100-604: Bedford Hospital is a 400-bed district general hospital located in the English town of Bedford , serving the Borough of Bedford and parts of Central Bedfordshire , run by the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust . The hospital was founded by Samuel Whitbread , the brewer, who had left £8,000 in his will for the purpose of establishing a hospital. The planning committee for the hospital, which included
200-597: A cricket pavilion and bandstand which are both still in use. Priory Country Park is a large country park located on the northern bank of the River Great Ouse in eastern Bedford. Both parks have been awarded Green Flag status . Bedford's principal church is St Paul's , in the square of the same name at the historic centre of the town. It is the Civic Church of the Borough of Bedford and County of Bedfordshire and has
300-459: A three-tier education system, which was arranged into lower , middle and upper schools , as recommended in the Plowden Report of 1967. The arrangement was put to the vote in 2006 with a view to moving to the two-tier model, but was rejected. On 17 November 2009, borough councillors voted 19 to 17 in favour of a two tier system, which would then be phased in. However, following the defeat of
400-532: A unitary authority that includes a significant rural area. Bedford was founded at a ford on the River Great Ouse and is thought to have been the burial place of King Offa of Mercia , who is remembered for building Offa's Dyke on the Welsh border. Bedford Castle was built by Henry I , although it was destroyed in 1224. Bedford was granted borough status in 1166 and has been represented in Parliament since 1265. It
500-493: A 'Haling Act', the Ouse Navigation Act 1790 ( 30 Geo. 3 . c. 83), was passed, which ensured that tolls were charged and landowners were repaid for damage to the banks caused by horses. These measures were a success, as there were few complaints once the new system was in place. After the river had been diverted to King's Lynn , the town developed as a port. Evidence for this can still be seen, as two warehouses built in
600-566: A better route for barge traffic. The unmodified river would have changed course regularly after floods. The name Ouse is from the Celtic or pre-Celtic * Udso-s , and probably means simply "water" or slow flowing river. Thus the name is a pleonasm . The lower reaches of the Great Ouse are also known as "Old West River" and "the Ely Ouse", but the entire length of the river is often referred to simply as
700-673: A direct link north-east towards the lower river at Denver in Norfolk. The river previously ran through Hermitage Lock into the Old West River, then joined the Cam near Little Thetford before passing Ely and Littleport to reach the Denver sluice. Below this point, the river is tidal and continues past Downham Market to enter the Wash at King's Lynn. It is navigable from the Wash to Kempston Mill near Bedford,
800-470: A distance of 72 mi (116 km) which contains 17 locks. It has a catchment area of 3,240 sq mi (8,380 km ) and a mean flow of 15.5 m /s (550 cu ft/s) as measured at Denver Sluice. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded modification in 1236, as a result of flooding. During the 1600s, the Old Bedford and New Bedford rivers were built to provide
900-655: A former brickworks site near Stewartby , on the outskirts of Bedford, with the company exploring the possibility of building a theme park and resort in the area, citing Bedford's proximity to London and Luton Airport. In 2024, Universal Studios United Kingdom was announced to be in the planning and approval phases, with construction potentially beginning as early as January 2025, and the park itself slated for completion around 2030. Following successful rollouts of autonomous delivery robots in nearby Milton Keynes, Northampton and Cambridgeshire by Starship Technologies , in July 2022,
1000-536: A merger with the University of Luton in 2006 had been a campus of De Montfort University (itself now solely based in Leicester ). For further education, the town is served by Bedford College and The Bedford Sixth Form . Additionally, Stella Mann College is a private college, which offers a range of further education courses relating to the performing arts . The town has a high number of places of worship, including
1100-427: A non-UK identity; just over 8% had a "British and other" identity. In 2001, Bedford was 69% Christian, 24% Irreligious, 3% Muslim, and 2% Sikh. By 2021, Bedford was 48% Christian, 40% Irreligious, 7% Muslim, and 2% Sikh. Bedford Park is the town's largest urban park and is located directly to the north of the town centre. The park retains many original features from its Victorian design and construction, including
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#17330924371291200-421: A pay on foot system. Greyfriars occupies 142 parking spaces, including 7 designated disabled spaces, although there is a 2-hour per day parking limit. Bedford bus station serves the town and was reopened on 29 March 2015, after undergoing £8.8million regeneration which began in 2013. The main operators in and around the town are Stagecoach East and Stagecoach Midlands . Bedford Borough previously operated
1300-502: A place to work. It spent 7.2% of its total turnover on agency staff in 2014/5. Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire , England. At the 2011 Census, the population of its urban area (as defined by the Office for National Statistics ), including Kempston and Biddenham , was 106,940. Bedford is also the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford ,
