Bedford
The
delightful county town of Bedford, England is situated at the heart of
the Oxford-Cambridge Arc just an hour north of London. Located on the
Great River Ouse and surrounded by the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside,
this very cosmopolitan market town of about 158,000 residents has much
to offer visitors and those fortunate enough to live here.
Walking in Bedfordshire
If you like to walk you are sure to enjoy your time in Bedford. The
river valley, parkland and surrounding countryside offer a wealth of
walking opportunities from the very short to the 37 mile Three
Shires Way bridleway.
On the top of each page you will discover links to online resources
for guided
walks, The
Ouse Valley Way and much more.
Bedford
truly is a Traditional Market Town
Bedford’s twice-weekly Charter Market literally put the town on
the map when King Henry II granted the charter in 1166 allowing Bedfordians
to hold their own market.
Other than for a brief spell in the last century, St. Paul's Square
has been home to the traditional Bedford market since the 1500s. The
present day market is now hosted by Harpur Square as well as St. Paul's.
Today Bedford offers a mix of mall and traditional street shopping including
specialty street markets.
Speciality Markets
Bedford now has a number of specialty markets: a Gourmet
Food Market on Thursdays, a monthly Framers
Market on the 2nd Thursday of the month, the Friday Flower
and Plant Market and a monthly Antiques,
Arts, Crafts and Collectors Fair on Thursdays. These take place
on Harpur Square with the Antiques Fair also using the lovely Harpur
Suite.
Shopping
Downtown Bedford is home to about 300 shops with many of England's favourite
shops on High Street. Most of the downtown shops are located in pedestrian
zones. Harpur Centre is an attractive mall with 30 shops, the Boulevards
is a haven for browsers looking for small shops selling specialty items
with everything from chocolate to musical instruments. Read more...
Eating Out
Bedford offers a great number of dining opportunities ranging from fast
food, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, fish and chips and more...
Summer Street
Entertainment
Professional clowns, jugglers and street theatre performances add to
the enjoyment of this vibrant downtown.
Embankment
Gardens
The magnificent Embankment Gardens and immaculate parks are a great
place to relax or enjoy a meal and a drink at one of the riverside restaurants.
There are also opportunities to participate or watch the many local
water sports. There is no better place to enjoy a romantic stroll when
the riverside illuminations are switched on at dusk.
Crews from local schools and clubs can often be seen rowing on the
river, which hosts the Bedford
Regatta in May.
The 144th annual regatta will be held on May 10th 2008.
Priory Country Park
This 300 acre park includes wildflower meadows, two lakes, riverside,
trees, nature trails, a visitor centre, toilets and free parking, all
within one mile of the town centre. You can learn about the park's flora
and fauna by visiting their website.
Bedford
Park
This park is part of the Bedford's Victorian legacy, and with its formal
gardens, carriage circuit and lake provide the perfect place in which
to take the air.
Tourism Leaflets
Bedford Borough Council have done a wonderful job of providing online
and pdf resources that will help you discover much more about this delightful
community. Here are a number you can download from this site: Bedford
A Place for Parks, Where
to go and what to see, John
Bunyan, Lace
Making, Guided
Walks and Glenn
Miller.
Bedford Online Resources
For information on local street markets, attractions and recreational
opportunities please use the drop-down menu on this website.
Shop
Online for locally produced items.
Bookings: Call 01234
353844 or write to Mervyn@bedfordbedandbreakfast.com
