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Bedford is a
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
in
Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...
, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the
Borough of Bedford Bedford, or the Borough of Bedford, is a Districts of England, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It is administered by Bedford Borough Council, ...
local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford on the
River Great Ouse The River Great Ouse ( ) is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the ...
and is thought to have been the burial place of King
Offa of Mercia Offa ( 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death in 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of ...
, who is remembered for building
Offa's Dyke Offa's Dyke () is a large linear Earthworks (Archaeology), earthwork that roughly follows the England–Wales border, border between England and Wales. The structure is named after Offa of Mercia, Offa, the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon king of Mer ...
on the Welsh border.
Bedford Castle Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I of England, Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly ex ...
was built by Henry I, although it was destroyed in 1224. Bedford was granted borough status in 1166 and has been represented in Parliament since 1265. It is known for its large population of Italian descent.


History

The name of the town is believed to derive from the name of a
Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
chief called Beda, and a ford crossing the
River Great Ouse The River Great Ouse ( ) is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the ...
. Bedford was a market town for the surrounding agricultural region from the early
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. The
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...
King
Offa of Mercia Offa ( 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death in 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of ...
was buried in the town in 796;Simon Keynes, "Cynethryth", in Lapidge, ''Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England'', p. 133. this is believed to be in his new minster, now the Church of St Paul, or on the banks of the Great Ouse where his tomb was soon lost to the river. In 886 it became a boundary town separating
Wessex The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Sa ...
and
Danelaw The Danelaw (, ; ; ) was the part of History of Anglo-Saxon England, England between the late ninth century and the Norman Conquest under Anglo-Saxon rule in which Danes (tribe), Danish laws applied. The Danelaw originated in the conquest and oc ...
. It was the seat of the Barony of Bedford. In 919
Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (870s?17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousi ...
built the town's first known fortress, on the south side of the River Great Ouse and there received the area's submission. This fortress was destroyed by the
Danes Danes (, ), or Danish people, are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. History Early history Denmark ...
. William II gave the barony of Bedford to Paine de Beauchamp, who built a new, strong castle. Bedford traces its borough charter in 1166 by
Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...
and elected two members to the
unreformed House of Commons The "unreformed House of Commons" is a name given to the House of Commons of Great Britain (after 1800 the House of Commons of the United Kingdom) before it was reformed by the Reform Act 1832, the Irish Reform Act 1832, and the Scottish Reform ...
. The new
Bedford Castle Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I of England, Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly ex ...
was razed in 1224 and today only a mound remains. From the 16th century Bedford and much of Bedfordshire became one of the main centres of England's lace industry, and
lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
continued to be an important industry in Bedford until the early 20th century. In 1660
John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...
was imprisoned for 12 years in Bedford Gaol. It was here that he wrote ''
The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early moder ...
''. The River Great Ouse became navigable as far as Bedford in 1689. Wool declined in importance with brewing becoming a major industry in the town. The 19th century saw Bedford transform into an important engineering hub. The northern part of the town was badly damaged in the Great Fire of Bedford in 1802, which destroyed 72 properties in the St Loyes area. 21 years later, the
Great Flood A flood myth or a deluge myth is a myth in which a great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities, destroys civilization, often in an act of divine retribution. Parallels are often drawn between the flood waters of these myths and the primeva ...
of Bedford swamped most of the town when the
River Great Ouse The River Great Ouse ( ) is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the ...
burst its banks. The former Phoenix public house in St Johns Street has a stone marker in its wall almost two metres above ground level, representing the maximum height of the floodwater in 1823. In 1832 gas lighting was introduced, and the railway reached Bedford in 1846. The first
corn exchange A corn exchange is a building where merchants trade grains. The word "corn" in British English denotes all cereal grains, such as wheat and barley; in the United States these buildings were called grain exchanges. Such trade was common in towns ...
was built 1849, and the first drains and sewers were dug in 1864. Bedford's first woman town councillor was Mary Milligan who, in 1919, was also the secretary of the local Women's Citizens League.


