Ask a Bedfordian whether there are plenty of things to do in Bedford and you probably won’t get a favourable reply. Bedfordians can be surprisingly downbeat about their town.
Ask this particular (former) Bedfordian though, and he’ll write an entire travel guide. And, here it is!
Bedford is a small,unassuming market townof around80,000 people. In proportion to its size, it is one of themost culturally diverse towns in the UKwith nearly10%of the population originating from South Asia andalmost 30%of Italian descent (me included).
Thecultural patchworkis reflected in the town’sextensive offering of restaurantsservinghigh qualityandreasonable pricedcuisine fromall over the world. As well as ubiquitousItalianandIndian/Bangladeshirestaurants, there are eateries servingFrench, Japanese, MexicanandTurkishfood, to name but a few.
In this post, I’ll be uncovering some of the best things to do in Bedford, aimed at both residents and visitors. If you’re looking to spend some quality time in town, this post is for you.
Is Bedford worth visiting?
Yes, Bedford is definitely worth visiting.
It’s cliche, but Bedford really does offersomething for everyone, not just in terms of food but inattractions and activities.Fabulous museums, well-tended parks, astunning riverside area, multiple sporting facilities, aburgeoning arts sceneandcute independent shopsall help to ensure everyone’s needs are catered for.
With minimal planning, a day out in Bedford would be very well spent. To get the most out of a visit,a stay of at least one night is recommended.
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Plan & Book your trip
Getting there: Find great train fares with Trainline. Find and book bus tickets with BusBud. If you need to fly, find great prices and lower emission flights with Skyscanner.
Where to stay: For hotels and all other types of accommodation, use Booking.com and/or Hotels.com. For holiday homes, use Vrbo.
Things to do: To find things to do, we like using GetYourGuide, Viator and/or Klook.
Best things to do in Bedford
Bedford offers plenty of interesting and unique attractions. Here are some of our favourites.
Visit the Panacea Museum
Address: 9 Newnham Road, Bedford MK40 3NX
Discover theamazing and peculiarstory of thePanacea Society, a religious community formed in the early twentieth century that created its ownGarden of Edenin the centre of Bedford. We found it fascinating! Once you’ve explored the well-presented displays at the Panacea Museum, visit the lovely & peaceful cafe and garden at the back of the property.Worth visiting Bedford for this alone!
Admission is free!
Check ahead: The museum has changeable opening hours, so check their website before you visit.
Drop into The Higgins
Address: Castle Ln, Bedford MK40 3XD
Bedford’srecently refurbished Higgins Museumand art gallery charts thehistory of Bedfordfrom the stone age to the modern day in afabulously contemporarystyle. As well as fossils, pottery, furnishings and costumes, there arepriceless works of artbyPicasso, Turner and Constable. There are frequent visiting exhibitions and events and there’s an adjoining cafe/restaurant.
Admission is free!
Stroll along The Embankment
Address: The Embankment, Bedford MK40 3PD
By far the best part of Bedford is its riverside area,colloquially known as The Embankment. Finely manicured flower beds, huge leafy trees, wide green meadows & parks, plenty of wildfowl and thoughtfully placed paths and bridges combine to create a beautiful & relaxing parkland.
If you’re travelling by car, there’s plenty of paid parking along The Embankment and along adjacent streets and free parking along Shaftesbury Ave (though you’ll be lucky if you grab a spot). Parking on Sundays is free pretty much everywhere.
Enhance your visit: Boat & bike hireis available at the recently revamped cafe,The Longholmeand there’s aputting greeninRussell Park(both spring/summer only).
Catch a breather at Priory Country Park
Address: Barkers Ln, Bedford MK41 9DJ
A peaceful and well-maintained 145 hectare green space consisting of lakes, meadows and woodland. Priory Country Park is where locals head to for a breather. A brisk walk around the lake takes around an hour, leaving time to visit the nearby Beefeater pub or the newly opened cafe in the visitor centre. Check the website for information on guided walks by experienced park rangers.Access is best by car and there’s plenty of free on-site parking.
John Bunyan Boat Cruises
Departure point: Sovereigns Quay, Bedford MK40 1QS
The John Bunyan Community boat offers regular weekly cruises along the River Great Ouse from Bedford town centre to Priory Marina and Kempston. The volunteer-run community projects also offers a series of special themed cruises including ‘Jazz Night’ cruises.
We really enjoyed our leisurely cruise along the river, taking full advantage of their cream tea add-on to make the afternoon a little bit extra special.
Pre-booking is essential.
Hire canoes, kayaks and SUPs with Canoe Trail
Meeting point: alongside Longholme Boathouse, The Embankment, Bedford MK40 3TP
If you prefer to do things a little more hands-on, Canoe Trail offer anyone the chance to hire their water-based vessels. You can choose from a range of canoes, kayak and SUPs or varying sizes with all the safety equipment and briefings included as standard.
We had never captained a two-person canoe before, but the friendly team at Canoe Trail gave us lots of confidence and we almost literally took to it like a duck to water. During our two hour paddle, we were free to go wherever we liked, but we were encouraged to follow the provided map which took us down river towards nearby Cardington Lock. It was a wonderfully mindful way to enjoy the river.
Plan & Book your visit to Bedford
In this section, we’ll go through how you can plan and book your visit to Bedford.
Getting to Bedford by Train
Bedford has two railway stations, but you should avoidBedford St. Johnsand alight atBedford (which is occasionally referred to as Bedford Midland).
- Thameslinktrains run frequently fromBrightonandLondon St Pancras International,viabothLuton Airport&Gatwick Airportwhich terminate at Bedford.
- FasterEast Midlands Railway services (occasionally branded Luton Airport Express)also run fromLondon St Pancras Internationaland continue toSheffield, Nottingham & Derby.
- A regional route fromBletchley(nearMilton Keynes) is serviced byLondon Northwestern Railway.
Upon arrival atBedford, the 5-10 minute walk into the town centre is clearly signposted (follow town centre and/or bus station). Alternatively, council-operated taxis are always waiting outside, though fares are expensive.
Tickets can be purchased right up until the moment of departure, though savings can be made by booking Advance tickets ahead of time. To do so, we recommend booking tickets with Trainline.
Getting to Bedford by Bus
If you’re travelling within Bedford borough or just across the border, Stagecoach and Grant Palmer provide reliable services. Stagecoach runs the reliable and frequent X5 bus service, starting in Oxford and calling at Bicester, Buckingham, Milton Keynes and terminating in Bedford. From the east, bus 905 services a route from Cambridge via St. Neots to Bedford every 30 minutes.
Getting to Bedford by Road
Bedford sits between the M1 and A1(M) via the A421. All of the town centre car parks are run by the borough council. All arefreefor the first two hours on Saturdays andfree all dayon Sundays.
Getting Around Bedford
Bedford is easy to navigate on foot. Almost all of the listings on this page are within walking distance of one another.
Hotels in Bedford
Bedford hasn’t always been great in terms of accommodation, but things are beginning to change.
Hotels in Bedford
At the time of writing, the best ranked hotels in Bedford’s town centre according to Tripadvisor are:
- Pilgrims Progress JD Wetherspoon Hotel
- Embankment Hotel
- D’Parys Hotel
Our pick however, based on photos and reviews, would be Albero Lounge. The hotel has some beautiful looking rooms and the location is perfect.