1400-738: A progressively eastwards fashion. In the Dark Ages, it turned to the west at Littleport, between its present junctions with the River Little Ouse and the River Lark , and made its way via Welney, Upwell and Outwell, to flow into The Wash near Wisbech . At that time it was known as the Wellstream or Old Wellenhee, and parts of that course are marked by the Old Croft River and the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. After major inland flood events in
1500-553: A quicker route for the water to reach the sea. In the 20th century, construction of the Cut-Off Channel and the Great Ouse Relief Channel have further altered water flows in the region, and helped to reduce flooding. Improvements to assist navigation began in 1618, with the construction of sluices and locks. Bedford could be reached by river from 1689. A major feature was the sluice at Denver, which failed in 1713, but
1600-528: A reliable outlet to the sea, and was kept navigable by diverting the River Nene east to flow into it in the 1470s. The Land Drainage Act 1601 ( 43 Eliz. 1 . c. 11) allowed 'adventurers', who paid for drainage schemes with their own money, to be repaid in land which they had drained. The act covered large tracts of England, but no improvements were made to the region through which the Great Ouse flowed until 1618, Arnold Spencer and Thomas Girton started to improve
1700-433: A tall, iconic spire which is one of the dominant features of the town. There was an early Minster church on the site by 1066 and work on the present structure began in the early 13th century, but little remains from that period. John Bunyan and John Wesley both preached in the church. In 1865–1868 the tower and spire were completely rebuilt and the two transepts added and lesser alterations have been made since. From 1941 to
1800-429: A three-month period soon afterwards. Despite pressure from local authorities and navigation companies, the upper river was closed for trade, and a royal commission reported in 1909 on the poor state of the lower river, the lack of any consistent authority to manage it, and the unusual practice of towing horses having to jump over fences because there were no gates where they crossed the towing path. The Ouse Drainage Board
1900-670: A traditional pantomime at the Bedford Corn Exchange each Christmas. Esquires (one of the town's premier live music venues) regularly plays host to many notable bands and acts from all over the United Kingdom as well as showcasing local live music. Every two years, an event called the " Bedford River Festival " is held near the river in Bedford during early July. The event lasts for two days and regularly attracts about 250,000 visitors. The event includes sports, funfairs and live music. It
2000-551: A war memorial to the men of the town killed in the First World War . The memorial was designed in 1921 by the sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger and depicts the Anglo Saxon Lady Athelflaed, who ruled Mercia, killing a dragon. The inscription reads 1914 † 1919 TO BEDFORDIANS WHO DIED, MANY IN EARLY YOUTH, SOME FULL OF YEARS AND HONOUR, BUT WHO ALL ALIKE GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY. Bedford Castle Mound
2100-577: A year is typical of inland areas of southern-central England. Bedford is home to one of the largest concentrations of Italian immigrants in the United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census, almost 30% of Bedford's population were of at least partial Italian descent. This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment in the early 1950s by the London Brick Company from Southern Italy . From 1954 to 2008 Bedford had its own Italian vice-consulate . In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also been
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#17330924371292200-574: Is Bedford St John's which in on the Marston Vale Line . Services are operated by London North Western Railway and run between Bletchley and Bedford's main station . Road access to and from the town is provided by the A6 and A421 roads; the former connects the town with Kettering to the north-west, and Luton to the south, whilst the latter connects the town with Milton Keynes and the M1 (at Junction 13) to
2300-555: Is a regional centre for the sport. Viking Kayak Club organise the Bedford Kayak Marathon with canoe racing held along the Embankment on Bedford's riverside and dates back to the original Bedford to St Neots race in 1952, believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Bedford also benefits from the presence of weirs and sluices, creating white water opportunities. Viking organise national ranking Canoe Slalom events at
2400-593: Is home to four private schools run by the Harpur Trust charity, endowed by Bedfordian Sir William Harpur in the 16th century. These are: Smaller private institutions include Bedford Greenacre Independent School (boys and girls aged 3–18), and Polam School (boys and girls aged 12 months to 9 years), neither of which are part of the Harpur Trust. Bedford hosts a campus of the University of Bedfordshire , which prior to
2500-410: Is known for its large population of Italian descent . The name of the town is believed to derive from the name of a Saxon chief called Beda, and a ford crossing the River Great Ouse . Bedford was a market town for the surrounding agricultural region from the early Middle Ages . The Anglo-Saxon King Offa of Mercia was buried in the town in 796; this is believed to be in his new minster, now
