A little history of Bedford

Bedford has been a market town from the early Middle Ages, and its name is thought to derive from the name of a Saxon chief called Beda, and a ford which crossed the River Great Ouse – Bedford’s local river. Later in the 19th Century, it transformed into an important engineering hub, with gas lighting introduced in 1832, and with the railway reaching it in 1846.

If you were to visit Bedford now, you would find a town bursting full of culture, landmarks, and education. For example, Bedford is home to a number of museums, including the Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, the local Corn Exchange which hosts a variety of performances, concerts and conferences and the town has the largest Sikh Gurdwara in the UK outside of London. Added to this, Bedford is well known for its educational prowess, being the home of Bedford University and Bedford College, whilst having a large number of well-renowned schools, including the Harper Trust private schools.

5 facts about Bedford

• The BBC was based there during WW2.
• The 2005 film Batman Begins has scenes filmed at the Cardington Sheds in Bedfordshire and features extras from Bedford itself.
• Famous band One Direction are known to stay in the Swan Hotel in the town centre when they also come to film in the Cardington Sheds.
• Over the years many famous people have attended Bedford Modern School, including comedian Russell Howard, cricketer Monty Panesar, actor Jeremy Irvine, and members of the band Don Broco.
• John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress whilst in Bedford, which has sold more copies in more languages than any other book apart from the Bible!