by members of the Guide Association
only. Another was that the Dunstable Division Guides
would keep the Tree Cathedral tidy. For many years
Guides had working parties pruning and cutting until
the National Trust took over the manual labour. The
Guides, Brownies and Rainbows still do litter clearing
and general tidying up.
The
land was given to the division around 1967 and the
main building was opened on 19th September 1970 (Guide
Diamond Jubilee Year) by Lord Baden-Powell (grandson
of our founder) and his wife Lady Patience (who was
the Guide Association Chief Commissioner at the time).
The
dormitory section was added later and officially opened
in September 1982. Over the years the toilet block
and the Guiders room have been enlarged and the toilet
facilities added for campers.
The
Silver Fish award gained by Mrs Blyth is on display
in the Windy Sales Holiday House.
Three
of the trees in the middle of the Windy Sayles camp
field are in memory of the three friends whose death
inspired Edmund Blyth to create the Tree Cathedral.
A fourth tree, the blue cedar, was planted in 1981
by Henry Blyth in memory of his father Edmund who
died in 1969. Back to the Top
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THE
STORY OF THE TREE CATHEDRAL
The Tree Cathedral was created by Edmond Blyth. Born
in 1898 he served in the infantry in World War 1 and
suffered the loss of dear friends Arthur Bailey, John
Bennett and Francis Holland in 1918. In1925 he bought
a pair of cottages at Whipsnade and converted them
to holiday homes for poor London families as a memorial
to his friends but he felt that they deserved something
more worthy in their memory.
In 1930,
with his wife, he visited the new Anglican Cathedral
in Liverpool and marvelled at the challenge of designing
a cathedral. Then, while driving home he stopped to
watch the sunset through a group of trees and marvelled
at their beauty. So the idea was born of making a
cathedral of trees. It was his wife who suggested
chapels for each season.
In 1927
Mr Blyth had bought Chapel Farm at Whipsnade next
to the National Trust area. In 1930 with the help
of Albert Bransom he began planting. The work was
almost complete by 1939 but was then delayed until
after the war. When work started again assistance
was given by Gerald Wallsam. He is commemorated in
Wallsam Way. Another dedicated assistant was William
Baldwin.
The only
change to the original plan has been the addition
of the hornbeam avenue from the car park. This in
memory of Mr Blyth's son Tom who managed the Tree
Cathedral after his fathers's death in 1969 until
his own death in 1978 when the Tree Cathedral was
given to the National Trust. Back
to the Top
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Hall:
The
hall has a beamed ceiling and access to the field.
Equipped with folding tables and chairs.
Suitable for a day-room / dining room.
The main hall has hatch to the Kitchen.
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Dormitory:
Carpeted
Room to sleep 18.
Mattresses are provided.
Brownies are asked to bring a fitted sheet.
No food or drink is to be taken into this area.
Indoor shoes must be worn.
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Guiders
Room:
Carpeted
Fitted
with wardrobe and drawer.
2 double bunks.
Curtained washing facilities.
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Kitchen:
Fully
equipped.
Electric cooker
microwave oven
fridge / freezer
crockery
cutlery
etc
Hot and cold water supply.
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Washroom:
Toilets:
3
Showers: 2 (one of which is suitable for people with
disabilities)
Wash basins: 10
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Cleaning:
Brooms etc in the cupboard by the backdoor.
Telephone:
The phone is in the guiders room. Guiders are asked
to log all calls in the book provided and put the
appropriate payment in the tin.
First
Aid: A small box is in the kitchen for emergencies.
Guiders are asked to bring their own first aid box.
Campfire:
A campfire circle is available in the woods. This
can be used freely - liasing with campers if necessary.
"Comments
from a Brownie Guider on her unit's holiday at Windy
Sayles during July 2011".
Just to let you
know what a thoroughly enjoyable time we all had at
Windy Sayles last week. The girls loved the setting,
the tremendous grounds and woods and early morning
visits by local wildlife. Each morning we were visited
by several rabbits and a woodpecker and even a fox
at 4am on Friday morning!
We visited Dell Farm on the Thursday and did the climbing
wall, caving and visited the animals on the farm,
visited Whipsnade Zoo on the Friday and walked to
the Chiltern Gateway Centre at Dunstable Downs on
the Saturday to fly kites that we had made the night
before. We also had a BBQ and a campfire in the woods.
The girls loved it, a wonderful location!
This was a visit with fond memories of when I stayed
at Windy Sayles just after its opening in 1970 as
a brownie of 7 years old, when I felt much like some
of my youngest girls did this time, away from home
for the first time and very apprehensive!
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For more information or to make a booking please
telephone
The Booking Secretary on 01582 661769.
Back to the Top
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CAMP
SITE FACILITIES
Sites:
There
are 2 unequipped sites on one field, each to accommodate
approximately 30 campers.
Campers are asked to keep well up the field whenever
possible (to give people of the Holiday House privacy)
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Toilets:
2 flush toilets for daytime use and a separate one for
gentlemen.
Water:
The tap is on the outer corner of the building, near
the toilets. The mains stopcock is in the toilet block
in the building.
Elsans:
The cesspit is clearly marked (near the water outside
and must be used by Adults Only, who are asked to ensure
that the drains are not obstructed and that the elsans
are not put under the drinking water tap for rinsing.
Telephone:
Campers are advised to take a mobile telephone. (if
someone is resident in the Holiday House there is a
telephone in the Guiders Room) Guiders are asked to
log all outgoing calls in the book provided and put
the appropriate payment in the tin.
Rubbish:
An incinerator is available in the woods. The residue
from the burned rubbish and unburnable rubbish should
be put in sacks, tied and placed in the wheelie bin
at the side of the garages. Rubbish must not be buried
and no food is to be left as the site has a large number
of nocturnal animal visitors.
The wheelie bin should be left on the corner by the
Village Hall for collection on Mondays
Cooking:
Altar fires are only to be used - no turfing is allowed.
Guiders need to bring their own equipment - but see
the note below on bricks.
Small hike fires may be lit with great attention to
safety in the woods on suitable bare areas as long as
the fire area is totally cleaned up afterwards.
Campfire:
A campfire circle is available in the woods. This can
be used freely - liasing with anyone staying in the
Holiday House if necessary.
Wood:
Wood may be gathered from the top of the site (as you
stand with your back to the building) and the left hand
side. (The woods on the right hand side are private)
Brought in wood is sometimes available but Guiders may
like to bring additional supplies. These should be left
neatly if not taken home again. Gadget wood and firewood
must not be cut from trees.
Bricks:
Some half bricks are available. They must be returned
to the container by the garages and not thrown in the
woods or left on the field.
Tent Pegs:
As the field is mechanically mown it is most important
that all pegs and gadget wood are retrieved when striking
camp.
Cars:
Cars should be parked on the field near the pathway
at the end of the building. They must not be driven
across the field. Visitors may park in the Tree Cathedral
car park. Back to the Top |
For
more information or to make a booking please telephone
The Booking Secretary on 01582 661769.
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