Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire, often called Beds, is a county in the East of England. It is surrounded by several other counties: Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south-east and south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. The biggest town in the county is Luton.

The county covers an area of 1,235 km² and in 2024 had around 750,000 people. Besides Luton, other important places include Dunstable, which is close to Luton, Leighton Buzzard in the south-west, and Bedford in the north-central part.

Bedfordshire's landscape is varied. Much of the middle part is a gentle, rolling plateau made of clay. There is a ridge of greensand running through it, with a steep slope on its north side. The southern part near Luton includes some of the chalk hills known as the Chiltern Hills, while the northern part has limestone ridges connecting to areas like Milton Keynes. The highest point in the county is on the Dunstable Downs, reaching 243 meters above sea level. The River Great Ouse flows through the county, starting near Harrold and passing through Bedford before leaving near St Neots.

History

Main article: History of Bedfordshire

The name "Bedfordshire" was first used in 1011 as "Bedanfordscir," which means the shire or county of Bedford. The name "Bedford" itself comes from "Beda's ford," referring to a river crossing.

Historically, Bedfordshire was divided into nine areas called hundreds. These included places like Barford, Biggleswade, and Bedford, which was an ancient borough. Over time, the county's boundaries changed; for example, in 1897, Kensworth and part of Caddington were added to Bedfordshire from Hertfordshire.

Geography

The southern part of Bedfordshire is on a chalk ridge called the Chiltern Hills. The rest of the area is part of the River Great Ouse drainage basin and its smaller rivers. The county's rocks are mostly clays and sandstones from long ago, with some limestone. Local clay has been used to make special bricks called Fletton-style bricks in Marston Vale. Glacial erosion left hard flint nodules, which were once dug up and are now lakes at places like Priory Country Park, Wyboston, and Felmersham. The Greensand Ridge runs across the county from near Leighton Buzzard to near Gamlingay in Cambridgeshire.

Climate

Bedfordshire has a dry climate for the UK, with regular but not too heavy rain. Bedford gets about 608.6 millimetres (23.96 inches) of rain each year, with October being the wettest month and March the driest. Temperatures can change a lot, ranging more than 60 °C (108 °F). In Bedford, temperatures usually go from about 1.5 °C (34.7 °F) at night in February to 22.4 °C (72.3 °F) during the day in July. The highest temperature ever recorded in Bedfordshire was 39.7 °C (103.5 °F) in 2022, and the coldest was −20.6 °C (−5.1 °F) in 1947.

Politics

The Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner is John Tizard, a member of the Labour Party.

For local government, Bedfordshire is divided into three unitary authorities: the boroughs of Bedford and Luton, and the district of Central Bedfordshire. Healthcare is managed by a single Clinical Commission Group (CCG) that serves all three areas, as well as the City of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire.

Emergency services cover the whole county. Bedfordshire Police are led by the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, while Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is managed by a Fire Authority made up of members from the three councils. Ambulance services are provided by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

For elections to the House of Commons, Bedfordshire has seven constituencies, each electing one Member of Parliament (MP):

These constituencies have been in place since the 1997 United Kingdom general election, with small changes to their boundaries for the 2010 general election.

See also: Category:Parliamentary constituencies in Bedfordshire (historic)

Economy

Bedfordshire is home to many important companies from the United Kingdom and around the world. Some of these companies have their main offices or big centers in the county.

Notable companies include Autoglass, Boxclever, and Charles Wells Pubs in Bedford. The Kier Group and Kingspan Timber Solutions are located in Sandy, and Jordans Cereals is in Biggleswade. Large airlines and car manufacturers like EasyJet, Impellam, TUI Airways, and Vauxhall Motors have their bases in Luton. Other companies such as Whitbread in Houghton Regis, Costa Coffee in Dunstable, UltraVision in Leighton Buzzard, and Moto Hospitality at Toddington service station also call Bedfordshire home.

Culture

Food

The "Bedfordshire clanger" is a special local dish. It has a pastry shell made with suet and is filled with meat on one side and fruit preserve on the other. It was originally made for farm workers as a meal that could be split into two parts.

Another favorite treat is Chocolate Toothpaste. It is a type of chocolate tart with a rough chocolate filling inside, and it is usually topped with whipped cream.

Flag

Main article: Flag of Bedfordshire

The flag of Bedfordshire comes from the old symbol of the Bedfordshire County Council.

