Kempston is a sizeable town immediately to the west of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, lying close to the floodplain of the River Great Ouse. It has medieval roots but expanded markedly in the 19th and 20th centuries; the nearby airship sheds at Cardington and neighbouring Shortstown, where the R101 was built, give the area a distinctive industrial‑heritage landmark.
Today Kempston is largely residential with pockets of light industry and local shops, acting as a commuter base for Bedford and, for some residents, London or Milton Keynes. It retains a strong community feel with sports clubs, parish events and green spaces, and its mix of Victorian terraces and post‑war housing reflects the town’s phased growth.
Postcode districts covering Kempston
Most populated places nearby
- Milton Keynes 12.1 miles
- Northampton 18.2 miles
- Luton 15.3 miles
- Bedford 2.2 miles
- Stevenage 19.5 miles
- Hemel Hempstead 25 miles
- Aylesbury 24.5 miles
- Kettering 21.7 miles
- Kettering Town 21.6 miles
- Welwyn Garden City 24.9 miles
- Dunstable 15.8 miles
- Wellingborough 15.8 miles
Neighbouring places
- Kempston South Ward 0.3 miles
- Kempston Central & East Ward 0.3 miles
- Kempston West Ward 0.6 miles
- Kempston North Ward 0.6 miles
- Great Denham Built-up area 1.1 miles
- Elstow Parish 1.4 miles
- Cauldwell Ward 1.5 miles
- Queens Park Ward 1.6 miles
- Box End Built-up area 1.7 miles
- Wixams & Wilstead Ward 1.7 miles
- Greyfriars Ward 1.8 miles
- Wootton Built-up area 1.9 miles
Example postcodes in Kempston
MK42 7NS, MK42 7DZ, MK42 8UL, MK42 8AQ, MK42 8EG, MK42 8RL, MK42 8PD, MK42 7LD, MK42 8QB … See all
Transport links
- Luton Airport 17.4 miles
- Stansted Airport 34.9 miles
- Kempston Hardwick Railway Station 1.5 miles
- Bedford St Johns Railway Station 1.6 miles
Hotels in Kempston Ad
Schools in Kempston
- Balliol Primary School Primary
- Camestone School Primary
- Daubeney Academy Secondary
- Grange Academy Special
- Kempston Academy Secondary
- Kempston Rural Primary School Primary
- Ridgeway School Special
- Springfield Primary School Primary
- St John's School Special
Local points of interest
- Moot Hall Museum 1.2 miles
- Redbourne College College 6.5 miles
- Flitwick Moor Nature reserve 7.7 miles
- Silsoe College - Cranfield University College 8 miles
- Wrest House Estate 8.1 miles
- Santa Pod Raceway Recreation 9.5 miles
- Woburn Abbey Estate 10 miles
- Toddington library Library 11.5 miles
- Theatre MK Theatre 11.8 miles
- Milton Keynes Xscape Shopping centre 11.9 miles
- Linford Wood Forest 12.1 miles
- Midsummer Place Shopping centre 12.2 miles