Love Bedford
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Make The Most BEDFORD Of Your Visit Guided Walks Markets Travel and Charter Market – Wednesday and Saturday Gourmet Market – Thursdays Tourism Centre 2016 Home and Garden Market – Fridays Farmers’ Market – Second and Fourth Thursday Map Inside each month Thurlow Street Handmade in Bedford Market – Second Saturday of April Bedford MK40 1LR to December (excluding July) Phone: 01234 718112 Email: [email protected] Events Web: www.visitbedford.org Bedford High Street Showcase – 4th June International Kite Festival – Sat 11th June – Russell Park Services: Bedford River Festival – Sat 16th/Sun 17th July • Local Information and Maps Love Bedford Day – Sun 24th July – Town Centre Christmas Light Switch On – Thur 24th November • John Bunyan Boat Trip Bookings • Guided Walks and Tours Parks and Open Spaces • Love Bedford Town Centre Gift Vouchers Bedford Park is of a beautiful Victorian design with mature (provided by BedfordBID) trees and two children’s playgrounds, one at each end. • Theatre Tokens Other facilities include the Pavilion at the Park Cafe, tennis courts, basketball court and cricket pitch. • UK Rail Tickets & Railcards • East Midlands Discount Tickets The Embankment is one of the most beautiful places in the • National Express Bookings & Coachcards centre of town. The recently restored Victorian bandstand is • Saffords Coach Day Trip Bookings a stunning landmark in the middle of a tree lined riverbank • Travel Aid passes walk. The bridges and the ornamental gardens make this part of town an area not to be missed. Opening hours Monday – Saturday 9:30am – 5:00pm Russell Park near the embankment offers a putting green, (Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays) tennis courts and a children’s play area. There is also the Kiosk at the Park Cafe nearby. Priory Country Park and Marina is a great place for picnics kite flying and leisurely walks. Watch the sailing, windsurfing and canoeing on the main lake or the purpose built slalom course. Tel 01234 211182 Leisure Sponsored by Bedford International Athletic Stadium 8 Lane International Bedford Business Improvement District (BedfordBID) is an track with full athletic facilities Tel 01234 351115 independent business-led partnership . Love Bedford is the brand name of the BedfordBID comprising of over 550 levy paying premises in Bedford Town Centre who together are working to Oasis Beach Pool Indoor tropical beach pool with two wild welcome customers, investors and tourists to Bedford. water flumes, wave pool, lazy river float ride, beach area, www.lovebedford.co.uk | www.lovebedfordoffers.co.uk mushroom fountain and more, Tel 01234 272100 [email protected] | 01234 404500 lovebedford | @lovebedford Robinson Pool Indoor pool with diving boards and Front Cover Photograph, Bedford Town Bridge, by Noel Lees children’s pool. Bedford Park, Tel 01234 357157 www.noel.photography REGULAR SUNDAY Bedford WALKS FOR 2016 Who Lived In A House Like That ? Ever walked past an interesting house and wondered about Guided its past ? Hear about some of our oldest houses and the fascinating characters who designed them and families whose homes they were. Walks 2016. 29th May, 26th June, 21st August Why not enjoy a relaxed and entertaining journey I Never Knew That. Bedford has a story waiting to be told around every corner. back through the ages and find out more about This walk will give you answers to all those questions about the characters and buildings that are the fabric of the town, but did not know who to ask. Bedford’s thousand year history. All walks are led by 8th May, 3rd July, 10th July, 4th September qualified members of the Bedford Association The Life And Times Of John Bunyan. of Tour Guides . Follow in the footsteps of the ‘Immortal Tinker’ and author of ‘’The Pilgrims Progress’’ to various town sites connected with his life and his works. WHEN The summer walks take place on Sundays at 11:00a.m. 15th May, 28th August WHERE Walks start from outside the Old Town Hall in St. Paul’s The Jewel In Bedford’s Crown. Square, Bedford close to the gold painted letter box. However This entertaining and informative circular walk along the the walk entitled ‘’The Silent Faces of Bedford’’ starts at the War banks of the River Great Ouse, described as being one of Memorial on the Embankment opposite Rothsay Road. the finest riverside settings in England, takes in the Victorian Embankment, the bridges and the ornamental gardens. DURATION Each walk is designed to last approximately 19th June, 14th August 90 minutes at an easy pace and should be suitable for those with limited or restricted mobility. Wheelchair users should The Rise And Fall Of Bedford Castle. however advise the