Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
About
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Luton (225,262), and Bedford is the county town.
The county has an area of 1,235 km2 (477 sq mi) and had a population of 704,736 at the 2021 census. Its other towns include Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, Biggleswade, Houghton Regis, and Flitwick. Much of the county is rural. For local government purposes, Bedfordshire comprises three unitary authority areas: Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, and Luton.
The county’s highest point is 243 m (797 ft) on Dunstable Downs in the Chilterns.
Transport
Bedfordshire lies on many of the main transport routes which link London to the Midlands, Northern England and the rest of the UK.
Roads
Two of England’s six main trunk roads pass through Bedfordshire. The A1 London to Edinburgh road (the Great North Road) runs close by Biggleswade and Sandy, and Watling Street, the Roman road between London and Chester, passes through Dunstable. Until it was diverted in 2017,[19] this was also the route of the A5 road between London and Holyhead. The Bedfordshire section of the A5 now runs from junction 11a of the M1 to rejoin Watling Street between Dunstable and Hockliffe, then continues on to cross the Buckinghamshire border at the City of Milton Keynes.
Railways
Three of England’s main lines pass through Bedfordshire.
The West Coast Main Line has but a short section where it passes through the far west of the county, with one station at Leighton Buzzard served by West Midlands Trains to London Euston and Northampton.
The East Coast Main Line has stations at Arlesey, Biggleswade and Sandy, served by Great Northern services to King’s Cross and Peterborough.
The Midland Main Line serves Luton, Luton Airport (via Luton DART link from the station at Luton Airport Parkway) and Bedford, with trains to many destinations operated by East Midlands Railway and Thameslink. Intermediate stations at Flitwick, Harlington and Leagrave are served by Thameslink.
There are London North Western rural services also running between Bedford and Bletchley along the Marston Vale Line.
Visitor attractions
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Bedford Castle- Bedford Corn Exchange
- Bushmead Priory
Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum
Bedford Park- Cardington (R101 hangar)
Chicksands Priory- Chiltern Hills
- De Grey Mausoleum
- Dunstable Downs
- Elstow Moot Hall
- Harrold-Odell Country Park
- Houghton House
Leighton Buzzard Light Railway- Luton Hoo
- Luton Museum & Art Gallery
- Marston Vale Community Forest
