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The county of Bedfordshire, England


Woburn Abbey, Woburn
Woburn Abbey, Woburn

The county of Bedford is situated just a short drive north of London with Hertfordshire to the south, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire to the north east and north west respectively and Buckinghamshire to the west. With its southern borders only 30 miles from London, the county of Bedfordshire is the gateway to the Midlands and East Anglia. Set in a rich rural landscape, the county is an attractive place to live, work and visit.

Overall, Bedfordshire has a population of about 560,000. Bedfordshire County Council provides services for a population of about 380,000 with a fifth living in the historic county town of Bedford, which lies on the River Great Ouse. In 1997 Bedfordshire's largest town, Luton, became a unitary local authority.

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.

Popular attractions in Bedfordshire include Woburn Abbey and Safari Park (Woburn), Cecil Higgins Art Gallery (Bedford), Wrest Park (Luton), Bromham Mill and Gallery (Bromham) and Houghton House (Bedford).

Where to stay and things to do in Bedfordshire

Hotels | Bed and Breakfast | Pubs and Inns | Self Catering | Places to Visit | Antiques and Collectables | Museums and Art Galleries | Gardens | Railways | Weddings and Honeymoons | Conferences, Seminars and Corporate Events | Abbeys and Priories | Tourist Information Centres | Bedfordshire Towns | Historic Bedfordshire

Selected Bedfordshire hotels - Please Refresh for another random Hotel list

Mill House Hotel, Sharnbrook
Old Palace Lodge Hotel, Dunstable,
Flitwick Manor Hotel, Flitwick
Woodlands
Manor Hotel
, Clapham
Inn at Woburn, Woburn
Moore Place Hotel, Aspley Guise
Woodlands Manor Hotel, Clapham
The Pines Hotel, Luton
Holiday Inn Luton South, Markyate (Near Luton)
Cornfields Restaurant & Hotel, Colmworth (Near Bedford)

Click for More hotels in Bedfordshire

Click For List of all UK Counties

Explore Bedfordshire Towns

Ampthil | Ampthill | Aspley Guise | Bedford | Biggleswade | Billington | Bletsoe | Bromham | Brook End | Clapham | Clapham (Near Bedford) | Colmworth (Near Bedford) | Cranfield | Dunstable | Dunstable, | Dunstable/Luton | Eaton Bray | Elstow | Flitwick | Kempston | Leighton Buzzard | Linslade | Loop | Luton | Luton Airport | Markyate (Near Luton) | Meppershall | Meppershall (Near Shefford) | Milton Bryan | Moggerhanger | Northill | Old Warden | Radwell | Sandy | Sharnbrook | Shefford | Silsoe | Southill | St Neots (Near Bedford) | Tilsworth | Turvey | Wilstead | Woburn | Woburn (Near Milton Keynes) | Woburn Sands |

Bedfordshire Tourist Information Centres

Bedford Tourist Information Centre
10 St Paul's Square
Bedford, Bedfordshire
MK40 1SL
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 215226
email: click here
Website: click here

Dunstable Tourist Information Centre
Priory House
33 High Street South
Dunstable
Beds
LU6 3RZ
Tel: +44 (0) 1582 471012
email: click here
Website: click here

Luton Tourist Information Centre
Luton Central Library
St George's Square
Luton, Bedfordshire
LU1 2NG
Tel: +44 (0) 1582 401579
email: click here

Sandy Tourist Information Centre
Mid Bedfordshire TIC
5 Shannon Court
High St
Sandy,Bedfordshire
SG19 1AG
Tel: +44 (0) 1767 682728
email: click here
Website: click here

Sons and Daughters of Bedfordshire

John Bunyan (1628-88)
English Author born in Harrowden in the Wixantree Hundred of Bedfordshire in 1628

Samuel Whitbread (1st)(1720-1796)
Born at Cardington and founder member of the Whitbread brewing company.

Commander Frank Wild (1874-1939)
The polar explorer and author of Shackleton's Last Voyage

Sir William Harpur
Lived in the 17th century and became the Lord Mayor of London. His statue stands near St Paul's church in Bedford

Charles Wells
A sea captain in the 1860s but later founded the now famous brewery.

Lady Margaret Beaufort
Born at Bletsoe Castle in 1443, she married Edward Tudor and became mother to Henry VII.

Ernest Edgar Blake (1879-1961)
Born in Bedford and a pioneer of motion pictures.

Henry Ryland (1856-1924)
Son of a Biggleswade draper and gained fame as a Pre-Raphaelite artist.

Glenn Miller
A surrogate son of Bedford. He was the leader of the American band of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and were based in Bedford during the second world war. A bronze bust can be found on the facade of the Bedford Corn Exchange. Glen Miller concerts remain on Bedord's calendar.

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