2600-618: Is led by a directly elected mayor who holds the title 'Mayor of Bedford', an office which was first held by Frank Branston , until his death in 2009. The current mayor of Bedford is Tom Wootton from the Conservative Party . The Bedford built-up area is divided into 10 wards for elections to the Borough Council: Brickhill , Castle , Cauldwell , De Parys , Goldington , Harpur , Kingsbrook , Newnham , Putnoe , Queens Park , Kempston East and Kempston West . Within
2700-580: Is no loger available for navigation. The proposed Fens Waterways Link , which aims to improve navigation from Lincoln to Cambridge may result in this section being upgraded, or a non-tidal link being created at Denver. There are two more proposed schemes to improve connections from the river to the Midlands waterway network (in addition to the Gt Ouse ;– Nene link via the Middle Level). As
2800-561: Is of Sub-Saharan descent ), South America and the Caribbean, making it one of the most ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse towns in the United Kingdom outside of London in proportion to its size. At the 2011 Census, the ethnic mix of the Bedford urban area was 74.4% white, 4% mixed, 15% Asian/Asian British, 5% Black/African/Caribbean/Black British, and 1% "other ethnic group". In terms of national identity, just over 50% identified as English only, 24% as British only and 15% only as
2900-509: Is part of Bedford's built-up area, as is the village of Biddenham. Other villages adjacent to, but outside of, the built-up area include Bromham , Elstow , Renhold and Ravensden . Wixams is a new town which is being developed to the south of Bedford. Villages in the Borough of Bedford, outside of the built-up area, with populations of more than 2,000 (as of 2005) include Clapham , Elstow , Oakley , Sharnbrook , Shortstown , Wilstead , and Wootton . There are also many smaller villages in
3000-603: Is the largest theatre in Bedford and hosts many larger productions as well as projects from the university. There is an active amdram (community theatre) scene, with groups such as the Swan Theatre Company, Bedford Drama Company (formerly Bedford Dramatic Club), Bedford Marianettes and ShowCo Bedford producing plays and musicals in venues like the Place Theatre and the Corn Exchange. The Bedford Pantomime Company produces
3100-572: Is the local radio station. River Great Ouse The River Great Ouse ( / uː z / ooz ) is a river in England , the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse" . From Syresham in Northamptonshire , the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the Wash and the North Sea near Kings Lynn . Authorities disagree both on
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3200-455: Is the remnant of Bedford's medieval castle , located close to the centre of the modern town, less than a hundred yards from Bedford Bridge and the High Street. In around 2000, Bedford Borough Council built a sloping retaining wall on the south side, facing the river. Although almost completely modern, the wall does incorporate a few pieces of historic masonry. A paved path leads round the side of
3300-572: Is the second-largest regular outdoor event in the United Kingdom, beaten in numbers only by the Notting Hill Carnival . The Bedford Regatta each May is Britain's largest one-day river rowing regatta. Other annual events include "Bedford by the Sea" (when large quantities of sand are deposited in the town centre), the "Bedford International Kite Festival" and "Bedford Festival of Motoring" in June. "Proms in
3400-456: The Bedford Bypass . Despite being far upriver from the sea, seals have occasionally been reported as swimming as far inland as Bedford. The Old Town Hall dates back to 1550 and the building was originally constructed as a school. The River Great Ouse passes through the town centre and is lined with gardens known as the Embankment. Within these gardens, opposite Rothsay Road, stands
3500-670: The Bedford constituency , represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament . The current Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford is Mohammad Yasin , who is a member of the Labour Party . Bedford is 46 miles (74 km) miles north-northwest of London , 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Birmingham , 25 miles (40 km) west of Cambridge and 19 miles (31 km) east-southeast of Northampton . The town of Kempston
3600-714: The Cardington Artificial Slalom Course (CASC), which was the first artificial whitewater course in the UK, opened in 1982 adjacent to Cardington Lock, in a partnership with the Environment Agency who use it as a flood relief channel. CASC is also the venue each year for the UK's National Inter Clubs Slalom Finals, the largest canoe slalom event by participation in the UK. Since 1978, the Bedford River Festival has been held every two years, to celebrate
3700-573: The Duke of Bedford , Lord John Russell and the brewer’s son, also Samuel Whitbread made swift progress and the hospital opened in 1803. Major recent developments have included the Cygnet Wing, which provides paediatric, maternity and gynaecology and which was opened by the Queen in 1996. In 2001, it was reported in the local press that bodies were being stored on the floor of the chapel of rest, while part of
3800-572: The Earl of Bedford formed a corporation to drain the Bedford Levels. Cornelius Vermuyden was the engineer, and a major part of the scheme was the Old Bedford River, a straight cut to carry water from Earith to a new sluice near Salters Lode, which was completed in 1637. The sluice was not popular with those who used the river for navigation, and there were some attempts to destroy the new works during
