Bedford
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Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of its urban area (as defined by the Office for National Statistics), including Kempston and Biddenham, was 106,940.[1][a] Bedford is also the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford, a unitary authority that includes a significant rural area.
Bedford was founded at a ford on the River Great Ouse and is thought to have been the burial place of King Offa of Mercia, who is remembered for building Offa's Dyke on the Welsh border. Bedford Castle was built by Henry 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 large population of Italian descent.[3]
History
The name of the town is believed to derive from the name of a
Bedford traces its borough charter in 1166 by
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
The contiguous Bedford built-up area forms the largest settlement in the wider
The Bedford built-up area is divided into 10
Bedford is served by Bedfordshire Police. The Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner of that force is Festus Akinbusoye.
Bedford forms part of the Bedford constituency, represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament. The current Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford is Mohammad Yasin, who is a member of the Labour Party.
Geography
Bedford is 46 miles (74 km) miles north-northwest of London, 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Birmingham, 25 miles (40 km) west of Cambridge and 19 miles (31 km) east-southeast of Northampton. 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 include
Climate
As with the rest of the United Kingdom, Bedford has a maritime climate, with a limited range of temperatures, and generally even rainfall throughout the year. The nearest Met Office weather 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)[24] in July 2022, down to −15.3 °C (4.5 °F)[25] 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 However, such extremes would likely be superseded if longer-term records were available – Historically, the nearest weather station to Bedford was Cardington about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) south south east of the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)[26] 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 (Thurleigh) 85m, 1971–2000, 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) | 6.4 (43.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.7 (49.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
15.7 (60.3) |
18.6 (65.5) |
21.5 (70.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
18.2 (64.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
7.2 (45.0) |
13.5 (56.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.8 (33.4) |
0.6 (33.1) |
2.3 (36.1) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
9.3 (48.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
11.6 (52.9) |
9.7 (49.5) |
6.6 (43.9) |
3.3 (37.9) |
1.8 (35.2) |
5.6 (42.1) |
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) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 48.4 (1.91) |
36.6 (1.44) |
43.5 (1.71) |
47.2 (1.86) |
45.3 (1.78) |
56.9 (2.24) |
44.7 (1.76) |
48.6 (1.91) |
53.6 (2.11) |
56.8 (2.24) |
49.0 (1.93) |
53.8 (2.12) |
584.4 (23.01) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 58.6 | 76.3 | 99.5 | 153.0 | 183.8 | 185.7 | 200.9 | 188.5 | 139.8 | 114.1 | 72.0 | 51.5 | 1,523.6 |
Source: [27] |
Demography
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 the London Brick Company from Southern Italy.[28] From 1954 to 2008 Bedford had its own Italian vice-consulate.[29]
In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also been the recipient of significant immigration from India (8.1% of Bedford's population;
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 terms of religious affiliation, 56% were Christian, almost 8% were Muslim, almost 3% Sikh and 2% Hindu; almost 30% had no religion or declined to answer.[1]
Landmarks
Bedford Park is the town's largest urban park and is located directly to the north of the town centre. The park retains many original features from its Victorian design and construction, including a cricket pavilion and bandstand which are both still in use. Priory Country Park is a large country park located on the northern bank of the River Great Ouse in eastern Bedford. Both parks have been awarded Green Flag status.
Bedford's principal church is
Just outside the town lie the
Despite being far upriver from the sea, seals have occasionally been reported as swimming as far inland as Bedford.[37][38][39]
The Old Town Hall dates back to 1550 and the building was originally constructed as a school.[40]
River Great Ouse
The
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
Bedford Castle Mound is the remnant of Bedford's medieval castle, 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
Railway
There are two stations in Bedford. The main Bedford railway station is on the Midland Main Line, providing inter-city services to London St Pancras and the East Midlands, operated by East Midlands Railway. Stopping services, operated by Thameslink, run through London to Gatwick Airport and Brighton. Bedford's other lesser used station is Bedford St John's which in on the Marston Vale Line. Services are operated by London North Western Railway and run between Bletchley and Bedford's main station.