Governance

The contiguous Bedford built-up area forms the largest settlement in the wider
Borough of Bedford Bedford, or the Borough of Bedford, is a Districts of England, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It is administered by Bedford Borough Council, ...
. The borough council is led by a directly elected mayor who holds the title 'Mayor of Bedford', an office which was first held by Frank Branston, until his death in 2009. The current mayor of Bedford is Tom Wootton from the Conservative Party. The Bedford built-up area is divided into 10 wards for elections to the Borough Council: Brickhill,
Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
, Cauldwell, De Parys, Goldington, Harpur, Kingsbrook, Newnham, Putnoe, Queens Park, Kempston East and Kempston West. Within the Bedford urban area, only Brickhill, Biddenham and Kempston elect their own parish councils, while the rest (and majority) of the built-up area is unparished. Kempston is the only civil parish in both the built-up area and Borough of Bedford which has a
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...
. Bedford is served by Bedfordshire Police The Chief Constable since January 2023 is Trevor Rodenhurst. The elected Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner of that force is John Tizard. Bedford forms part of the Bedford constituency, represented in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
of the
United Kingdom Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...
. The current Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford is Mohammad Yasin, who is a member of the Labour Party.


Geography

Bedford is miles north-northwest of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, southeast of
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, west of
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
and east-southeast of
Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...
. The town of Kempston is part of Bedford's built-up area, as is the village of Biddenham. Other villages adjacent to, but outside of, the built-up area include Bromham,
Elstow Elstow is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, about south of Bedford town centre. History The Countess Judith of Lens, niece of William the Conqueror, founded a Benedictin ...
, Renhold and Ravensden. Wixams is a
new town New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...
which is being developed to the south of Bedford. Villages in the Borough of Bedford, outside of the built-up area, with populations of more than 2,000 (as of 2005) include
Clapham Clapham () is a district in south London, south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (including Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Ea ...
,
Elstow Elstow is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, about south of Bedford town centre. History The Countess Judith of Lens, niece of William the Conqueror, founded a Benedictin ...
, Oakley,
Sharnbrook Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, situated around north-west of Bedford town centre. The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred o ...
, Shortstown, Wilstead, and Wootton. There are also many smaller villages in the borough.


Climate

As with the rest of the United Kingdom, Bedford has a
maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring ...
, with a limited range of temperatures, and generally even rainfall throughout the year. The nearest
Met Office The Met Office, until November 2000 officially the Meteorological Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ...
weather station to Bedford is Bedford (Thurleigh) airport, about north of Bedford town centre at an elevation of . Temperature extremes at the site have ranged from in July 2022, down to in January 1982. However, such extremes would likely be superseded if longer-term records were available – Historically, the nearest weather station to Bedford was Cardington about south south east of the town centre with an elevation of . This location recorded a minimum of during January 1963. Rainfall averages around a year, with an excess of falling on 109 days. Sunshine at around 1,500 hours a year is typical of inland areas of southern-central England.


Demography

Bedford is home to one of the largest concentrations of Italian immigrants in the United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census, almost 30% of Bedford's population were of at least partial Italian descent. This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment in the early 1950s by the
London Brick Company The London Brick Company, owned by Forterra plc, is a leading United Kingdom, British manufacturer of bricks. History The London Brick Company owes its origins to John Cathles Hill, a developer-architect who built houses in London and Peterbo ...
from
Southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
. From 1954 to 2008 Bedford had its own Italian vice-consulate. In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also been the recipient of significant immigration from India (8.1% of Bedford's population; Indians began arriving from the late 1950s onwards from the
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
area, many of whom worked at the London Brick Company), Eastern Europe (particularly in the 2000s) and Scandinavia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, Malta, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Albania, Turkey, The Middle East, East Asia, South East Asia, Africa (3% of Bedford's population is of Sub-Saharan descenthttp://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/matt-kennard/inside-bedford-fragile-success-story-of-muliculturalism-home-of-yarls-wood inside-bedford-fragile-success-story-of-muliculturalism-home-of-yarls-wood), South America and the Caribbean, making it one of the most ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse towns in the United Kingdom outside of London in proportion to its size. At the 2011 Census, the ethnic mix of the Bedford urban area was 74.4% white, 4% mixed, 15% Asian or Asian-British, 5% Black or Black-British, and 1% "other ethnic group". In terms of national identity, just over 50% identified as English only, 24% as British only and 15% only as a non-UK identity; just over 8% had a "British and other" identity. In 2001, Bedford was 69% Christian, 24% Irreligious, 3% Muslim, and 2% Sikh. By 2021, Bedford was 48% Christian, 40% Irreligious, 7% Muslim, and 2% Sikh.


