Dunstable Downs beacon lighting will go ahead for D-Day 80th anniversary

After days of uncertainty and speculation, the National Trust has revealed that it will go ahead and light the beacon at the Dunstable Downs to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day next month.

The charity said after “significant local interest”, the event will happen in June to celebrate the D-Day landings, when Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in 1944, changing the course of the Second World War and saving millions of lives.

The National Trust said: "We have now secured the funds and external support we need to help our local team put on the event.

"The last beacon lighting held at Dunstable Downs saw thousands of people in attendance, so we still need time to organise our plans for car parking, first aid and toilet facilities that comes with putting on an event of this scale safely.

"We look forward to sharing the details of this commemorative evening event with the local community soon."

Previously the charity had said that help was needed to put an event on – and appealed for local partners to lend a hand.

Dunstable mayor, Cllr Liz Jones, said: “The town council is delighted that the beacon lighting will be going ahead at Dunstable Downs to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

"Dunstable Downs are much loved and we look forward to helping to fund and support the National Trust to hold the event and commemorate D-Day together.”

The chalk grasslands have had beacon-lighting events for years. Most recently, it was used to commemorate the late Queen’s platinum jubilee in 2022.