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Bedford

Coordinates:52°08′06″N0°28′12″W/ 52.135°N 0.470°W/52.135; -0.470
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This article is about the town in England. For other uses, seeBedford (disambiguation).

Bedford
Town
Clockwise from the top left:Bedford CastleMound, Westbourne Road Mosque in theQueens Park area,Shire Hall,Bedford Town Bridge, Priory Lake,St Paul's Churchand Britannia Iron Works former entrance
Bedford is located in the United Kingdom
Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is located in England
Bedford
Bedford
Location withinBedfordshire
Bedford is located in Bedfordshire
Bedford
Bedford
Bedford (Bedfordshire)
Population106,940 (2011 built-up area includingBiddenhamandKempston)[1]
OS grid referenceTL055495
•London46 miles (74 km)S
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBedford
Postcode districtMK40–MK45
Dialling code01234
PoliceBedfordshire
FireBedfordshire and Luton
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Bedfordshire
52°08′06″N0°28′12″W/ 52.135°N 0.470°W/52.135; -0.470

Bedfordis amarket towninBedfordshire,England. At the 2011 Census, the population of its urban area (as defined by theOffice for National Statistics), includingKempstonandBiddenham,was 106,940.[1][a]Bedford is also the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of theBorough of Bedford,aunitary authoritythat includes a significant rural area.

Bedford was founded at afordon theRiver Great Ouseand is thought to have been the burial place of KingOffa of Mercia,who is remembered for buildingOffa's Dykeon the Welsh border.Bedford Castlewas built byHenry 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 largepopulation of Italian descent.[3]

History

[edit]
See also:History of Bedfordshire

The name of the town is believed to derive from the name of aSaxonchief called Beda,[4]and afordcrossing theRiver Great Ouse.Bedford was a market town for the surrounding agricultural region from the earlyMiddle Ages.[citation needed]TheAnglo-SaxonKingOffa of Merciawas buried in the town in 796;[5]this is believed to be in his new minster, now the Church of St Paul,[6]or on the banks of the Great Ouse where his tomb was soon lost to the river.[7][better source needed]In 886 it became a boundary town separatingWessexandDanelaw.[8][9]It was the seat of theBarony of Bedford.In 919Edward the Elderbuilt 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 theDanes.William IIgave the barony of Bedford to Paine de Beauchamp, who built a new, strong castle.

Bedford traces its borough charter in 1166 byHenry II[10]and elected two members to theunreformed House of Commons.The newBedford Castlewas 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, andlacecontinued to be an important industry in Bedford until the early 20th century. In 1660John Bunyanwas imprisoned for 12 years inBedford Gaol.It was here that he wroteThe Pilgrim's Progress.[11]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.[12][13]21 years later, theGreat Floodof Bedford swamped most of the town when theRiver Great Ouseburst 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.[14]In 1832 gas lighting was introduced, and the railway reached Bedford in 1846. The firstcorn exchangewas built 1849,[15]and the first drains and sewers were dug in 1864.[16]

Bedford's first woman town councillor was Mary Milligan who, in 1919, was also the secretary of the local Women's Citizens League.[17][18]

Governance

[edit]
Old Town Hall, Bedford

The contiguous Bedford built-up area forms the largest settlement in the widerBorough of Bedford.The borough council is led by adirectly elected mayorwho holds the title 'Mayor of Bedford', an office which was first held byFrank Branston,until his death in 2009. The current mayor of Bedford is Tom Wootton[19]from theConservative Party.

The Bedford built-up area is divided into 10wardsfor elections to the Borough Council:[20]Brickhill,Castle,Cauldwell,De Parys,Goldington,Harpur,Kingsbrook,Newnham,Putnoe,Queens Park,Kempston EastandKempston West.Within the Bedford urban area, only Brickhill,[21]Biddenham[22]and Kempston[23]elect their ownparish 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 atown council.

Bedford is served byBedfordshire Police.TheBedfordshire Police and Crime Commissionerof that force isJohn Tizard.[24][25]

Bedford forms part of theBedford constituency,represented in theHouse of Commonsof theUnited Kingdom Parliament.The current Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford isMohammad Yasin,who is a member of theLabour Party.