Landmarks

Bedford Park is the town's largest
urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...
and is located directly to the north of the town centre. The park retains many original features from its Victorian design and construction, including a
cricket pavilion A cricket pavilion is a pavilion at a cricket ground. It is the main building within which the players usually change in dressing rooms and which is the main location for watching the cricket match for members and others. Pavilions can vary from ...
and
bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamen ...
which are both still in use. Priory Country Park is a large
country park A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. United Kingdom History In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a specific meaning. There are around 250 designated c ...
located on the northern bank of the
River Great Ouse The River Great Ouse ( ) is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the ...
in eastern Bedford. Both parks have been awarded Green Flag status. Bedford's principal church is St Paul's, in the square of the same name at the historic centre of the town. It is the Civic Church of the Borough of Bedford and County of Bedfordshire and has a tall, iconic spire which is one of the dominant features of the town. There was an early Minster church on the site by 1066 and work on the present structure began in the early 13th century, but little remains from that period.
John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...
and
John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...
both preached in the church. In 1865–1868 the tower and spire were completely rebuilt and the two transepts added and lesser alterations have been made since. From 1941 to the end of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's daily service was broadcast from St Paul's. Another notable local church is St Peter's, on St Peter's Street, which contains some of the oldest architectural remains in Bedford, the most ancient being the two
monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous or metamorphic rock. Some monolit ...
s. St Paul's Church also hosts the town's Visitor Information Centre. Just outside the town lie the Cardington airship hangars. The hangars have been used to shoot scenes for movies such as ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'', ''
Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy), Bruce Wayne / B ...
'', ''
The Dark Knight ''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, from a screenplay co-written with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' (2005), and the second inst ...
'', and ''
Inception ''Inception'' is a 2010 science fiction action heist film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced it with Emma Thomas, his wife. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by inf ...
''. The hangars can be seen from the Bedford Bypass. Despite being far upriver from the sea, seals have occasionally been reported as swimming as far inland as Bedford. The Old Town Hall dates back to 1550 and the building was originally constructed as a school.


River Great Ouse

The
River Great Ouse The River Great Ouse ( ) is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the ...
passes through the town centre and is lined with gardens known as the Embankment. Within these gardens, opposite Rothsay Road, stands a war memorial to the men of the town killed in the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The memorial was designed in 1921 by the sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger and depicts the Anglo Saxon Lady Athelflaed, who ruled Mercia, killing a dragon. The inscription reads


Bedford Castle

Bedford Castle Mound is the remnant of Bedford's medieval
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
, located close to the centre of the modern town, less than a hundred yards from Bedford Bridge and the High Street. In around 2000, Bedford Borough Council built a sloping retaining wall on the south side, facing the river. Although almost completely modern, the wall does incorporate a few pieces of historic masonry. A paved path leads round the side of the mound up to the top, which is a flat circular grassy area. A small wooden structure of the same date at the top of the wall, much like a bus shelter, protects tourists from the rain while they view the river embankment.


Transport


Railway

There are two stations in Bedford. The main Bedford railway station is on the
Midland Main Line The Midland Main Line (MML), sometimes also spelt Midland Mainline, is a major Rail transport in Great Britain, railway line from London to Sheffield in Yorkshire via the East Midlands. It comprises the lines from London's St Pancras railway ...
, providing inter-city services to London St Pancras and the East Midlands, operated by
East Midlands Railway East Midlands Railway (EMR; legally Transport UK East Midlands Limited) is a British train operating company owned by Transport UK Group, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise. Originally owned by Abellio (transport compan ...
. Stopping services, operated by
Thameslink Thameslink is a mainline route on the British railway network, running from , , , , , and via central London to , , , Rainham, , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying more than ...
, run through London to
Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport , also known as London Gatwick Airport (), is the Airports of London, secondary international airport serving London, West Sussex and Surrey. It is located near Crawley in West Sussex, south of Central London. In 2024, Gatwic ...
and Brighton railway station, Brighton. Bedford's other lesser used station is Bedford St Johns railway station, Bedford St John's which in on the Marston Vale line, Marston Vale Line. Services are operated by West Midlands Trains, London North Western Railway and run between Bletchley railway station, Bletchley and Bedford railway station, Bedford's main station.