Visitor attractions

Bedfordshire has many places to visit that are fun and interesting. You can explore historic sites like Bedford Castle and Bushmead Priory. There are also beautiful parks such as Marston Vale Community Forest and Priory Country Park.

Other attractions include museums like the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum and the Luton Museum & Art Gallery. Don’t miss out on special places like Whipsnade Wildlife Park and the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway. Whether you like history, nature, or just having fun, there’s something for everyone in Bedfordshire.

Transport

See also: List of future transport developments in the East of England

Bedfordshire is located along important transport routes that connect London to the Midlands, Northern England, and the rest of the UK.

Roads

Two major roads in England pass through Bedfordshire. The A1 road, which runs from London to Edinburgh, goes near Biggleswade and Sandy. Watling Street, an ancient Roman road from London to Chester, goes through Dunstable. The M1 motorway runs from London to Leeds and has several junctions in Bedfordshire, serving towns like Luton, Bedford, Dunstable, and Flitwick. There is also a service station along this motorway.

Railways

Three main railway lines go through Bedfordshire. The West Coast Main Line has a station at Leighton Buzzard. The East Coast Main Line serves Arlesey, Biggleswade, and Sandy. The Midland Main Line connects Luton, Luton Airport, and Bedford with many destinations across the country.

Waterways

The River Great Ouse connects Bedfordshire to other waterways. There are plans to build a canal linking Bedford to the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes.

Air

Luton Airport is the fifth busiest airport in the United Kingdom, offering flights to many places in the UK, Europe, the Middle Eastern countries, and North African countries, mostly with low-cost airlines.

Media

Local news is shown by BBC East and ITV Anglia from Cambridge. In places like Luton, people can also watch BBC London and ITV London. This means the area gets news and TV shows from both Cambridge and London.

You can listen to several local radio stations, including BBC Three Counties Radio from Dunstable, Heart East, Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts, BigglesFM covering Biggleswade, Potton and Sandy, In2beats in Bedford, and Radio LaB in Luton.

Settlements

Main article: List of places in Bedfordshire

Further information: List of Bedfordshire settlements by population and Civil parishes in Bedfordshire

The biggest towns in Bedfordshire are Bedford, Luton, Leighton-Linslade, Dunstable, and Biggleswade. Luton is the largest settlement in the county. Some smaller places like Wixams, Shortstown, Arlesey, Houghton Regis, and Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick are also growing and changing. One exciting future plan is to build a large theme park near Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick.

Education

The schools in Bedfordshire used to be managed by Bedfordshire County Council. Unlike most of the UK, they used a special three-level system with lower, middle, and upper schools. However, Luton kept its two-level system. In 2009, the council was dissolved, and education duties moved to Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council.

Bedford Borough switched to a two-level system between 2009 and 2015. Most secondary schools there offer advanced courses, and there are private schools linked to the Harpur Trust, such as Bedford School and Bedford Girls' School. In Central Bedfordshire, some areas use the two-level system, while others keep the three-level system. Luton still uses a three-level system, but its high schools mainly prepare students for further education at Luton Sixth Form College and other local colleges.

The county is home to two universities: the University of Bedfordshire and Cranfield University. These attract students from across the UK and worldwide.

Landmarks

The enormous Cardington airship sheds are located south of Bedford, near the villages of Cardington and Shortstown. They were built during World War I to make large airships. Over time, one shed has been used for many things, like a movie set for films such as 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and 'Batman Begins', and as a practice space for the band Take That. The other shed has been updated and is now used by a British company that designs and makes modern airships.

St Paul's Church, Bedford is an important church in Bedford. It is very large and has a tall tower. During World War II, the BBC used this church for its broadcasts.

The Millbrook Proving Ground is near Junction 13 of the M1 motorway. It has many kilometres of tracks where different kinds of vehicles are tested.

Sport and leisure

Main article: Sport in Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire is home to several sports teams, including Luton Town F.C., a football team, and rugby teams like the Ampthill RUFC and Bedford Blues.

The county also offers great walks and bike rides. The Greensand Ridge Walk is a 40-mile path that starts in Leighton Buzzard and ends near Sandy, Bedfordshire and Gamlingay. Cyclists can enjoy a similar route on smaller roads called the Greensand Cycle Way.

Bibliographical references

Bedfordshire has many books and guides about its history and culture. Some important ones include leaflets about John Bunyan, guides to the Bedfordshire Record Office, and histories written by authors like Godber, Joyce. There are also special publications from groups such as the Bedfordshire Historical Record Society.