Geography

[edit]

Bedford is 46 miles (74 km) miles north-northwest ofLondon,65 miles (105 km) southeast ofBirmingham,25 miles (40 km) west ofCambridgeand 19 miles (31 km) east-southeast ofNorthampton. 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 includeBromham,Elstow,RenholdandRavensden.Wixamsis anew townwhich 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) includeClapham,Elstow,Oakley,Sharnbrook,Shortstown,Wilstead,andWootton.There are also many smaller villages in the borough.

River Great Ouseat Town Bridge, Bedford looking towards St Paul's Church and the Swan Hotel.

Climate

[edit]

As with the rest of the United Kingdom, Bedford has amaritime climate,with a limited range of temperatures, and generally even rainfall throughout the year. The nearestMet Officeweather station to Bedford is Bedford (Thurleigh) airport, about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north of Bedford town centre at an elevation of 85 metres (279 ft). Temperature extremes at the site have ranged from 39.5 °C (103.1 °F)[26]in July 2022, down to −15.3 °C (4.5 °F)[27]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 2.4 miles (3.9 km) south south east of the town centre with an elevation of 30 metres (98 ft). This location recorded a minimum of −18.3 °C (−0.9 °F)[28]during January 1963.

Rainfall averages around 585 mm (23.0 in) a year, with an excess of 1 mm (0.04 in) falling on 109 days.

Sunshine at around 1,500 hours a year is typical of inland areas of southern-central England.

Climate data for Bedford (1991–2020 averages), extremes (1980-)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.8
(58.6) 		18.6
(65.5) 		22.4
(72.3) 		27.7
(81.9) 		28.6
(83.5) 		31.3
(88.3) 		39.5
(103.1) 		35.9
(96.6) 		32.1
(89.8) 		28.1
(82.6) 		17.6
(63.7) 		15.7
(60.3) 		39.5
(103.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.3
(45.1) 		8.0
(46.4) 		10.6
(51.1) 		13.7
(56.7) 		16.7
(62.1) 		19.8
(67.6) 		22.4
(72.3) 		22.2
(72.0) 		19.0
(66.2) 		14.7
(58.5) 		10.2
(50.4) 		7.5
(45.5) 		14.4
(57.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.5
(34.7) 		1.5
(34.7) 		2.8
(37.0) 		4.5
(40.1) 		7.3
(45.1) 		10.2
(50.4) 		12.3
(54.1) 		12.3
(54.1) 		10.2
(50.4) 		7.5
(45.5) 		4.2
(39.6) 		1.9
(35.4) 		6.4
(43.5)
Record low °C (°F) −15.3
(4.5) 		−12.3
(9.9) 		−6.9
(19.6) 		−5.7
(21.7) 		−2.1
(28.2) 		2.1
(35.8) 		4.9
(40.8) 		5.0
(41.0) 		2.0
(35.6) 		−3.7
(25.3) 		−7.9
(17.8) 		−15.0
(5.0) 		−15.3
(4.5)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 52.4
(2.06) 		40.1
(1.58) 		37.3
(1.47) 		44.3
(1.74) 		47.0
(1.85) 		50.3
(1.98) 		51.2
(2.02) 		58.7
(2.31) 		50.0
(1.97) 		65.3
(2.57) 		56.9
(2.24) 		55.2
(2.17) 		608.6
(23.96)
Mean monthlysunshine hours 62.8 84.7 117.5 157.8 195.0 189.0 200.6 184.8 143.5 107.6 66.6 58.5 1,568.3
Source:[29]

Demography

[edit]
Population pyramid in 2021

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 theLondon Brick CompanyfromSouthern Italy.[30]From 1954 to 2008 Bedford had its own Italianvice-consulate.[31]

In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also been the recipient of significant immigration from India (8.1% of Bedford's population;[32][failed verification]Indians began arriving from the late 1950s onwards from thePunjabarea & many 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 descent[32][failed verification][33][failed verification]), 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.[34]

At the 2011 Census, the ethnic mix of the Bedford urban area was 74.4% white, 4% mixed, 15% Asian/Asian British, 5% Black/African/Caribbean/Black British, and 1% "other ethnic group".[1]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.[1]

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.