Road

Road access to and from the town is provided by the A6 road (England), A6 and A421 road (Great Britain), A421 roads; the former connects the town with Kettering to the north-west, and Luton to the south, whilst the latter connects the town with Milton Keynes and the M1 motorway, M1 (at Junction 13) to the west, and the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 to the east (near St Neots) via a bypass, with both being around away. Other roads that serve or skirt the town include the A422 road, A422, which runs westwards into Milton Keynes (also connecting to the M1 at Junction 14 via the A509 road, A509), and the A428 road, A428, which runs between Coventry and
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
. The new Greyfriars surface car park and the refurbished Allhallows multi-storey car park both implement a pay on foot system. Greyfriars occupies 142 parking spaces, including 7 designated disabled spaces, although there is a 2-hour per day parking limit.


Buses

Bedford bus station serves the town and was reopened on 29 March 2015, after undergoing £8.8million regeneration which began in 2013. The main operators in and around the town are Stagecoach East and Stagecoach Midlands.


Education

Bedford Borough previously operated a three-tier education system, which was arranged into Lower school, lower, Middle school, middle and upper schools, as recommended in the Plowden Report of 1967. The arrangement was put to the vote in 2006 with a view to moving to the two-tier model, but was rejected. On 17 November 2009, borough councillors voted 19 to 17 in favour of a two tier system, which would then be phased in. However, following the defeat of the Labour Government in 2010, the new coalition government announced that the funding necessary for the switch to a two-tier system would no longer be available. As a result, the switch proceeded on a school by school basis as national funding was due to cover most of the cost. However, in July 2015, the council announced the intention to support the transition to a system of two tier education across the whole borough in a coordinated way. At the time, only the Wootton cluster of schools chose not to transition. As of September 2018, all of the borough's schools have converted to two-tier. The secondary schools currently operating in the borough are Bedford Academy, Bedford Free School, Biddenham International School and Sports College, Biddenham International School, Castle Newnham School, Goldington Academy, Mark Rutherford School and St Thomas More Catholic School, Bedford, St Thomas More Catholic School. Bedford is home to four private schools run by the Harpur Trust charity, endowed by Bedfordian William Harpur, Sir William Harpur in the 16th century. These are: * Bedford School for boys aged 7–18 * Bedford Modern School, a former boys' school which became co-educational in 2003 for pupils aged 7–18 * Bedford Girls' School for girls aged 7–18. (Merged September 2012 – Formerly Bedford High School for Girls and Dame Alice Harpur School) * Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School Smaller private institutions include Bedford Greenacre Independent School (boys and girls aged 3–18), and Polam School (boys and girls aged 12 months to 9 years), neither of which are part of the Harpur Trust. Bedford hosts a campus of the University of Bedfordshire, which prior to a merger with the University of Luton in 2006 had been a campus of De Montfort University (itself now solely based in Leicester). For further education, the town is served by Bedford College, Bedford, Bedford College and The Bedford Sixth Form. Additionally, Stella Mann College of Performing Arts, Stella Mann College is a private college, which offers a range of further education courses relating to the performing arts.


Religious sites

The town has a high number of places of worship, including the Civic and County Church of St Paul's and the Church of St. Peter's Church, Bedford, St Peter's. There are three from the Newfrontiers network, as well as Polish, Arab, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian Roman Catholic churches, Latter Day Saint, LDS (Mormon) meeting houses, Church of Greece, Greek, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian and other Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox churches, Presbyterianism, Presbyterian churches, Lutheranism, Lutheran churches, Baptists, Baptist churches, Evangelical churches, The United Methodist Church, Methodist churches, Protestant churches, Church of England, Anglican churches and various independent churches and other places of worship that cater to the different ethnic, racial, and language groups. There are four Islamic mosques in the town. There are also Buddhist and Hindu temples in the town. Bedford has the largest Sikhism, Sikh gurdwara in the United Kingdom outside London, alongside two other Sikh gurdwaras; one of which is in Kempston. Bedford has Guru Ravidass and Balmiki sect, Valmiki temples. There are Quaker, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jehovah's Witness and Wiccan communities who meet and have their own places of worship in the town. There is no longer a synagogue in Bedford, but Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue, based in Luton, meets in Bedford once a month for the town's Jewish community. The nearest Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox synagogue is the Luton United Synagogue, a Lubavitch synagogue in Luton. Bedford is the former headquarters of the Panacea Society, founded in 1919, who believed that the town would have an important role in the Second Coming of Jesus, Jesus Christ, and that Bedford was the original location of the Garden of Eden.