3900-489: The House of Lords in 1904, who allowed Simpson to close the locks. Simpson's victory in 1904 coincided with an increased use of the river for leisure. As he could not charge these boats for use of the locks, the situation was resolved for a time in 1906 by the formation of the River Ouse Locks Committee, who rented the locks between Great Barford and Bedford. Over 2,000 boats were recorded using Bedford Lock in
4000-609: The Milton Keynes urban area (at Stony Stratford and Newport Pagnell ) and Olney , then Kempston in Bedfordshire, which is the current head of navigation. Passing through Bedford , it flows on into Cambridgeshire through St Neots , Godmanchester , Huntingdon , Hemingford Grey and St Ives , reaching Earith . Here, the river enters a short tidal section before branching in two. The artificial, very straight Old Bedford River and New Bedford River , which remain tidal, provide
4100-770: The River Cam , the River Lark, the River Little Ouse and the River Wissey. Close to Denver sluice, Salters Lode lock gives access to the Middle Level Navigations , but the intervening section is tidal, and deters many boaters. Access to the Middle Level Navigations used to be possible via the Old Bedford River and Welches Dam lock, but the Environment Agency piled the entrance to the lock in 2006 and this route
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4200-638: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ , and that Bedford was the original location of the Garden of Eden . The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum , Bedford is housed in the recreated Victorian home of the Higgins family of Victorian brewers and in a modern extension. The museum has local history collections, while the galleries have notable collections of watercolours, prints and drawings, ceramics, glass and lace. Bedford contains several works of public art , most notably
4300-670: The Statue of John Bunyan , the Statue of John Howard , and Reflections of Bedford , a statue by British sculptor Rick Kirby . The Panacea Museum tells the story of the Panacea Society , a religious community formed in the early twentieth century. The Bedford Corn Exchange is the largest entertainment venue in the town and plays host to a variety of performances, meetings, conferences, concerts and private functions. The venue has been host to many great entertainers such as Glenn Miller and Bob Hope . The University of Bedfordshire Theatre
4400-476: The 15th century for trade with the Hanseatic League have survived. However, the harbour and the river below Denver sluice were affected by silting, and the problem was perceived to be the effects of the sluice. Sand from The Wash was deposited by the incoming tide, and the outgoing tide did not carry it away again. Colonel John Armstrong was asked to survey the river in 1724, and suggested returning it to how it
4500-415: The 1830s and 1840s. The Bedford Level Act 1827 ( 53 Geo. 3 . c. ccxiv) created commissioners who dredged the river from Hermitage Lock to Littleport bridge, and also dredged several of its tributaries. They constructed a new cut near Ely to bypass a long meander near Padnall Fen and Burnt Fen , but although the works cost £70,000, they were too late to return the navigation to prosperity. Railways arrived in
4600-430: The Bedford urban area, only Brickhill, Biddenham and Kempston elect their own parish councils , while the rest (and majority) of the built-up area is unparished. Kempston is the only civil parish in both the built-up area and Borough of Bedford which has a town council . Bedford is served by Bedfordshire Police . The Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner of that force is John Tizard . Bedford forms part of
4700-678: The Church of St Paul, or on the banks of the Great Ouse where his tomb was soon lost to the river. In 886 it became a boundary town separating Wessex and Danelaw . It was the seat of the Barony of Bedford . In 919 Edward the Elder built the town's first known fortress, on the south side of the River Great Ouse and there received the area's submission. This fortress was destroyed by the Danes . William II gave
4800-622: The Civic and County Church of St Paul's and the Church of St Peter's . There are three from the Newfrontiers network, as well as Polish, Arab, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian Roman Catholic churches, LDS ( Mormon ) meeting houses, Greek , Russian and other Orthodox churches, Presbyterian churches, Lutheran churches, Baptist churches, Evangelical churches, Methodist churches, Protestant churches, Anglican churches and various independent churches and other places of worship that cater to
4900-619: The Great Fire of Bedford in 1802, which destroyed 72 properties in the St Loyes area. 21 years later, the Great Flood of Bedford swamped most of the town when the River Great Ouse burst its banks. The former Phoenix public house in St Johns Street has a stone marker in its wall almost two metres above ground level, representing the maximum height of the floodwater in 1823. In 1832 gas lighting
5000-450: The King's Lynn Conservancy Board, and the Great Ouse Catchment Board reconstructed and extended them in 1937. After major flooding in 1937 and 1947, and the North Sea flood of 1953 , flood control issues became more important, and the Cut-Off Channel was completed in 1964, to carry the headwaters of the River Wissey, River Lark and River Little Ouse to join the river near Denver sluice. The Great Ouse Relief Channel, which runs parallel to
5100-426: The King's Lynn harbour. Denver sluice was reconstructed in 1834, after the Eau Brink Cut had been completed. Sir John Rennie designed the new structure, which incorporated a tidal lock with four sets of gates, enabling it to be used at most states of the tide. Sir Thomas Cullam, who had inherited a part share of the upper river, invested large amounts of his own money in rebuilding the locks, sluices and staunches in