Religious groups in Bedford (2001−2021)
Religious group 2021[35] 2011[36] 2001[37]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Christian 88,178 47.61% 93,346 59.28% 101,720 68.77%
Muslim 13,059 7.05% 8,610 5.47% 4,803 3.25%
Sikh 4,114 2.22% 3,336 2.12% 2,740 1.85%
Hindu 3,045 1.64% 2,420 1.54% 2,567 1.74%
Buddhist 629 0.34% 509 0.32% 355 0.24%
Jewish 232 0.13% 171 0.11% 180 0.12%
Other religion 2,014 1.09% 1,506 0.96% 432 0.29%
Irreligious 73,954 39.93% 47,581 30.21% 35,114 23.74%
Total responses 185,225 100% 157,479 100% 147,911 100%

Landmarks

[edit]
St Paul's Church

Bedford Parkis the town's largesturban parkand is located directly to the north of the town centre. The park retains many original features from its Victorian design and construction, including acricket pavilionandbandstandwhich are both still in use.Priory Country Parkis a largecountry parklocated on the northern bank of theRiver Great Ousein eastern Bedford. Both parks have been awardedGreen Flag status.

Bedford's principal church isSt 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 BunyanandJohn Wesleyboth 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 theSecond World WartheBBC's daily service was broadcast from St Paul's.[38]Another notable local church isSt Peter's,on St Peter's Street, which contains some of the oldest architectural remains in Bedford, the most ancient being the twomonoliths.St Paul's Church also hosts the town's Visitor Information Centre.[39]

Just outside the town lie theCardingtonairship hangars.The hangars have been used to shoot scenes for movies such asStar Wars,Batman Begins,The Dark Knight,[40]andInception.[41]The hangars can be seen from theBedford Bypass.

Despite being far upriver from the sea, seals have occasionally been reported as swimming as far inland as Bedford.[42][43][44]

TheOld Town Halldates back to 1550 and the building was originally constructed as a school.[45]

A panoramic view looking over a town.
View of the Bedford skyline, taken fromRenholdin 2013

River Great Ouse

[edit]
Bedford War Memorial

TheRiver Great Ousepasses 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 theFirst World War.The memorial was designed in 1921 by the sculptorCharles Sargeant Jaggerand depicts the Anglo Saxon Lady Athelflaed, who ruled Mercia, killing a dragon.[46]The inscription reads

1914 † 1919
TO BEDFORDIANS WHO DIED, MANY IN EARLY YOUTH, SOME FULL OF YEARS AND HONOUR, BUT WHO ALL ALIKE GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY.

Bedford Castle

[edit]

Bedford Castle Moundis the remnant of Bedford's medievalcastle,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

[edit]
Main article:Transport in Bedford

Railway

[edit]

There are two stations in Bedford. The mainBedford railway stationis on theMidland Main Line,providing inter-city services toLondon St Pancrasand the East Midlands, operated byEast Midlands Railway.Stopping services, operated byThameslink,run through London toGatwick AirportandBrighton.Bedford's other lesser used station isBedford St John'swhich in on theMarston Vale Line.Services are operated byLondon North Western Railwayand run betweenBletchleyandBedford's main station.

Road

[edit]

Road access to and from the town is provided by theA6andA421roads; the former connects the town withKetteringto the north-west, and Luton to the south, whilst the latter connects the town with Milton Keynes and theM1(at Junction 13) to the west, and theA1to the east (nearSt Neots) via a bypass, with both being around 10 miles (16 km) away. Other roads that serve or skirt the town include theA422,which runs westwards into Milton Keynes (also connecting to the M1 at Junction 14 via theA509), and theA428,which runs betweenCoventryandCambridge.

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.[47]

Buses

[edit]
Bedford bus stationin July 2007

Bedford bus stationserves 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 areStagecoach EastandStagecoach Midlands.[48]

Education

[edit]
See also:List of schools in Bedford

Bedford Borough previously operated athree-tier educationsystem, which was arranged intolower,middleandupper schools,as recommended in thePlowden Reportof 1967. The arrangement was put to the vote in 2006 with a view to moving to the two-tier model, but was rejected.[49]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. Thesecondary schoolscurrently operating in the borough areBedford Academy,Bedford Free School,Biddenham International School,Castle Newnham School,Goldington Academy,Mark Rutherford SchoolandSt Thomas More Catholic School.