Travel and Tourism Centre at the time of A Royal Charter, a not so ‘civil’ war and a castle booking so that suitable routing provisions can be made. removed stone by stone. View the castle mound and the site where Bedford’s motte and bailey COST Public walk charge is £3.00 per adult and children over castle once stood and hear why it is no more! 8 years of age £1.50. DUE TO THEIR POPULARITY HOWEVER 5th June, 31st July PLEASE NOTE THAT PRE BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. Contact the Travel and Tourism Centre on 01234 718112. The Silent Faces Of Bedford. Why not find out more about the many statues and IMPORTANT INFORMATION Please ensure that you keep memorials that can be seen in the town centre. The figures AND FINALLY. your safety in mind at all times on any of the walks. It is may not be able to speak but our Guides can tell you their If your group, society or organisation would like a advisable to wear suitable outdoor clothing and full story. walk during the daytime, an evening or weekend, footwear appropriate to the weather conditions. 12th June, 24th July this can arranged through the Travel and Tourism Centre. Simply choose from the seven walk titles Please note that every effort will be made Bedford In World War II. on offer and get in touch. to keep to the programme however Hear about Bedford’s wartime secrets, many of them only the TTC refers the right to amend or recently revealed. The town was far more that simply a Charges Adult £3.00 and Children Over 8 years cancel walks if conditions arise and ‘liberty town’ for off duty servicemen, it was once the home £1.50. that are beyond their control of one of the most important of our national institutions. 22nd May, 7th August Call A minimum charge of £30.00 per Group applies 01234 718112 and a maximum group number of 18 participants is to book permitted for each Guide. Key 1 John Bunyan Statue Bedford Town Map 2 Reflections of Bedford 3 Archbishop Trevor Huddleston bust 4 Harpur Suite Bedford Modern 5 Harpur Centre School 6 Corn Exchange 7 Old Town Hall (BHPA Customer Services < & Bedford Register Office) A6 TO RUSHDEN 8 Bedford Magistrates Court & County Court 9 John Howard Statue CEMETERY & CREMATORIUM 10 War Memorial (South African War) 11 Swan Hotel TO A1 NORTH 12 John Bunyan Museum The Place CAMBRIDGE > Theatre 13 Castle Quay & Medieval Lime Kiln Bedford Health Village > 14 The Higgins Bedford Bedford School 15 Castle Mound Rugby 16 Panacea Museum The Quarry Ground 17 Bandstand Wyvern Theatre House at St. Luke’s 18 Suspension Bridge TO The Bedford NORTHAMPTON Sixth Form 19 Bedford War Memoriall 1 < E 20 U Butterfly Bridge N E 21 V Putting Green Kiosk A M 22 Priory Marina A H 3 2 N W 12 E Eagle N RAM YARD Gallery 4 6 16 E 5 CASTL 14 LANE 13 Travel and Tourism Centre 9 CASTLE QUAY 15 Pedestrianised street 7 10 11 Customer 8 19 Pedestrianised shopping area Service 21 Toilets D Centre OA & Kiosk D R Local facilities EN D John Bunyan 18 FOR Parking Boat Mooring 17 20 Evening parking available Bedford Girls Coach parking H Borough Hall School A V DWELL ST CAUL Coach bay E L O CK Cycle/foot path (Traffic free) S T One way road 22 Kids World Toilets are located in the Harpur Centre, Allhallows, Higgins Art Gallery, Russell Park Kiosk and Lurke Street. Wells & Young Brewery TO A1 SOUTH TO A6 LUTON, TO ELSTOW > MILTON KEYNES > PA> RK & RIDE & M1 VIA A421 5 Harpur Centre 11 Swan Hotel (1797) Bedford Self The façade (1833) by Edward Blore (architect) formerly housed The present building was constructed as a coaching inn for the the Harpur Trust School for Boys and which became Bedford Duke of Bedford. It contains the staircase from Houghton House Modern School. Reconstructed in 1976 to accommodate the (now derelict), reputedly the inspiration for “House Beautiful” in John Guided Trail shopping centre. (Edward Blore designed the balcony frontage to Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. Follow the numbers from 1 to 16 on the map, please Buckingham Palace). allow 90 minutes to complete. 12 Bunyan Meeting and John Bunyan Museum 6 Corn Exchange (1874) John Bunyan (1628-88) rose from humble origins to become one of Built and opened as a Corn Market, it was used regularly by the the world’s most widely read authors. The present church (c1849) 1 John Bunyan Statue BBC during World War II for Symphony Concerts and 1944 Proms. stands on the site of a barn purchased by Bunyan and his followers For long periods between 1660 and 1676 John Bunyan was Also in 1944, Glenn Miller gave his first UK broadcast from here. A which was used as a place of worship. Visitors should particularly imprisoned for his beliefs. Published in 1678, “The Pilgrim’s bust of Glenn Miller can be seen on the front of the building.