Road
Road access to and from the town is provided by the
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.[42]
Buses
Bedford bus station serves 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 are Stagecoach East and Stagecoach Midlands.[43]
Education
Bedford Borough previously operated a
Bedford is home to four private schools run by the Harpur Trust charity, endowed by Bedfordian Sir William Harpur in the 16th century. These are:
- Bedford School for boys aged 7–18
- Bedford Modern School, a former boys' school which became co-educational in 2003 for pupils aged 7–18
- Bedford Girls' School for 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 include Bedford 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 the University of Bedfordshire, which prior to a merger with the University of Luton in 2006 had been a campus of De Montfort University (itself now solely based in Leicester). For further education, the town is served by Bedford College and The Bedford Sixth Form. Additionally, Stella Mann College is a private college, which offers a range of further education courses relating to the performing arts.
Religious sites
The town has a high number of Christian churches, including the Civic and County Church of
Bedford has the largest
There are
Culture
The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford is housed in the recreated Victorian home of the Higgins family of Victorian brewers 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 of
The Panacea Museum tells the story of the Panacea Society, a religious community formed in the early twentieth century.
The
The
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 the Notting Hill Carnival.[51] 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.[52] "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 of Mark Steel's in Town,[53] contrasting with the less enthusiastic treatment in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The "Bedford of Bedfordshire's Community Calendar" segment of this US show featured Bedford-born John Oliver.[54]
Tourism
In December 2023, Universal Destinations & Experiences announced that it had purchased 480 acres of land on a former brickworks site near Stewartby, 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.[55]
New technologies
Following successful rollouts of autonomous delivery robots in nearby Milton Keynes, Northampton and Cambridgeshire by Starship Technologies, in July 2022, the company announced a partnership with Bedford Borough Council and The Co-operative Group to 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.[56]
Media
Television
Local news and televisions programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia from the Sandy Heath TV transmitter.
Radio
Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio on 95.5 FM, Heart East on 96.9 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts on 96.2 FM, In2beats on 106.5 FM and Bedford Radio which is the local radio station.[57]
Newspaper
The town has two local newspapers, the Times & Citizen[58] and the Bedford Independent,[59] with both being distributed freely across the Borough of Bedford and neighboring settlements within Central Bedfordshire.
Sport
There is a long-standing sporting heritage in the Bedford borough with long-established rugby and football clubs. The town has four rugby union teams called Bedford Blues, Bedford Queens, Bedford Swifts and Bedford Athletic. Since 2004, Bedford also has a rugby league team, Bedford Tigers, who compete one tier below the National Conference.
Taking into account the size of its overall urban area, Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a fully professional football team. Bedford Town F.C. currently plays at the eighth level of the English football league system and Real Bedford F.C. play at the 11th level.
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,
who is Life Vice-President of Bedford & County Athletic ClubBedford Borough was a major host of national teams preparing for the
Filmography
- The popular better source needed]
- A 2017 feature on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert called "Bedford of Bedfordshire's Community Calendar", in which John Oliver, who grew up in Bedford, described the town as 'scrappy'. The segment featured the Shuttleworth Collection, the Forest of Marston Vale, the Place Theatre, the Bedford Corn Exchange and local bookshop Rogan's Books, among others.[citation needed]
Public services
Bedford Hospital is 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, particularly Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, which has a partnership with Bedford Hospital. Bedford Hospital's catchment area is based on the Borough of Bedford and parts of Central Bedfordshire.
Notable people
Gallery
-
Bedford in 1611
-
Bedford Bridge in 1783. This version of the bridge was replaced in 1813.
-
Bedford in 1806
See also
- Transport in Bedford
- Healthcare in Bedfordshire
- List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom
Notes
- ^ The Office for National Statistics also 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
- ^ Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- TheGuardian.com.
- ^ "Brief History of Bedford". Bedford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ Simon Keynes, "Cynethryth", in Lapidge, Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England, p. 133.
- ^ Haslam, Jeremy (1986). "The Ecclesiastical Topography of Early Medieval Bedford" (PDF). Bedfordshire Archaeology. 17: 41–2, 46, 48.
