Bedfordshire Accommodation:
Ampthill
Arlesey
Aspley Guise
Beadlow
Bedford
Biggleswade
Clapham
Colmworth
Cranfield
Dunstable
Elstow
Eversholt
Flitwick
Gamlingay
Henlow
Houghton Regis
Ivinghoe
Kempston
Leagrave
Leighton Buzzard
Little Brickhill
Luton
Marston Moretaine
Meppershall
Milton Ernest
Milton Keynes
Pavenham
Potton
Sandy
Sharnbrook
Shefford
Silsoe
Stevington
Stotfold
Streatley
Toddington
Turvey
Woburn

Bedfordshire

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Information

County Town: Bedford
Population: 537,000
Area: 477 Sq miles, 1,236 Sq k
Bedfordshire Jobs
Bedfordshire Tips Page
County Reviews
Rather interesting Bedfordshire facts
Bedfordshire weather
Visitor reports
Your opinion of Bedfordshire
Famous Dates
Famous People
Food Legends:Bedfordshire Clanger
Folk Customs:
Leighton Buzzard's Wilkes Walk
Haunted Britain:
Drowned for Love
Rosettas stone by stone death
Satanic Squire Seeks Sanctuary
Cultural Britain:
John Bunyans Bedfordshire
Lore & legend:
The Devil in Marston Moretaine
Natural Britain:
Dunstable Downs
Greensand Ridge
Marston Vale
Sharpenhoe Clappers
The Chiltern Hills

Events

January
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Dunton Folk
Dunton Wassail

February
Antiques Fair
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Dunton Folk
Luton Beer Festival

March
Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Dunton Folk

April
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Dunton Folk
Easter Fun!
Luton Easter Hat Parade and show
St Georges Day

May
Bedford Local Beer and Food Festival
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Compost Fun Day at Growing Downside Session
Dunton Folk
Home & Garden Fair
Luton Carnival
Medieval May Day Celebration
Steam Fair & Country Show
Stotfold Mill Steam Fair and Country Show
Wilkes Walk
Wrest Park Garden Show

June
Bedford International Kite Festival
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Dunton Folk
Filmstock
Meppershall Summer Fair
Woburn Country Fair

July
Ampthill LitFest
Bedford River Festival
Bedfordshire Country Show
BEDFRINGE
Dunton Folk
Linslade Canal Festival
Meadow Way Summer Fair
St Mary's Village Carnival

August
Dunton Folk
Potton Music Festival
Proms in the Park
Rhythm Festival
The Glenn Miller Festival
The Original Flying Proms
Wrest Park Craft & Design Festival

September
Badfest
Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Dunstable Folk Festival
Dunton Folk
Heritage Open Days
Mead Open Farm
Potton Show
Woodworks! Festival!

October
4th Annual Craft Fair
Antiques Fair
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Dunton Folk
Halloween Freaky Fortnight
Pumpkin & Apple Gala

November
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Christmas at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Christmas Craft Fair
Dunstable Tudor festival
Dunton Folk
Fireworks Display
Fireworks Display
Luton Lights!
Shuttleworth Craft & Design Show

December
Biggleswade Antiques Fair
Christmas at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Christmas Kingdom
Dunton Folk
Pantomime

Bedfordshire - 86 places to stay

Hotels | Bed & Breakfast | Inns | Self Catering | Budget | Holiday Parks | Attractions | Activities | Shops | Sports | Directory

‘Go wild’ in Bedfordshire and come face to face with some of the world’s rarest and endangered species at some of the UK’s biggest and best animal attractions Woburn Safari Park and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park . Birds of Prey carry out daily flying displays at Old Warden Park and you can even visit an ‘Animal Hospital’ at Aspley Guise. The RSPB has its headquarters in Sandy . A wander through the surrounding woodland provides a chance to spot some traditional woodland birdlife. There are fun farms to visit where you can touch and feed farmyard favourites such as rabbits, pigs and lambs. For something a bit hot and steamy, head to Bedford Butterfly Park , where amid tropical foliage you are surrounded by colourful free-flying butterflies.

For something a little more sedate, Bedfordshire offers a unique tapestry of green, pleasant countryside, rich in wildlife, with gentle rolling chalk hills, open commons, ancient woodlands, prosperous agricultural land and peaceful canals. Access to the countryside is excellent for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. A criss cross of paths including long distance walks such as the prehistoric ‘Icknield Way’ and the ‘Greensands Ridge’ exist alongside many shorter routes suitable for families with young children and wheelchair users.

The County is noted for its peaceful waterways. To the north of Bedford the River Great Ouse flows through water meadows, past attractive limestone hamlets such as Harrold and Stevington. The Grand Union Canal flows through the west of the County. Marinas throughout the area offer mooring and boats to hire and buy.

< All around the County are picturesque villages of thatch and half timbered houses to explore. Good examples include Ickwell and Old Warden. The villages offer many family friendly pubs, inns and guesthouses which serve homemade food often made with locally produced ingredients. Some places still serve the traditional Bedfordshire Clanger a pasty shaped pie with a savoury filing at one end and sweet at the other! Antique lovers will love to browse in the quaint shops of Georgian Ampthill and Woburn where you can also visit the magnificent Abbey – home to the Dukes of Bedford.

The County is noted for its connections to the lace industry (reputedly started by Katharine of Aragon). It is also John Bunyan Country . Many of the villages surrounding Bedford are associated with his preaching and world famous book ‘The Pilgrims Progress’. As you travel through the county you can’t miss the gigantic airship hangers at Cardington a reminder of the areas rich aviation heritage. Britain’s first hot air balloon landed there too! You can follow the WW11 ‘Airfield Trail’ around the north of the county, once alive with the Big Band sound of Glenn Miller (who was stationed here during the war). It was from the airfield at Twinwood that he took his final flight. For a real ‘vintage’ experience, visit the Shuttleworth Collection where aircraft are kept in full flying order and can often be seen ‘looping the loop’ in the skies above Old Warden.

Bedfordshire offers a wide variety of places to stay from international chains such as Holiday Inn and Travel Lodge to Country House splendour and friendly farm and country accommodation. The Bedfordshire Conference Bureau offers a venue finding service for conferences and business meetings at the areas wide variety of venues which range from state of the art hi-tec establishments to smaller, more individual, quirky and fun places to meet.

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Liberty must be limited in order to be possessed. - Edmund Burke
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On this day:
Tolpuddle Martyrs Sentenced - 1834, Argentine Forces land on South Georgia - 1982
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