Culture

The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford is housed in the recreated Victorian home of the Higgins family of Victorian era, Victorian brewers and in a modern extension. The museum has local history collections, while the galleries have notable collections of watercolours, prints and drawings, ceramics, glass and lace. Bedford contains several works of public art, most notably the Statue of John Bunyan, the Statue of John Howard, Bedford, Statue of John Howard, and Reflections of Bedford, a statue by British sculptor Rick Kirby. The Panacea Museum tells the story of the Panacea Society, a religious community formed in the early twentieth century. The Corn Exchange, Bedford, Bedford Corn Exchange is the largest entertainment venue in the town and plays host to a variety of performances, meetings, conferences, concerts and private functions. The venue has been host to many great entertainers such as Glenn Miller and Bob Hope. The University of Bedfordshire Theatre is the largest theatre in Bedford and hosts many larger productions as well as projects from the university. There is an active amdram (community theatre) scene, with groups such as the Swan Theatre Company, Bedford Drama Company (formerly Bedford Dramatic Club), Bedford Marianettes and ShowCo Bedford producing plays and musicals in venues like the Place Theatre and the Corn Exchange. The Bedford Pantomime Company produces a traditional pantomime at the Bedford Corn Exchange each Christmas. Esquires (one of the town's premier live music venues) regularly plays host to many notable bands and acts from all over the United Kingdom as well as showcasing local live music. Every two years, an event called the "Bedford River Festival" is held near the river in Bedford during early July. The event lasts for two days and regularly attracts about 250,000 visitors. The event includes sports, funfairs and live music. It is the second-largest regular outdoor event in the United Kingdom, beaten in numbers only by the Notting Hill Carnival. The Bedford Regatta each May is Britain's largest one-day river rowing regatta. Other annual events include "Bedford by the Sea" (when large quantities of sand are deposited in the town centre), the "Bedford International Kite Festival" and "Bedford Festival of Motoring" in June. "Proms in the Park", held in early August, is a popular musical event. Bedford's special brand of the ordinary has resulted in regular small TV and radio appearances, for instance the upbeat episode of ''Mark Steel's in Town'', contrasting with the less enthusiastic treatment in ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert''. The "Bedford of Bedfordshire's Community Calendar" segment of this US show featured Bedford-bred John Oliver.


Tourism

In December 2023, Universal Destinations & Experiences announced that it had purchased 480 acres (later expanded to around 700 acres) of land on a former brickworks site near Stewartby, on the outskirts of Bedford, with the company exploring the possibility of building a theme park and resort in the area, citing Bedford's proximity to London and Luton Airport. In 2024, Universal Studios Great Britain was announced to be in the planning and approval phases, with construction potentially beginning as early as January 2025, and the park itself slated for completion around 2030.


New technologies

Following successful rollouts of autonomous delivery robots in nearby Milton Keynes, Northampton and Cambridgeshire by Starship Technologies, in July 2022, the company announced a partnership with Bedford Borough Council and The Co-operative Group to rollout the autonomous robots in the Bedford built-up area, delivering from three Co-op stores in Goldington, Queens Drive and Kempston, an area spanning 45,000 residents and 20,000 households.


Media


Television

Local news and televisions programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia from the Sandy Heath transmitting station, Sandy Heath TV transmitter.


Radio

Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio on 95.5 FM, Heart East on 96.9 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts on 96.2 FM, In2beats on 106.5 FM and Bedford Radio which is the local radio station.


Newspaper

The town has two local newspapers, the Times & Citizen and the Bedford Independent, with both being distributed freely across the Borough of Bedford and neighboring settlements within Central Bedfordshire.


