59-401: Goldington is part of Bedford , Bedfordshire , England. It encompasses much of the historic village and parish of Goldington that was merged with Bedford in 1934, although some parts of the old village are within the neighbouring Newnham ward. It also includes two modern estates that are part of Renhold parish. The boundaries of Goldington are approximately The Spires and Aspire estates to
118-597: 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
177-520: A pub , the old Goldington Hall became semi-derelict and was the scene of a small fire in 2008. It is now a private residence. Coplan Estates were appointed to re-develop the Church Lane shopping area in 2006, and an old pub called The Century was demolished in 2008. However the recession of the late 2000s delayed further progress. Phase one of the regeneration saw the Aldi supermarket being constructed at
236-459: 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
295-673: 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 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
354-458: A by-election in 2018 Labour councillor Darren Rayner was elected unopposed. There are three shopping parades in Goldington at which most shops and services are located - The first is Goldington Square on Church Lane which includes an Aldi supermarket, a branch of Iceland, a Co-op store and post office , a hairdressers, a fish & chip shop, a bookmakers, a branch of Subway, a medical centre and
413-478: A community centre. Goldington's second shopping hub is on Queens Drive, which has a small convenience store, a post office, a chemist, a hairdresser, a butcher's shop, a laundrette , a Co-op convenience store, a fish & chip shop, petrol station and GP Surgery. There is a small shopping parade on The Fairway with a convenience store, The Sportsman pub and a butchers shop. A greengrocer and fish and chip shop have closed and now stand empty. There are still
472-456: A few shops and pubs along the old village High Street (i.e. Goldington Road) including a small Londis supermarket. There is a small independent supermarket on Elliot Crescent. To the eastern side of Goldington is the Elms & Viking Industrial estate . This large business park (between Goldington Road and Norse Road) houses many firms, including Enterprise Holdings , E.ON UK , GE Healthcare and
531-655: 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,
590-628: 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 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
649-536: 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
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#1732852574370708-427: 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
767-421: 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
826-476: 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 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
885-433: 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
944-670: 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
1003-551: 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
1062-577: 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
1121-574: 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
1180-400: Is a grade II* listed building , located on Church Lane Church Lane Community Centre is located on Goldington Square, Church Lane. Goldington Green is the area's largest open space, and is situated on Church Lane and Goldington Road. Goldington Bury cricket ground is situated next to Goldington Green. Goldington Bury is the home ground of Bedford Cricket Club. Bedford Bedford
1239-567: 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 , a unitary authority that includes a significant rural area. Bedford was founded at a ford on the River Great Ouse and
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#17328525743701298-593: 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
1357-511: Is located in the neighbouring area of Newnham . The majority of Goldington is not part of a civil parish , with all community services under the direct control of Bedford Borough Council . Goldington elects two councillors to Bedford Borough Council. The seats were won in 2015 by Anthony Forth and Jade Uko of the Labour Party . The Spires and Aspire estates are in the area covered by Renhold Parish Council to which they elect one councillor, at
1416-561: 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
1475-509: 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
1534-603: 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
1593-509: Is the local radio station. Londis (United Kingdom) Londis is a symbol group in the United Kingdom with over 2,000 stores nationwide. Tesco owns the brand, following its 2018 purchase of Booker Group . Although it was formerly a subsidiary, the Londis brand in Ireland is no longer related to Londis (UK). The name Londis is a contraction of " Lon don Di strict S tores". Londis
1652-455: 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
1711-572: 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
1770-513: 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 is known for its large population of Italian descent . The name of the town is believed to derive from
1829-509: 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
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1888-616: 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
1947-513: The East of England Ambulance Service . Since the alteration of ward boundaries in 2011, and the relocation of Putnoe Primary School, there are no schools within the ward. The ward is served by Putnoe Primary School, The Hills Academy, Goldington Green Academy and Renhold VC Primary School for primary school age pupils. Goldington Academy and Mark Rutherford School serve the area for secondary school age pupils. St Mary's Church ( Church of England )
2006-638: 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
2065-670: 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
2124-606: 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 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
2183-430: 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
2242-566: The CEO of Musgrave in the United Kingdom, Eoin McGettigan, steering through the choppy waters of member revolts and counter offers from others backed by Icelandic banks. A separate, but wholly owned subsidiary company, Musgrave Retail Partners GB Ltd. was formed to supply the stores, until it was sold to Booker Group in 2015. In May 2015, Londis' parent company Musgrave Group confirmed it had reached an agreement to sell Budgens and Londis for £40 million to
2301-671: 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
2360-465: 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
2419-726: 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
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2478-665: 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,
2537-664: 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
2596-522: 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
2655-724: 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
2714-696: The largest settlement in the wider Borough of Bedford . The borough council 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
2773-691: 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
2832-476: 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 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
2891-410: 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
2950-423: The north, Norse Road to the east, Goldington Road to the south, with Church Lane and Bow Hill to the west. The northern part of the area is sometimes known as Elms Farm . Goldington was a village which grew up along the old A428 road between Bedford and Cambridge . St Mary 's Church in Goldington has parish registers going back to 1559. In August 1645 Major Walter Baskerville, a Royalist cavalry Officer,
3009-596: 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
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#17328525743703068-477: The return of some of the original parish lost in 1934. This expansion included the development of the Elms Farm estate and the Church Lane shopping parade. The Poppyfields estate was developed in the area in the 1990s. In the 21st century The Spires and Aspire housing estates have been constructed on the northern boundary of Goldington. These newer estates are in the civil parish of Renhold . After many years as
3127-486: The site and this opened in summer 2010. An Iceland supermarket and medical centre were opened in 2015, with the Church Lane Community Centre refurbished in 2016. The Queens Tavern pub on Queens Drive was closed in 2017 and replaced with a Co-op Food store. Goldington Castle , a motte-and-bailey castle , was built sometime after 1066, but is not actually in Goldington despite its name. The castle
3186-571: 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
3245-673: 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
3304-501: 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
3363-789: The wholesaler Booker Group , subject to regulatory approval. Since May 2015, the company has been owned by Booker Group , which purchased Londis and its sister company Budgens from the Musgrave Group for £40 million. Tesco plc acquired Booker Group in 2018. The current Londis retailer network is in excess of 2,200 stores and forecourt shops located throughout England , Scotland and Wales . Armitage Branch (Opened 2000) The Londis branch in armitage has served customers for over 20 years and has become one of armitage’s most prestigious establishments. Notable customers: Lisa Wilkinson Billy Vickerstaff Ronnie Parsons Boris Johnson Judi Dench Nick Belcher Muhammad Ali Dash
3422-652: Was established in Great Britain in 1959 by Kevin Stanley-Adams as a communally owned company, with each retailer owning a share in the parent company. However, in June 2004, the parent company was sold to the Irish Musgrave wholesale chain with a payment of £31,000 being made to each retailer who owned a stake, bringing it under the same ownership as Budgens , which has now adopted a similar franchise based business model. This acquisition proved controversial, with
3481-410: Was killed in a skirmish in Goldington. Goldington Hall (a small mansion) was built in the 1650s. The Hall was rebuilt in 1874. In 1931 the parish had a population of 1440. On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished with the southern part of the merged with Bedford and the northern rural parts becoming part of Ravensden and Renhold . The area was greatly expanded to the north in the 1960s and 70s, seeing
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