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#17330924371295200-405: The Labour Government in 2010, the new coalition government announced that the funding necessary for the switch to a two-tier system would no longer be available. As a result, the switch proceeded on a school by school basis as national funding was due to cover most of the cost. However, in July 2015, the council announced the intention to support the transition to a system of two tier education across
5300-474: The Ouse in informal usage (the word "Great" – which originally meant simply big or, in the case of a river, long – is used to distinguish this river from several others called the Ouse). The river has several sources close to the villages of Syresham and Wappenham in South Northamptonshire . It flows through Brackley , provides the Oxfordshire /Northamptonshire border, then into Buckinghamshire where it flows through Buckingham ,
5400-578: The Park", held in early August, is a popular musical event. Bedford's special brand of the ordinary has resulted in regular small TV and radio appearances, for instance the upbeat episode of Mark Steel's in Town , contrasting with the less enthusiastic treatment in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . The "Bedford of Bedfordshire's Community Calendar" segment of this US show featured Bedford-born John Oliver . In December 2023, Universal Destinations & Experiences announced that it had purchased 480 acres (later expanded to around 700 acres) of land on
5500-552: The area rapidly after 1845, reaching Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, King's Lynn, St Ives, St Neots and Tempsford by 1850. The river below King's Lynn was improved by the construction of the 2 mi (3.2 km) Marsh Cut and the building of training walls beyond that to constrain the channel, but the railways were welcomed by the Bedford Levels Corporation, for whom navigation interfered with drainage, and by King's Lynn Corporation, who did not want to be superseded by other towns with railway interchange facilities. A large interchange dock
5600-453: The barony of Bedford to Paine de Beauchamp, who built a new, strong castle. Bedford traces its borough charter in 1166 by Henry II and elected two members to the unreformed House of Commons . The new Bedford Castle was razed in 1224 and today only a mound remains. From the 16th century Bedford and much of Bedfordshire became one of the main centres of England's lace industry, and lace continued to be an important industry in Bedford until
5700-399: The boats over such obstructions. On the lower river, a combination of high spring tides and large volumes of floodwater resulted in the complete failure of Denver sluice in 1713. While there were celebrations among the navigators, the problem of flooding returned, and the channel below Denver deteriorated. Charles Labelye therefore designed a new sluice for the Bedford Level Corporation, which
5800-615: The borough. As with the rest of the United Kingdom, Bedford has a maritime climate , with a limited range of temperatures, and generally even rainfall throughout the year. The nearest Met Office weather station to Bedford is Bedford (Thurleigh) airport, about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north of Bedford town centre at an elevation of 85 metres (279 ft). Temperature extremes at the site have ranged from 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) in July 2022, down to −15.3 °C (4.5 °F) in January 1982. However, such extremes would likely be superseded if longer-term records were available – Historically,
5900-608: The company announced a partnership with Bedford Borough Council and The Co-operative Group to rollout the autonomous robots in the Bedford built-up area, delivering from three Co-op stores in Goldington, Queens Drive and Kempston, an area spanning 45,000 residents and 20,000 households. Local news and televisions programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia from the Sandy Heath TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio on 95.5 FM, Heart East on 96.9 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts on 96.2 FM, In2beats on 106.5 FM and Bedford Radio which
6000-413: The contract because it endangered the viability of its trauma and Accident and Emergency service as the number of referrals dropped by 30%. It was named by the Health Service Journal as one of the top hundred NHS trusts to work for in 2015. At that time it had 2211 full time equivalent staff and a sickness absence rate of 3.96%. 75% of staff recommend it as a place for treatment and 63% recommended it as
6100-471: The different ethnic, racial, and language groups. There are four Islamic mosques in the town. There are also Buddhist and Hindu temples in the town. Bedford has the largest Sikh gurdwara in the United Kingdom outside London, alongside two other Sikh gurdwaras; one of which is in Kempston. Bedford has Guru Ravidass and Valmiki temples. There are Quaker , Jehovah's Witness and Wiccan communities who meet and have their own places of worship in
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#17330924371296200-497: The drainage and ecology authority as well as being the navigation authority . The Ouse Washes are an internationally important area for wildlife. Sandwiched between the Old Bedford and New Bedford rivers, they consist of washland which is used as pasture during the summer but which floods in the winter, and are the largest area of such land in the United Kingdom. They act as breeding grounds for lapwings, redshanks and snipe in spring, and are home to varieties of ducks and swans during