Bedford is home to four private schools run by theHarpur Trustcharity, endowed by BedfordianSir William Harpurin the 16th century. These are:

  • Bedford Schoolfor boys aged 7–18
  • Bedford Modern School,a former boys' school which became co-educational in 2003 for pupils aged 7–18
  • Bedford Girls' Schoolfor 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 includeBedford 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 theUniversity of Bedfordshire,which prior to a merger with the University ofLutonin 2006 had been a campus ofDe Montfort University(itself now solely based inLeicester). For further education, the town is served byBedford CollegeandThe Bedford Sixth Form.Additionally,Stella Mann Collegeis a private college, which offers a range of further education courses relating to theperforming arts.

Religious sites

[edit]
The Guru NanakGurdwarainQueens Park

The town has a high number of places of worship, including the Civic and County Church ofSt Paul'sand the Church ofSt Peter's.There are three from theNewfrontiersnetwork, as well as Polish, Arab, Portuguese, Spanish and ItalianRoman Catholicchurches,LDS(Mormon) meeting houses,Greek,Russianand otherOrthodoxchurches,Presbyterianchurches,Lutheranchurches,Baptistchurches,Evangelicalchurches,Methodistchurches,Protestantchurches,Anglicanchurches and various independent churches and other places of worship that cater to the different ethnic, racial, and language groups. There are fourIslamicmosques in the town. There are alsoBuddhistandHindutemples in the town.[citation needed]

Bedford has the largestSikhgurdwarain the United Kingdom outside London, alongside two other Sikh gurdwaras; one of which is in Kempston. Bedford hasGuru RavidassandValmikitemples.

There areQuaker,Jehovah's WitnessandWiccancommunities who meet and have their own places of worship in the town.[citation needed]There is no longer a synagogue in Bedford, but Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue,[50]based inLuton,meets in Bedford once a month for the town's Jewish community. The nearestOrthodoxsynagogue is the Luton United Synagogue, aLubavitchsynagogue in Luton.[51]Bedford is the former headquarters of thePanacea Society,founded in 1919, who believed that the town would have an important role in theSecond ComingofJesus Christ,and that Bedford was the original location of theGarden of Eden.[52]

Culture

[edit]
Bedford Corn Exchange

The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum,Bedford is housed in the recreated Victorian home of the Higgins family ofVictorianbrewers 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 ofpublic art,most notably theStatue of John Bunyan,theStatue of John Howard,[53]andReflections of Bedford,a statue by British sculptorRick Kirby.[54]

The Panacea Museum tells the story of thePanacea Society,a religious community formed in the early twentieth century.

TheBedford Corn Exchangeis 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 asGlenn MillerandBob Hope.

TheUniversity of Bedfordshire Theatreis the largest theatre in Bedford and hosts many larger productions as well as projects from the university. There is an activeamdram(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.[55]

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 theNotting Hill Carnival.[56]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.[57]"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 ofMark Steel's in Town,[58]contrasting with the less enthusiastic treatment inThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.The "Bedford of Bedfordshire's Community Calendar" segment of this US show featured Bedford-bornJohn Oliver.[59]

Tourism

[edit]

In December 2023,Universal Destinations & Experiencesannounced that it had purchased 480 acres (later expanded to around 700 acres) of land on a former brickworks site nearStewartby,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.[60]

In 2024,Universal Studios United Kingdomwas 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.[61][62]

New technologies

[edit]

Following successful rollouts of autonomous delivery robots in nearby Milton Keynes, Northampton andCambridgeshirebyStarship Technologies,in July 2022, the company announced a partnership with Bedford Borough Council andThe Co-operative Groupto 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.[63]

Media

[edit]

Television

[edit]

Local news and televisions programmes are provided byBBC EastandITV Angliafrom theSandy HeathTV transmitter.

Radio

[edit]

Local radio stations areBBC Three Counties Radioon 95.5 FM,Heart Easton 96.9 FM,Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Hertson 96.2 FM,In2beatson 106.5 FM and Bedford Radio which is the local radio station.[64]

Newspaper

[edit]

The town has two local newspapers, theTimes & Citizen[65]and theBedford Independent,[66]with both being distributed freely across the Borough of Bedford and neighboring settlements within Central Bedfordshire.

Sport

[edit]
See also:Sport in Bedfordshire

There is a long-standing sporting heritage in the Bedford borough with long-established rugby and football clubs. The town has fourrugby unionteams calledBedford Blues,Bedford Queens, Bedford Swifts andBedford Athletic.Since 2004, Bedford also has arugby leagueteam,Bedford Tigers,who compete one tier below theNational Conference.

