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River next to the Mill

Breamore

in the county of Hampshire

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.

Recommended towns & villages near Bedford

Chocolate Box

Old Warden (23 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Bedfordshire

(6.5 miles, 10.5 km, direction SE of Bedford)

Old Warden is a sleepy Bedfordshire village with pretty honey-coloured thatched cottages and a wealth of other interesting buildings...

A picture of Ampthill

Ampthill (13 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Bedfordshire

(7.3 miles, 11.7 km, direction S of Bedford)

The lovely town of Ampthill lies sheltered by hills in the sandstone belt of Bedfordshire...

Olney, Buckinghamshire

Olney (62 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Buckinghamshire

(10.2 miles, 16.5 km, direction W of Bedford)

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...

Trees

Woburn (30 Pictures) in the county of Bedfordshire

(12.2 miles, 19.6 km, direction SW of Bedford)

The picturesque village of Woburn has an mixture of delightful old cottages and the magnificent Woburn Abbey...

Vox Pop

Milton Keynes (46 Pictures) in the county of Buckinghamshire

(14.2 miles, 22.8 km, direction SW of Bedford)

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...

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Nearby attractions..

A picture of Houghton House

Houghton House (24 Pictures)

(6.5 miles, 10.5 km, direction S)

Houghton House is a 3 story stately home built by Lady Pembroke in 1621. Houghton is reputedly the model for "House Beautiful" in.....

DH 89A Dragon Rapide Old Warden (pleasure flights)

The Shuttleworth Collection (48 Pictures)

(6.7 miles, 10.7 km, direction SE)

The Shuttleworth Collection - a unique flying collection showcasing the first one hundred years of flight. This unique collection.....

A sunny winter December 17th 2006 at Shuttleworth House, Bedfordshire

Shuttleworth House (3 Pictures)

(6.7 miles, 10.7 km, direction SE)

coming soon email: collection@shuttleworth.org http://www.shuttleworthcollection.co.uk/..

Swiss Garden, Old Warden, Bedfordshire - October 2005

The Swiss Garden (29 Pictures)

(6.7 miles, 10.7 km, direction SE)

These glorious gardens, laid out in the early part of the 19th century, fully embrace the romanticism of the era. The fashion at.....

Sunset in April at Rowney Warren, Nr Chicksands, Shefford, Beds

Rowney Warren (1 Pictures)

(7.3 miles, 11.7 km, direction SE)

Rowney Warren is a lively woodland managed jointly by the Southill Estate and the Forestry Commission. The wood is predominantly.....

Cainhoe Castle, Clophill, Bedfordshire.

Cainhoe Castle (2 Pictures)

(8.0 miles, 12.9 km, direction S)

The remains of a late 11th or early 12th century motte and bailey castle with three baileys. Cainhoe castle was probably occupied.....

Wrest House, Silsoe, Bedfordshire

Wrest Park House and Gardens (70 Pictures)

(9.1 miles, 14.6 km, direction S)

Wrest Park House was once the home of the de Grey family whose Mausoleum is at nearby Flitton. The gardens form a charming.....


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