Bedford
Bedford is the historic county town of Bedfordshire, a pleasant riverside market town in which the River Great Ouse is a central and attractive feature with its Victorian Embankment and beautiful gardens; the town owes both its origins and continued development to the river. Bedford is within easy reach of London, Oxford and Cambridge, has a good number of historical buildings still intact and is ideally located for those visitors wishing to explore the quiet unspoilt countryside of Bedfordshire.
The Borough of Bedford also includes the settlement of nearby Kempston as well as 43 rural villages - an overall area of some 120,000 acres. The borough population of around 140,000 is the most cosmopolitan in the UK, with some 57 ethnic groups being represented. Bedford and Kempston make up the urban centre of what is an overwhelmingly rural district. The villages of North Bedfordshire are without a doubt amongst the most picturesque in the county and deserve a visit on their own merit alone.Bedford is an ancient town originating during the Saxon period and being situated on the banks of the Great Ouse eventually developed into an important trading centre. The township grew as a number of Saxon settlements combined to form the early nucleus of Bedford. The town's name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Beda's Ford or river crossing, and was of significance during the reign of King Alfred AD871-899.
Both because of its success as a trading centre and its easterly location, Bedford suffered at the hands of Danish raiders on a number of occasions, most seriously in 1010 when the settlement was sacked. Shortly after the Norman Conquest, when the English King Harrold was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the new King William ordered that a castle be built at Bedford, and there it stood until its destruction in1224. All that remains to us today is the mound upon which the Norman keep once stood. In 1166 the Borough of Bedford was awarded Charter status by Henry II, confirming its privileges as a borough; both town and surrounding district developed and flourished throughout the Middle Ages. Without ever growing too big and unwieldy Bedford has remained a significant town through the centuries, always reflecting the diverse interests of its county and today is a lively place offering much to inhabitant and visitor alike.
For art lovers and historians Bedford offers many opportunities for indulgence with a number of first class galleries and museums to visit. The Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Museum in particular, houses one of the finest collections of watercolours, prints, drawings, ceramics, glass and Bedfordshire Lace outside London. The Bedford Museum too is a must see; a converted brewery it is located by the Great Ouse in Castle Lane and offers a fascinating interpretation of the human and natural history of the region. The Bramham Mill & Gallery is also well worth a visit; now restored to working order the 17 th century mill houses a contemporary art and craft gallery alongside working machinery and a milling exhibition.
Among the buildings of historical note is the fascinating Stevington Windmill, a 200-year old post mill fully restored in 1951. Also, the intriguing Willington Tudor Dovecote, which incorporates a 16 th century stable and a stone dovecote with 1500 nesting boxes, built by Sir John Gostwick, Cardinal Wolsey's Master of the Horse. Situated on the village green is the Harrold Lockup & Buttermarket. This circular lockup or gaol last gave houseroom to ‘guests' in the 19 th century; the Buttermarket is late 17 th century. The Bushmead Priory is a small house built by Augustinian canons in 1195 and remains a rare example of crown post construction with a timber framed roof, stained glass and wall paintings.
The Bedford museums refer to the men of faith and imagination who have lived in the town, of whom the most famous undoubtedly is John Bunyan, born a few miles away at Elstow. For a lowly 17 th century tinker to have risen to become one of the most celebrated writers in the English language was a remarkable feat. His famous work , Pilgrim's Progress , has been translated into 200 different languages, and was written whilst Bunyan was incarcerated in Bedford County Gaol. Imprisoned for refusing to recognise the Established Church he languished in the Gaol for 12 long years between 1660-72; his great work was published in 1678. A statue of John Bunyan stands in the town square and the site of the old prison in Silver Street is marked.
Bunyan's Meeting House & Museum is certainly worth a visit; it has a stunning stained glass window commemorating the tercentenary of the publication of Pilgrim's Progress , and contains many of the writer's personal possessions and associated relics. Each June Bedford hosts the ‘John Bunyan and 17 th century Festival', with its Street Fayre, pageant, battles, music, flowers and dance. In near by Elstow village, where the great nonconformist grew up, is the ancient Elstow Moot Hall, an attractive timber-framed building dating from the 16 th century. It too is now a museum housing a collection of displays, which recreate scenes from 17 th century English life, with particular reference to John Bunyan. To this day nonconformist chapels, some dating back to Bunyan's time, are much in evidence in towns and villages all over the area.Although not born in Bedford, the famous American bandleader Glenn Miller was a resident here -for a number of years when he and his band were based in the town during the Second World War. It was from Bedford that many of his morale-boosting broadcasts were made and from where he flew to entertain the Allied troops in war-torn Europe. A bronze bust of Glenn Miller stands in an alcove on the façade of Bedford Corn Exchange.