- ^ "King Offa's tomb". wordpress.com. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ "Bedford Timeline, Earliest Times – 1800". Bedfordshire Libraries. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ISBN 9780415143660. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "Brief History of Bedford". Bedford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "John Bunyan (1628–1688)". The Bunyan Press. Archived from the original on 26 July 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ Heritage gateway
- ^ Secret Bedford, page 21
- ^ Great Flood marker
- ^ "1849 & Friday 1 March 1850". Bedford Corn Exchange. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "Bedford Borough records introduction". Bedfordshire County Council. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ Sources for Women's History (PDF). BEDFORDSHIRE & LUTON ARCHIVES & RECORDS SERVICE. p. 56.
- ^ Sources for Women's History (PDF). BEDFORDSHIRE & LUTON ARCHIVES & RECORDS SERVICE. p. 56.
- ^ "Mayor of Bedford Borough | Bedford Borough Council".
- ^ "Wards and polling district maps". Bedford Borough Council. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Brickhill Parish Council - Supporting the Community". Brickhill Parish Council. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Biddenham Parish Council". Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Kempston Town Council". Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Met Office on Twitter". Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ "1982 Minimum". Retrieved 3 March 2011.
- ^ "1963 Minimum". Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
- ^ "Bedford 1971–2000 averages". Met Office. July 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- ^ "Bedford's Italian question". BBC – Legacies. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "Bedford Italian Community". Bedfordshire Libraries. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ a b "Check Browser Settings".
- ^ http://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/matt-kennard/inside-bedford-fragile-success-story-of-muliculturalism-home-of-yarls-wood inside-bedford-fragile-success-story-of-muliculturalism-home-of-yarls-wood
- ^ "Brief History of Bedford Town Centre". BedfordBID. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ "History of the Daily Service". BBC Religion and Ethics. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ^ "Bedford to get new Visitor Information Centre". www.BedfordIndependent.co.uk. 22 August 2018.
- ^ "Where Did They Film That?". www.wheredidtheyfilmthat.co.uk.
- ^ "Inception to Film at the Airship Shed in Bedfordshire | Nolan Fans". www.nolanfans.com.
- ^ "SLIDESHOW: Seal in the River Great Ouse". Bedford Times & Citizen. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ "Surprise guest puts seal on festival's pearl". Bedfordshire On Sunday. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ "Sunbathing seals make long trip inland from the Wash". BBC News. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Town Hall (1114520)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ Daniel Stannard/Bedfordshire County Council (2007). "The First World War Memorial, Bedford" (PDF). Bedfordshire Buildings and Monuments. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2007.
- ^ "A New Bus Station for Bedford". Bedford Borough Council. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- ^ "Bus Operators". www.bedford.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- ^ "Two-tier school proposal rejected". BBC News. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue".
- ^ "Luton United Synagogue". lutonsynagogue.org.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ "The Panacea Society". Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ Margaret Baker. Discovering Statues. Vol. 1 Southern England. pp. 8–9.
- ^ "Reflections of Bedford - Bedford Town Centre Statues - Digitised Resources - The Virtual Library". virtual-library.culturalservices.net. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ ""It's like a family" – Bedford bands speak of their love of Esquires during #IVW19". www.BedfordIndependent.co.uk. 13 February 2019.
- ^ "River Great Ouse". Bedford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 6 March 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
- ^ "Kites, cars and chill-out coming to Bedford's Russell Park". www.BedfordIndependent.co.uk. 4 February 2019.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Mark Steel's in Town, Series 8, Bedford". BBC.
- ^ Leight, Elias (8 February 2017). "Watch John Oliver, Stephen Colbert Spoof Public Access Show". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
- ^ "Universal Studios buys Bedford brickworks for theme park plan". BBC News. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "Starship and Co-op roll-out delivery robots to Bedford and Kempston". Bedford Borough Council. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "About Bedford Radio".
- ^ "Bedford Citizen". Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK). 27 February 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "Bedford Independent". Bedford Independent. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "On Your Marks! Bedford Borough to host teams from around the world ahead of London 2012". Archived from the original on 14 July 2012.
- ^ "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em". 15 February 1973 – via www.imdb.com.
External links
- Bedford at Curlie