Bedfordshire Attractions Bedfordshire Books & Maps Bedfordshire Historic Houses
Bedfordshire Hotels Bedfordshire Museums

An Introduction to Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire (shortened as Beds) with its southern borders only 30 miles from London, is the gateway to the Midlands and East Anglia. Set in a rural landscape, the county is an attractive place to live, work and visit.

There are many areas of outstanding natural beauty and attractions, which include stately homes and gardens, woodland walks and nature reserves, country parks and world-famous animal parks. The county enjoys excellent transport links to London, the north and beyond.

Most of Bedfordshire’s main attractions have plenty to interest people of all ages, with three outstanding animal-based places of particular appeal to families. Woburn Abbey has more than enough for a day visit - from the exciting Safari Park to the quieter glories of the Abbey and its collections, and the tranquil deer park. The 2500 animals in their fine setting at Whipsnade are, of course, a perennial family favourite. A recent newcomer Bedford Butterfly Park mixes pleasure with education - children especially enjoy the bugs room and summer nature trail.

Other places to head for with children include Woodside Farm at Slip End and Mead Open Farm at Billington, both offering good value family entertainment. The Stockwood Craft Museum and Gardens (comprising the Mossman Collection of Vehicles) have enough to occupy both parents and their children, and picturesque Bromham Mill runs a good programme of events during the school holidays. Elsewhere, several places have a real variety of appeal. The charming village of Old Warden glories in both the Shuttleworth Collection of vintage aeroplanes, and the unusual Swiss Garden. The Lodge at Sandy is perfect for bird-spotting, or just for a pleasant stroll, and Wrest Park has beautiful gardens. Leighton Buzzard Museum is one of the better heritage museums(and includes fun train rides). The Cecil Higgins art gallery in Bedford is impressive. There are some charming villages to stroll through. Dunstable Downs have decent walking and remarkable views, though otherwise the county’s scenery is generally not memorable.

The relative flatness is a boon to cyclists; a tourist board leaflet details good circular cycle routes. You can get this from local tourist information centres, which stand out in this county for their wide range of helpful information. Other good leaflets cover year-round weekend activities and guided walks through some of the prettier villages and countryside; and the Ivel Valley Countryside Project’s Kingfisher Way circular walks and Skylark Ride horse trek.

Principal towns of the county are:

Bedford: The county town dates back to Saxon times, and is noted for one of the country's finest river settings. There are also connections to Glenn Miller, the US bandleader and John Bunyan, the famous author/preacher (including the 16th C. Moot Hall at Elstow).

Biggleswade:at the heart of  market gardening area

Dunstable: once a town of considerable royal importance and regular royal visits were made and jousting tournaments held. It was at the Priory that the annulment of Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon was pronounced, by Cranmer, in 1533. Part of the original Priory still survives as the parish church.

Luton: long been recognised as the centre of British hat making. The industry that thrives today has its roots deep in the 17th C. when local straw was plaited, then sewn together to form hats. Soon special plait schools were developed, and in 1919 production began on felt hats

Leighton Buzzard: has a wide Georgian high street, and charming mews shops and a fine 13th century parish church. In 1850 a terrace of six Italianate townhouses in Church Square was built by John Dollin Bassett. To encourage prospective buyers each house was offered for sale with a free first class railway season ticket to London for 21 years!