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The county town of
Bedfordshire, this bustling business and
industrial centre has been an important place
since the days of the Anglo Saxons, mainly because
it lies on the River Great Ouse. The town famously
gave its name to Bedford vans made by the Vauxhall
company which opened a factory here in 1905.
The town is particularly
associated with John Bunyan who was born here. The
preacher was twice incarcerated in the local jail
for his unorthodox views and began writing his
allegorical masterpiece, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’,
in the mid-17th century while behind bars. The
site of his house is marked by a plaque. There is
also a Bunyan Museum.
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Bridge and St Pauls Church, Bedford - Photo:
John N Dix
CCL |
All that is left of a
Norman castle destroyed after a six-week siege
in 1224 is the mound on which it stood.
However, the town has no less than four
historic churches and a five-arched bridge
spanning the river.
The Cecil Higgins Gallery
has a superb collection of prints and
decorative arts as well as a display of
Victorian life; the latter includes a room
created by William Burges, a leading exponent
of the Gothic Revival movement.
During the Second World War
the US bandleader Glenn Miller was stationed in
Bedford and broadcast from the local Corn
Exchange.
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