Sport

There is a long-standing sporting heritage in the Bedford borough with long-established rugby and football clubs. The town has four rugby union teams called Bedford Blues, Bedford Queens, Bedford Swifts and Bedford Athletic. Since 2004, Bedford also has a rugby league team, Bedford Tigers, who compete one tier below the National Conference League, National Conference. Taking into account the size of its overall urban area, Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a fully professional association football, football team. Bedford Town F.C. currently plays at the seventh level of the English football league system and Real Bedford F.C. play at the eighth level. Rowing is also a major part of the sports scene with a number of regatta events hosted throughout the year from February to October; the most significant of these being Bedford Regatta which, in terms of numbers of crews participating, is the second largest in the country. It was on Bedford's River Great Ouse that Olympic rower, Tim Foster, honed his skills as a student of Bedford Modern and member of star club; indeed the borough has produced many other champions of sport past and present including Stephanie Cook, Gail Emms, Liz Yelling and Paula Radcliffe who is Life Vice-President of Bedford & County Athletic Club Viking Kayak Club organise the Bedford Kayak Marathon with canoe racing held along the Embankment on Bedford's riverside and organise national ranking canoe slalom events at the Cardington Artificial Slalom Course (CASC), which was the first artificial whitewater course in the United Kingdom. CASC is also the venue each year for the United Kingdom's National Inter Clubs Slalom Finals, the largest canoe slalom event by participation in the United Kingdom. Etienne Stott – 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist's Club. Bedford Borough was a major host of national teams preparing for the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics, Paralympics. The Maldives Olympic Committee, Maldives National Olympic Committee based its competing athletes in the borough, while Paralympic athletes from Angola at the Paralympics, Angola, the Central African Republic at the Paralympics, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Gambia at the Olympics#Paralympics, Gambia, Ghana at the Paralympics, Ghana, Ivory Coast at the Paralympics, Ivory Coast, Jamaica at the Paralympics, Jamaica, Lesotho at the Paralympics, Lesotho, Morocco at the Paralympics, Morocco, Niger at the Paralympics, Niger, Pakistan at the Paralympics, Pakistan, Senegal at the Paralympics, Senegal, Tunisia at the Paralympics, Tunisia and Uganda at the Paralympics, Uganda were also based in the area. With the exception of Weymouth, Dorset, Weymouth (which hosted various sailing events), Bedford Borough accommodated more Olympic teams in 2012 than any other local authority area in the United Kingdom.


Filmography

* The popular BBC Television, BBC TV series ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' was filmed in and around Bedford during the 1970s. * A 2017 feature on ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' called "Bedford of Bedfordshire's Community Calendar", in which John Oliver, who grew up in Bedford, described the town as 'scrappy'. The segment featured the Shuttleworth Collection, the Forest of Marston Vale, the Place Theatre, the Bedford Corn Exchange and local bookshop Rogan's Books, among others.


Public services

Bedford Hospital is a district general hospital that operates from two sites in the town, providing a wide range of services, although patients requiring advanced health services are referred to specialist units elsewhere, particularly Addenbrooke's Hospital in
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, which has a partnership with Bedford Hospital. Bedford Hospital's catchment area is based on the Borough of Bedford and parts of Central Bedfordshire. Bedfordshire Police is responsible for policing in Bedford, and operates a main police station in the town centre. Fire and rescue services in Bedford are coordinated by the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Bedford's fire station is in the Newnham, Bedford, Newnham area of the town and is staffed 24 hours a day.


Notable people


Gallery

File:Bedford - John Speed's map (1611).jpg, Bedford in 1611 File:Bedford Bridge from Antiquities of England by (1783) by Francis Grose.jpg, Bedford Bridge in 1783. This version of the bridge was replaced in 1813. File:Bedford engraved by J.Roper after G.Cole published 1806.jpg, Bedford in 1806 File:BedfordCastleNight.jpg, Bedford Castle, Bedford Castle Hill


See also

* Transport in Bedford * Healthcare in Bedfordshire * List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom


Notes


References


External links

https://www.bedford.gov.uk/ {{Authority control Bedford, Towns in Bedfordshire County towns in England Market towns in Bedfordshire Populated places on the River Great Ouse Unparished areas in Bedfordshire Former civil parishes in Bedfordshire