▁Area ▁of ▁Out standing ▁Natural ▁Beaut y . ▁North ▁and ▁mid ▁Bed ford shire ▁are ▁und ulating ▁cl ay lands ▁with ▁broad ▁river ▁valle ys ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁Great ▁O use ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries , ▁and ▁the ▁Bed ford shire ▁Gre ens and ▁R idge . ▁Jur ass ic ▁and ▁C ret ace ous ▁cl ays ▁are ▁over la id ▁by ▁Qu atern ary ▁gla cial ▁depos its ▁of ▁ch alk y ▁b ould er ▁cl ay . ▁ ▁Local ▁nature ▁res erves ▁( L NR s ) ▁are ▁designated ▁by ▁local ▁authorities ▁under ▁the ▁National ▁Park s ▁and ▁Access ▁to ▁the ▁Coun tr ys ide ▁Act ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁The ▁local ▁authority ▁must ▁have ▁a ▁legal ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁site , ▁by ▁ow ning ▁or ▁le asing ▁it , ▁or ▁having ▁a ▁legal ▁agreement ▁with ▁the ▁owner . ▁L NR s ▁are ▁sites ▁which ▁have ▁a ▁special ▁local ▁interest ▁either ▁bi olog ically ▁or ▁ge olog ically , ▁and ▁local ▁authorities ▁have ▁a ▁duty ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁them . ▁They ▁can ▁apply ▁local ▁by e - la ws ▁to ▁manage ▁and ▁protect ▁L NR s . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁there ▁are ▁twenty ▁local ▁nature ▁res erves ▁in ▁Bed ford shire : ▁eight ▁in ▁Bed ford , ▁eleven ▁in ▁Central ▁Bed ford shire ▁and ▁one ▁in ▁L ut on . ▁The ▁largest ▁is ▁Har ro ld - O d ell ▁Country ▁Park ▁with ▁; ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁former ▁quar ry ▁on ▁the