Bedford, England Attractions

Bedford, situated on the River Ouse 26mi/42km west of Cambridge, is the county town of Bedfordshire. Despite its various thriving industries it has a quiet residential air, with many attractive parks and gardens. The Ouse offers excellent angling and boating. Bedford is noted for its schools and its association with John Bunyan (1628-88).

In 1552 Sir William Harpur (1496-1573), a cloth merchant who became Lord Mayor of London (1561-62), founded a school in Bedford, his native town. The Harpur Trust now runs some four schools with a total of 3,500 pupils. John Bunyan was born in the neighboring village of Elstow, the son of a tinker. After marrying a pious woman he became an itinerant preacher, joining a Nonconformist sect. Although banned from preaching he continued to do so nevertheless and was thereupon confined to the county jail from 1660 to 1672, preaching to his warders and fellow prisoners. In 1675 he was arrested once more and committed to the town prison, where most of "The Pilgrim's Progress" was written.
Bedford hosts the River Festival every two years in July featuring live music and sports, it attracts about 250,000 visitors. A few of the highlights in Bedford include the Cecil Higgins Gallery, the Bedford Museum and St Paul's Church, with a spire that is a main feature in the town.