Taking into account the size of its overall urban area, Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a fully professionalfootballteam.Bedford Town F.C.currently plays at the seventh level of theEnglish football league systemandReal Bedford F.C.play at the eighth level.

Bedford Rowing Clubboathouse

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 includingStephanie Cook,Gail Emms,Liz YellingandPaula Radcliffewho is Life Vice-President of Bedford & County Athletic Club

Viking Kayak Cluborganise the Bedford Kayak Marathon withcanoe racingheld along the Embankment on Bedford's riverside and organise national rankingcanoe slalomevents at theCardington Artificial Slalom Course(CASC), which was the firstartificial whitewatercourse 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 the2012 Summer OlympicsandParalympics.TheMaldives National Olympic Committeebased its competing athletes in the borough, while Paralympic athletes fromAngola,theCentral African Republic,Democratic Republic of the Congo,theGambia,Ghana,Ivory Coast,Jamaica,Lesotho,Morocco,Niger,Pakistan,Senegal,TunisiaandUgandawere also based in the area. With the exception ofWeymouth(which hosted various sailing events), Bedford Borough accommodated more Olympic teams in 2012 than any other local authority area in the United Kingdom.[67]

Filmography

[edit]

Public services

[edit]
Bedford Hospital

Bedford Hospitalis 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, particularlyAddenbrooke's HospitalinCambridge,which has a partnership with Bedford Hospital. Bedford Hospital's catchment area is based on the Borough of Bedford and parts ofCentral Bedfordshire.

Bedfordshire Policeis responsible for policing in Bedford, and operates a main police station in the town centre. Fire and rescue services in Bedford are coordinated by theBedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.Bedford'sfire stationis in theNewnhamarea of the town, and is staffed 24 hours a day.

Notable people

[edit]
Main articles:List of people from Bedford, United Kingdom;List of people educated at Bedford School;andList of Old Bedford Modernians
[edit]
  • Bedford in 1611
    Bedford in 1611
  • Bedford Bridge in 1783. This version of the bridge was replaced in 1813.
    Bedford Bridge in 1783. This version of the bridge was replaced in 1813.
  • Bedford in 1806
    Bedford in 1806
  • Bedford Castle Hill
    Bedford Castle Hill

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^TheOffice for National Statisticsalso defined a "Bedford built-up area subdivision": the Bedford built-up area minus Kempston. Its population at the 2011 census was 87,590.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdUK Census(2011)."Local Area Report – Bedford Built-up Area (E34004993)".Nomis.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved26 July2019.
  2. ^UK Census(2011)."Local Area Report – Bedford Built-up area sub division (E35001257)".Nomis.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved6 September2023.
  3. ^The Guardian (23 January 2006)."Italians in Bedford".TheGuardian.
  4. ^"Brief History of Bedford".Bedford Borough Council. Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2015.Retrieved29 March2011.
  5. ^Simon Keynes, "Cynethryth", in Lapidge,Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England,p. 133.
  6. ^Haslam, Jeremy (1986)."The Ecclesiastical Topography of Early Medieval Bedford"(PDF).Bedfordshire Archaeology.17:41–2, 46, 48.Open access icon
  7. ^"King Offa's tomb".wordpress.4 August 2014.Retrieved29 December2016.
  8. ^"Bedford Timeline, Earliest Times – 1800".Bedfordshire Libraries. Archived fromthe originalon 1 December 2008.Retrieved10 February2008.
  9. ^Whitelock, Dorothy (1979). Douglas, David C. (ed.).English Historical Documents c. 500–1042(2nd ed.). Routledge.ISBN9780415143660.Retrieved10 February2008.
  10. ^"Brief History of Bedford".Bedford Borough Council. Archived fromthe originalon 16 July 2011.Retrieved10 February2008.
  11. ^"John Bunyan (1628–1688)".The Bunyan Press. Archived fromthe originalon 26 July 2007.Retrieved10 February2008.
  12. ^Heritage gateway
  13. ^Secret Bedford, page 21
  14. ^Great Flood marker
  15. ^"1849 & Friday 1 March 1850".Bedford Corn Exchange.Retrieved10 February2008.
  16. ^"Bedford Borough records introduction".Bedfordshire County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 27 August 2008.Retrieved10 February2008.
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