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Bedford

Built-up area in Bedford, England

Coordinates:52.138, -0.462
OS grid ref:TL 05 49
Population:106,940
Dialling code: 01234

Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, sitting astride the River Great Ouse roughly 50 miles north of London. It began as a medieval market and milling town and today is known for its pleasant riverside promenade, parks and regular markets that give the town a compact, riverside character.

The town has a strong historic and cultural identity - nearby Elstow is associated with John Bunyan and his Pilgrim’s Progress - and a notably diverse population, with long-established Italian communities alongside growing international communities. Economically it mixes retail and light industry with education, being home to a campus of the University of Bedfordshire, and hosts lively civic events such as the Bedford River Festival.

Postcode districts covering Bedford

MK40, MK41, MK42, MK43, MK44, MK45

Most populated places nearby

Neighbouring places

Transport links

  • Airport Luton Airport 18.6 miles30 km
  • Airport Stansted Airport 34.4 miles55.4 km
  • Railway station Bedford St Johns Railway Station 0.6 miles1 km
  • Railway station Bedford Railway Station 0.7 miles1.2 km

Local points of interest

  • Moot Hall Museum 1.5 miles2.5 km
  • Redbourne College College 8.3 miles13.3 km
  • Santa Pod Raceway Recreation 8.9 miles14.3 km
  • Wrest House Estate 9.2 miles14.8 km
  • Silsoe College - Cranfield University College 9.3 miles14.9 km
  • Flitwick Moor Nature reserve 9.4 miles15.1 km
  • Woburn Abbey Estate 12.1 miles19.5 km
  • Toddington library Library 13.4 miles21.5 km
  • Theatre MK Theatre 13.8 miles22.2 km
  • Milton Keynes Xscape Shopping centre 13.9 miles22.3 km
  • Linford Wood Forest 14.1 miles22.7 km
  • Midsummer Place Shopping centre 14.2 miles22.8 km

Example postcodes in Bedford