Pictures of Bedford
About Bedford
After the Saxons built a fortified settlement at Bedford in 915, the Danes pillaged it in 1010, and Henry II granted it a charter in 1166. Today Bedford is the County town with a beautiful riverside setting on the great River Ouse. Bedford is an educational centre noted for its Harper Trust Schools and its associations with with native son John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, who was born in 1628 at Elstow on the outskirts of Bedford.
Bunyan was arrested in 1660 for Nonconformist preaching and he spent the next 12 years where he began his world famous book; the religious allegory Pilgrim's Progress, which was published in 1678. Since then, Pilgrims Progress has been translated into over 200 different languages and is one of the most successful books ever printed.
Many of Bedfords attractions are centered around John Bunyan, with statues and museums, one of which has on display over 150 copies of Pilgrims Progress from all around the world. The Bunyan Meeting House on Mill Street displays relics of the writers life, and the Bedford County Library contains his work including a copy of his first book which was published in 1656, Some Gospel Truths Opened.
Planning a visit? Please see below for other recommended towns, attractions and recommended hotels nearby.
Distances and directions below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner
Recommended attractions near Bedford
| Stevington Country Park | (3.9 miles, 6.3 km, direction NW) | Pictures |
| Maulden Wood | (6.5 miles, 10.4 km, direction S) | Pictures |
| Houghton House | (6.5 miles, 10.5 km, direction S) | Pictures |
| Shuttleworth House | (6.7 miles, 10.7 km, direction SE) | Pictures |
| The Shuttleworth Collection | (6.7 miles, 10.7 km, direction SE) | Pictures |
| The Swiss Garden | (6.7 miles, 10.7 km, direction SE) | Pictures |
| Harrold-Odell Country Park | (7.1 miles, 11.4 km, direction NW) | Pictures |
| Rowney Warren | (7.3 miles, 11.7 km, direction SE) | Pictures |
| Cainhoe Castle | (8.0 miles, 12.9 km, direction S) | Pictures |
| Santa Pod Raceway | (8.8 miles, 14.2 km, direction NW) | Pictures |
| Wrest Park House and Gardens | (9.1 miles, 14.6 km, direction S) | Pictures |
| Chicheley Hall | (9.4 miles, 15.1 km, direction W) | Pictures |
| Emberton Country Park | (10.8 miles, 17.4 km, direction W) | Pictures |
| Woburn Safari Park | (11.0 miles, 17.7 km, direction SW) | Pictures |
| Woburn Abbey | (11.8 miles, 19.0 km, direction SW) | Pictures |
All attractions in BedfordAll attractions in BedfordshireComplete A to Z of attractions in EnglandRecommended towns near Bedford
Elstow, a Picturesque Village in the county of Bedfordshire (2.2 miles, 3.5 km, direction S)
Elstow's fine Moot Hall is a building of 1500, this is a medieval market hall which is open to the public, it houses a collection illustrating John Bunyan's life and times.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Willington, a Picturesque Village in the county of Bedfordshire (3.6 miles, 5.8 km, direction E)
Willington lies on the south east outskirts of Bedford, it is most notable for its Dovecote, an oblong structure with nesting...
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Old Warden, a Picturesque Village in the county of Bedfordshire (6.5 miles, 10.5 km, direction SE)
Old Warden is a sleepy Bedfordshire village with pretty honey-coloured thatched cottages and a wealth of other interesting buildings.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Ampthill, a Historic Market Town in the county of Bedfordshire (7.3 miles, 11.7 km, direction S)
The lovely town of Ampthill lies sheltered by hills in the sandstone belt of Bedfordshire.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Clophill, in the county of Bedfordshire (7.6 miles, 12.2 km, direction S)
A village surrounded by woodlands and famous for the art of straw plaiting used to make straw boater hats. Legend has it that...
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Silsoe, a Picturesque Village in the county of Bedfordshire (8.8 miles, 14.1 km, direction S)
Silsoe is mostly noted for Wrest Park, a mansion in French Chateaux style which was the home of the de Grey family.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Olney, a Historic Market Town in the county of Buckinghamshire (10.2 miles, 16.5 km, direction W)
Amongst other things the small town of Olney in Buckinghamshire is famous for its hymns - Amazing Grace was one of the so-called Olney Hymns written by the rector John Newton, and William Cowper, the poet.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Barton Le Clay, a Picturesque Village in the county of Bedfordshire (11.4 miles, 18.3 km, direction S)
The attractive village of Barton-le-Clay nestles at the foot of the beautiful Barton Hills, it is ringed by beautiful...
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Newport Pagnell, a Historic Market Town in the county of Buckinghamshire (11.6 miles, 18.7 km, direction W)
Visitors here can find plenty to interest them, the town has the worlds oldest iron-bridge still in use for motorised traffic.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Woburn, in the county of Bedfordshire (12.2 miles, 19.6 km, direction SW)
The picturesque village of Woburn has an mixture of delightful old cottages and the magnificent Woburn Abbey.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Milton Keynes, in the county of Buckinghamshire (14.2 miles, 22.8 km, direction SW)
Of interest to visitors to the town is Milton Keynes Museum, this preserves the history of the town and its area from the early 19th century through to the present day.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Ashwell, in the county of Hertfordshire (14.5 miles, 23.4 km, direction SE)
Ashwell embodies some of the finest domestic architecture in England, here in this well preserved village, at a glance you get a pleasurable insight as to what England was like in the 16th and 17th-centuries.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Hitchin, a Historic Market Town in the county of Hertfordshire (14.9 miles, 24.0 km, direction SE)
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Baldock, in the county of Hertfordshire (15.4 miles, 24.8 km, direction SE)
The town lies close to the River Beane, in a spot where the river flows through some lovely water meadows and tranquil English countryside.
Info | Pictures | Hotels
Bletchley, in the county of Buckinghamshire (15.5 miles, 24.9 km, direction SW)
Info | Pictures | Hotels
All towns in BedfordshireComplete A to Z of towns in EnglandNearby travel help
| Bedford St. Johns Station | (0.5 miles, 0.8 km) |
| Bedford Station | (0.6 miles, 1.0 km) |
| M1 Junction 13 | (9.7 miles, 15.5 km, direction SW) |
| M1 Junction 14 | (11.3 miles, 18.2 km, direction SW) |
| London Luton Airport | (18.3 miles, 29.5 km, direction S) |
| Cambridge Airport | (27.6 miles, 44.4 km, direction E) |
| Bedford to London | (45.6 miles, 73.4 km, direction S) |
Hotels & Accommodation in Bedford
| Hotel Name | Approximate distance from Bedford center |
| Embankment Hotel | (0.2 miles, 0.3 km) |
| De Pary's Hotel | (0.6 miles, 1.0 km) |
| Shakespeare Hotel | (1.0 miles, 1.6 km) |
| The Barns Hotel (Form. Corus Hotel Bedford) | (1.8 miles, 2.9 km, direction E) |
| Queens Head Hotel | (4.6 miles, 7.5 km, direction NW) |
| Holiday Inn Garden Court Sandy | (7.0 miles, 11.2 km, direction E) |
| St Neots (Eaton Socon) Premier Travel Inn | (8.9 miles, 14.4 km, direction NE) |
| Menzies Flitwick Manor | (9.6 miles, 15.5 km, direction S) |
| The Carriage House | (9.8 miles, 15.8 km, direction SE) |
| Best Western Moore Place Hotel | (10.9 miles, 17.6 km, direction SW) |
| All hotels in Bedford |
