Shortstown is a small village and civil parish on the eastern edge of Bedford in Bedfordshire, originally created in the 1910s to house workers at the Short Brothers' airship works. The huge twin Cardington hangars in nearby Cardington still dominate the flat local landscape and are a vivid reminder of the area’s role in early aviation and later military, training and film work.
Today Shortstown mixes original period housing with large modern developments completed in the 2000s, centred on a village green, primary school and local shops. It has a strong community feel and a largely commuter economy, with many residents travelling into Bedford, Milton Keynes or London, while remaining close to open Bedfordshire countryside.
Postcode districts covering Shortstown
Most populated places nearby
- Milton Keynes 14.6 miles
- Northampton 20.9 miles
- Luton 15 miles
- Cambridge 24.7 miles
- Bedford 2.3 miles
- Stevenage 17.6 miles
- Hemel Hempstead 24.9 miles
- Kettering 23.1 miles
- Kettering Town 23 miles
- Welwyn Garden City 23.4 miles
- Dunstable 16.1 miles
- Wellingborough 17.7 miles
Neighbouring places
- Cardington Built-up area 1 mile
- Kingsbrook Ward 1 mile
- Cotton End Built-up area 1.3 miles
- Elstow Parish 1.5 miles
- Cauldwell Ward 1.7 miles
- Cople Built-up area 1.9 miles
- Riverfield Ward 1.9 miles
- Castle & Newnham Ward 2 miles
- Wilshamstead Parish 2.2 miles
- Bedford Built-up area 2.3 miles
- Wixams & Wilstead Ward 2.4 miles
- Wilstead Built-up area 2.4 miles
Example postcodes in Shortstown
MK42 0QB, MK42 0WS, MK42 0UJ, MK42 0NZ, MK42 0ZL, MK42 0GU, MK42 0UZ, MK42 0GD, MK42 0NP … See all
Transport links
- Luton Airport 16.6 miles
- Stansted Airport 32.3 miles
- Bedford St Johns Railway Station 2 miles
- Bedford Railway Station 2.7 miles
Hotels near Shortstown Ad
- Holiday Inn Express Bedford 3 2.1 miles
- Embankment Hotel 4 2.1 miles
- Verve Hotel 4 3 miles
- Mercure Bedford Centre Hotel 4 2.2 miles
- The Kingfisher 4 1 mile
- Premier Inn Bedford 3 1.5 miles
- d'Parys 2.7 miles
- Albero Bedrooms 2.3 miles
- Bedford Swan Hotel 4 2.2 miles
- The Knife and Cleaver 4.1 miles
Schools in Shortstown
- Shortstown Primary School Primary
Local points of interest
- Moot Hall Museum 1.7 miles
- Redbourne College College 7 miles
- Wrest House Estate 7.2 miles
- Silsoe College - Cranfield University College 7.3 miles
- Flitwick Moor Nature reserve 7.8 miles
- Santa Pod Raceway Recreation 11.2 miles
- Woburn Abbey Estate 11.3 miles
- Toddington library Library 12 miles
- British School Museum Museum 13.2 miles
- Putteridge Bury Estate 14.1 miles
- Theatre MK Theatre 14.3 miles
- Milton Keynes Xscape Shopping centre 14.4 miles