Things to Do in Bedford
Bedford is a river town, and the water is the thing to organise a day around, with a tidy centre close behind it.
The river and the embankment
The River Great Ouse cuts across Bedford, with a broad embankment on its banks and paths on both sides. It is a flat, open walk, lively on dry weekends with rowers, families and walkers, and a natural public place to meet. Bridges let you loop back on the opposite bank.
The River Great Ouse cuts across Bedford, with a broad embankment on its banks and paths on both sides.
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Riverside parks and gardens
Beside the water there are lawns, open spaces and formal planting that suit a long, slow stroll. Benches are placed to face the river, and the parks are close enough to the centre that a coffee is never far away.
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Somewhere to book a room or a table for the evening, in Bedford itself.
The town centre on foot
Bedford is a market town, and the compact streets around the high street have independent shops, small cafes and an easy layout. A couple of hours is enough to see it properly, and it is pleasant to move between the centre and the river. Weekday mornings are quiet and weekend afternoons livelier, especially in the sun. Choose one loop, out along one bank and back on the other, and add the centre if you still have energy.
Bedford is a market town, and the compact streets around the high street have independent shops, small cafes and an easy layout.
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If the weather turns
Plans here lean on the outdoors, so have an indoor backup. Local museums and galleries of the usual small town kind, a covered shopping area and plenty of cafes can fill a wet afternoon, though the choice is smaller than in a big city.
Plans here lean on the outdoors, so have an indoor backup.
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By train to London and elsewhere
Bedford station has direct trains to London, which makes the town a convenient base or a quick way out of the capital. A second, smaller station, Bedford St Johns, serves another line. The Bedfordshire countryside, with its villages and fields, lies in every direction if you have a car.
Bedford station has direct trains to London, which makes the town a convenient base or a quick way out of the capital.
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Getting about
The town centre takes about a quarter of an hour to walk across, but the main station lies some distance from the water, so allow time or take a bus. Taxis are easy to find outside the station.
The town centre takes about a quarter of an hour to walk across, but the main station lies some distance from the water, so allow time or take a bus.
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Evenings by the river
The embankment is lit and pleasant on a warm night, with people strolling, but it quietens once the restaurants empty, so keep to the lit stretches. Check the last train to London instead of assuming one, and have a taxi number saved for the journey from the station to where you are staying.
The embankment is lit and pleasant on a warm night, with people strolling, but it quietens once the restaurants empty, so keep to the lit stretches.
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Over 18s only
Like the site itself, this page is for adults who have turned 18, and nobody younger should be using either.
Like the site itself, this page is for adults who have turned 18, and nobody younger should be using either.
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Frequently asked questions
The riverside is public, open and busy in fine weather, which suits a relaxed first meeting. Stay in the central stretch where there are other people and cafes.
Direct trains run from central London to Bedford station, so no change is needed. Check the timetable on the day for last departures.
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