Bedford

Full of things to do, historical monuments and places to stop for refreshments, Bedford, Bedfordshire’s county town is one of the region’s must visit places. If you are looking for somewhere for a day trip or to spend a few days exploring, you can’t go far wrong with a visit to Bedford, not only is the town easily accessible with mainline trains and public transport heading into the capital, but it is surrounded by interesting market towns, such as Biggleswade and Sandy as well as neighbouring counties, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire.  

Bedford is one of the UK’s most ancient county towns, historical documents have shown that it grew from a settlement on the River Great Ouse which dates back to before the Saxon regime It is said that Offa, King of Mercia, founded St. Cuthbert's Church in Bedford and is buried in the town.

Bedford is particularly famous for its connection with John Bunyan, the 17th century non-conformist writer and preacher, who was born just outside the town in Elstow. Bunyan's famous work, The Pilgrim's Progress was written while imprisoned in the county gaol and is reputedly the most widely read book of all time, after the Bible. Bunyan wrote more than 60 books and pamphlets on the Christian faith and gained a national reputation as a powerful preacher. The Bunyan Meeting House and Museum hold many of Bunyan's personal possessions and other relics.

There are a number of other museums and places of interest that can be found in the town, including Bedford Castle Mound, which is all that is left of the town’s castle and the Higgins Art Gallery and Museum is one of the county’s largest collection of art and historical artefacts.
The town is also home to the Great River Ouse which passes through the town centre and is lined with gardens in which you’ll find memorials for those that lost their lives in the First World War. The banks of the river are a great spot for family picnics and peaceful walks and is a popular walking trail for visitors and residents alike.

If you like your culture, Bedford is a hive of entertainment events. The Bedford Corn Exchange is the town’s largest venues and regularly hosts performances, meetings and concerts and the University of Bedfordshire Theatre is the town’s theatre where you’ll find regular performances from professional and local theatre companies. The town’s biggest events aren’t confined to these venues though, Bedford is home to several regular festivals, such as the Bedford River Festival, Bedford by the Sea, the Kite Festival and the Festival of Motoring.

Film fans will be interested to know of nearby Cardington. As well as being famous for its connections with the airship industry, it has also been used in a number of feature films, including Batman Begins and the Dark Knight, which both shot scenes at the Cardington Sheds. When not being used as film sets, the huge hangars, which were built to house the R100 and R101 airships, are visible from miles around. A memorial to the victims of the disaster which befell the R101 on its maiden voyage can be found in the town.

When visiting the town, be sure to follow in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela, the former South African prime minister who visited Bedford to pay tribute to Archbishop Trevor Huddleston who was born in the town and worked hard to campaign against the apartheid in South Africa. Mandela unveiled the bust of the Archbishop which stands on Silver Street.

Being one of the larger towns in the county, Bedford is full of high street shops, restaurants, attractions and accommodation, take a look at some of the options open to you below and be sure to keep an eye on our what’s on pages to see what is happening in the town.