6300-438: The early 13th century it breached another watershed near Denver and took over the channel of the old Wiggenhall Eau, and so achieved a new exit and so joined the Wash at Kings Lynn. Parts of the old course were later used for the River Lark, which flows in the reverse direction along the section below Prickwillow, after the main river was moved further to the west. The original northern course began to silt up, depriving Wisbech of
6400-417: The early 20th century. In 1660 John Bunyan was imprisoned for 12 years in Bedford Gaol . It was here that he wrote The Pilgrim's Progress . The River Great Ouse became navigable as far as Bedford in 1689. Wool declined in importance with brewing becoming a major industry in the town. The 19th century saw Bedford transform into an important engineering hub. The northern part of the town was badly damaged in
6500-569: The end of the Second World War the BBC 's daily service was broadcast from St Paul's. Another notable local church is St Peter's , on St Peter's Street, which contains some of the oldest architectural remains in Bedford, the most ancient being the two monoliths . St Paul's Church also hosts the town's Visitor Information Centre. Just outside the town lie the Cardington airship hangars . The hangars have been used to shoot scenes for movies such as Star Wars , Batman Begins , The Dark Knight , and Inception . The hangars can be seen from
6600-468: The harbour, and was widened at an additional cost of £33,000 on Telford's advice. The total cost for the 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi (4.0 km) cut was nearly £500,000, and although the navigators, who had opposed the scheme, benefitted most from it, there were new problems for drainage, with the surrounding land levels dropping as the peaty soil dried out. The Eau Brink Act 1795 created Drainage Commissioners and Navigation Commissioners, who had powers over
6700-408: The hospital's mortuary was undergoing maintenance. An internal inquiry found, that although the bodies were tampered with before the photographs were taken, the hospital's management was at fault, and the chief executive subsequently resigned. The Primrose Centre for cancer patients was completed in 2003, the redevelopment of the pathology services unit was completed in 2006, a surgical assessment unit
6800-432: The main river for 10 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi (16.9 km) from here to Wiggenhall bridge, was constructed at the same time. It joins the river at a sluice above King's Lynn, and was made navigable in 2001, when the Environment Agency constructed a lock at Denver to provide access. By 1939, the Catchment Board had reopened the locks to Godmanchester and then to Eaton Socon ; in 1951 the Great Ouse Restoration Society
6900-401: The most popular area for breeding animals in recent years. Tributaries of the River Great Ouse: (upstream [source] to downstream by confluence) In 1944 the annual Boat Race between the Oxford and Cambridge universities took place on this river, between Littleport and Queen Adelaide, the first time that it had not been held on the Thames ; it was won by Oxford. The 2021 Boat Race
7000-576: The mound up to the top, which is a flat circular grassy area. A small wooden structure of the same date at the top of the wall, much like a bus shelter, protects tourists from the rain while they view the river embankment. There are two stations in Bedford. The main Bedford railway station is on the Midland Main Line , providing inter-city services to London St Pancras and the East Midlands, operated by East Midlands Railway . Stopping services, operated by Thameslink , run through London to Gatwick Airport and Brighton . Bedford's other lesser used station
7100-502: The navigation, and it was recommended that it should be abandoned, but there was no funds to obtain an act of Parliament to create a drainage authority. The navigation was declared to be derelict by three county councils soon afterwards. It was then bought by the Ouse River Canal and Steam Navigation Ltd , who wanted to link Bedford to the Grand Junction Canal , but they failed to obtain their act of Parliament. A stockbroker called L. T. Simpson bought it in 1893, and spent some £21,000 over
7200-410: The nearest weather station to Bedford was Cardington about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) south south east of the town centre with an elevation of 30 metres (98 ft). This location recorded a minimum of −18.3 °C (−0.9 °F) during January 1963. Rainfall averages around 585 mm (23.0 in) a year, with an excess of 1 mm (0.04 in) falling on 109 days. Sunshine at around 1,500 hours
7300-517: The next four years in restoring it. He created the Ouse Transport Company, running a fleet of tugs and lighters, and then attempted to get approval for new tolls, but was opposed by Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire county councils. Protracted legal battles followed, with Simpson nailing the lock gates together, and the county councils declaring that the river was a public highway. The case, Simpson v Godmanchester Corporation , eventually reached
7400-596: The recipient of significant immigration from India (8.1% of Bedford's population; Indians began arriving from the late 1950s onwards from the Punjab area & many worked at the London Brick Company), Eastern Europe (particularly in the 2000s) and Scandinavia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, Malta, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Albania, Turkey, The Middle East, East Asia, South East Asia, Africa (3% of Bedford's population
