Facts and places of interest in Bedford

Interesting Facts about Bedford

• Bedford was the home and prison of John Bunyan, the author of the Pilgrim's Progress.

• The last execution in Britain also took place in Bedford prison.

• The River Great Ouse passes through the town centre and flows for some 46 miles through the county.

• Bedford is also home to the largest concentration of Italian Immigrants in the U.K This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment in the early 1950's by the London Brick Company.

• The 1970s TV series Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was filmed in and around Bedford.

Places of Interest in and around Bedford

Bedford Museum

Bedford Museum is located in the former Higgins and Sons Brewery within the picturesque gardens of Bedford Castle mound, beside the Great Ouse Embankment. The museum shows the human and natural history of Bedford and the area.

Stevington Windmill

Moot Hall - located close to Bedford in Elstow

Moot Hall is located on the village green at Elstow and was built originally to serve Elstow Abbey as a market house. This timber ramed market hall is now a museum and exhibits antique furniture and shows the life and traditions of England in the 17th Century.

St Paul 's Church in Bedford

The main church in Bedford is St Paul 's which stands in St Paul 's Square in the historic centre of the town. The church has a tall spire and this is one of the main features of Bedford .

There has been a church on this site since 1066. Both John Wesley and John Bunyan preached in this church.

From 1941 to the end of the Second World War the BBC's daily service was broadcast from St. Paul's.

The River Festival  

The River Festival takes place every two years in July. It is a two day event and attracts around quarter of a million people each year. There are a variety of events and sporting activities along with fairs and live music.