Bedford
Bedford, England, is a delightful, cosmopolitan market town of about
158,000 in the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc just an hour north
of London.
Located on the Great River Ouse, Bedford offers many great opportunities
to stroll along the river, visit magnificent parks, shop in pedestrian
friendly, downtown, while never being far from the many Bedfordshire
country walks and local attractions.
Please use our website drop-down menu to find maps and links to many
sport and attraction options.
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.
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.