7500-620: The river between 1925 and 1959, with the last known commercial traffic sailing in 1974. Leisure boating had been popular since 1904, and the post-war period saw the creation of the Great Ouse Restoration Society in 1951, who campaigned for complete renovation of the river navigation. Until 1989, the river was in the care of the Anglian Water Authority until water privatisation , when the Environment Agency became
7600-453: The river between St Ives and St Neots . Six sluices were constructed, and Spencer attempted to obtain permission to improve the river to Bedford, but the bill for the related act of Parliament was defeated, despite support from Bedford Corporation. Some dredging was done, and Great Barford became an inland port, but he lost a lot of money on the scheme, and the condition of the river worsened. Below Earith, thirteen Adventurers working with
7700-566: The river by forming the Viking Kayak Club . Since 1996, the river has been the responsibility of the Environment Agency , who issue navigation licences. The upper river was fully reopened to Bedford with the rebuilding of Castle Mills lock in 1978. The non-tidal reaches of the river are used for leisure boating, but remain largely separated from the rest of the British inland waterway system. Several of its tributaries are navigable, including
7800-619: The river to St Ives, but both bodies were subject to the Bedford Levels Corporation. Although often in opposition, the two parties worked together on the construction of a new lock and staunch at Brownshill, to improve navigation above Earith. In 1835, King William IV brought a case against the Ouse Bank Commissioners regarding a mandamus writ issued in 1834 about the Eau Brink Cut and possible damages it caused to
7900-561: The river's source and its length, with one quoting 160 mi (260 km) and another 143 mi (230 km). Mostly flowing north and east, it is the fifth longest river in the United Kingdom . The Great Ouse has been historically important for commercial navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows; its best-known tributary is the Cam , which runs through Cambridge . Its lower course passes through drained wetlands and fens and has been extensively modified, or channelised , to relieve flooding and provide
8000-432: The river, and navigation was extended to Bedford in 1689 by the construction of new staunches and sluices. Between St Ives and Bedford, there were ten sluices, which were pound locks constructed at locations where mill weirs would have prevented navigation. There were also five staunches, which were flash locks constructed near to fords and shallows. Operation of the beam and paddle provided an extra volume of water to carry
8100-564: The sugar beet factory at Queen Adelaide near Ely was opened. They operated six or seven tugs and a fleet of over 100 barges, and three tugs and 24 barges from the Wissington sugar beet factory on the River Wissey also operated on the river. Local commercial traffic continued around Ely until after the Second World War . The sugar beet traffic ceased in 1959, and the last commercial boat on
8200-571: The town. There is no longer a synagogue in Bedford, but Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue, based in Luton , meets in Bedford once a month for the town's Jewish community. The nearest Orthodox synagogue is the Luton United Synagogue, a Lubavitch synagogue in Luton. Bedford is the former headquarters of the Panacea Society , founded in 1919, who believed that the town would have an important role in
8300-513: The turmoil of the English civil wars . A second drainage act of Parliament was obtained in 1649, and Vermuyden oversaw the construction of the New Bedford River, parallel to the Old Bedford River, which was completed in 1652. There was strong opposition from the ports and towns on the river, which increased as the old channel via Ely gradually silted up. Above Earith, Samuel Jemmatt took control of
8400-459: The upper river was "Shellfen" , a Dutch barge converted to carry 4,000 imp gal (18,000 L) of diesel fuel, which supplied the remote pumping stations until 1974, when the last ones were converted to electricity. Below Denver, the situation was complicated by the fact that there were six bodies with responsibility for the river in 1913. No dredging took place, as there was no overall authority. The training walls were repaired in 1930 by
8500-440: The water quality has improved, otters have returned to the river in numbers such that fishing lakes now require fencing to protect stocks. Paxton Pits nature reserve near St Neots has hides from which otters are regularly seen. Coarse fishing is still popular, with a wide range of fish in the river, but it is many years since large sturgeon were caught. Seals have been recorded as far upstream as Bedford. Huntingdonshire seems to be
8600-673: The west, and the A1 to the east (near St Neots ) via a bypass, with both being around 10 miles (16 km) away. Other roads that serve or skirt the town include the A422 , which runs westwards into Milton Keynes (also connecting to the M1 at Junction 14 via the A509 ), and the A428 , which runs between Coventry and Cambridge . The new Greyfriars surface car park and the refurbished Allhallows multi-storey car park both implement
8700-501: The whole borough in a coordinated way. At the time, only the Wootton cluster of schools chose not to transition. As of September 2018, all of the borough's schools have converted to two-tier. The secondary schools currently operating in the borough are Bedford Academy , Bedford Free School , Biddenham International School , Castle Newnham School , Goldington Academy , Mark Rutherford School and St Thomas More Catholic School . Bedford
8800-479: The winter months. The river has been important both for drainage and for navigation for centuries, and these dual roles have not always been complementary. The course of the river has changed significantly. In prehistory, it flowed from Huntingdon straight to Wisbech and then into the sea. In several sequences, the lower reaches of the river silted, and in times of inland flood, the waters would breach neighbouring watersheds and new courses would develop – generally in
8900-643: Was again held on the river because of the COVID-19 pandemic . The Great Ouse has been used by three clubs from Cambridge University for the training of rowers, with the Boat Club (CUBC) , the Women's Boat Club (CUWBC) and the Lightweight Rowing Club (CULRC) , all using facilities at Ely; the clubs merged in 2020. The Great Ouse is a very popular river for canoeing and kayaking , particularly around Bedford which
9000-609: Was announced that Monitor was reviewing of health services in Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes in an attempt to avert "significant problems ahead" in the local hospitals. Circle Health was awarded a prime provider contract for Bedfordshire's Musculoskeletal service in April 2014 by the Clinical Commissioning Group and it was intended that the Trust would be a subcontractor. In November the Trust announced that it had refused to sign
9100-411: Was built at Ely, to facilitate the distribution of agricultural produce from the local region to wider markets. In addition, coal for several isolated pumping stations was transferred to boats for the final part of the journey, rather than it coming all the way from King's Lynn. Decline on most of the river was rapid, with tolls halving between 1855 and 1862. Flooding in 1875 was blamed on the poor state of
9200-477: Was completed in 2012 and an endoscopy unit was completed in 2015. The Weller Wing, in which East London NHS Foundation Trust had provided psychiatric services, closed early in 2017. In September 2017 plans were announced to merge the Bedford Hospital NHS Trust with Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust . The hospital operates from a series of sites: In December 2013 it
9300-458: Was constructed between 1748 and 1750 and included a navigation lock. No tolls were charged on the river below St Ives or on the New Bedford, and those responsible for drainage complained about damage to the sluices and to banks by the horses used for towing boats. A bill for a new act of Parliament to regulate the situation was defeated in 1777 after fierce opposition, and it was not until 1790 that
9400-566: Was formed in 1918, but had no powers to deal with navigation issues, and it was not until the powers of the Land Drainage Act 1930 ( 20 & 21 Geo. 5 . c. 44) were used to create the Great Ouse Catchment Board that effective action could be taken. The catchment board bought the navigation rights from Simpson's estate, and began to dredge the river and rebuild the locks. There was an upturn in commercial traffic from 1925, when
9500-481: Was formed to continue the process, and successfully campaigned for and assisted with the restoration. The Restoration Society campaign included the establishment of the Bedford to St. Neots Canoe Race in 1952 to publicise the case for navigational restoration. Now known as the Bedford Kayak Marathon, it is the longest established canoe race in the UK. In 1961 its organisers formalised canoeing activities on
9600-408: Was introduced, and the railway reached Bedford in 1846. The first corn exchange was built 1849, and the first drains and sewers were dug in 1864. Bedford's first woman town councillor was Mary Milligan who, in 1919, was also the secretary of the local Women's Citizens League. The contiguous Bedford built-up area forms the largest settlement in the wider Borough of Bedford . The borough council
9700-418: Was obtained to authorise it, and another 26 years until the cut was finally opened in 1821. During this time, most of the major civil engineers of the time had contributed their opinions. The original project head and chief engineer was Sir Thomas Hyde Page . The work was overseen by John Rennie and Thomas Telford and construction took four years. It proved to be too narrow, resulting in further silting of
9800-462: Was prior to the construction of the drainage works. John Smeaton rejected this idea in 1766, suggesting that the banks should be moved inwards to create a narrower, faster-flowing channel. William Elstobb and others had suggested that the great bend in the river above King's Lynn should be removed by creating a cut, but it took 50 years of arguing before the Eau Brink Act 1795 ( 35 Geo. 3 . c. 77)
9900-401: Was rebuilt by 1750 after the problem of flooding returned. Kings Lynn, at the mouth of the river, developed as a port, with civil engineering input from many of the great engineers of the time. With the coming of the railways the state of the river declined so that it was unsuitable either for navigation or for drainage. The navigation was declared to be derelict in the 1870s. A repeated problem
10000-421: Was the number of authorities responsible for different aspects of the river. The drainage board created in 1918 had no powers to address navigation issues, and there were six bodies responsible for the river below Denver in 1913. When the Great Ouse Catchment Board was created under the powers of the Land Drainage Act 1930 , effective action could at last be taken. There was significant sugar beet cargo traffic on
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