DOWN YOUR WAY


Bedford


A jewel in Bedfordshire’s historical crown


Bedford, which has been home to a Saxon chief, a philanthropist, a Lord Mayor of London


and a preacher, still retains traces of antiquity throughout the town centre. Look closely and you can see various aspects of past


architectural importance in many buildings which, over the years, have been home to a variety of local businesses.


by Alan Humphreys


S


tanding astride the banks of the River Great Ouse, the


town, as we see it today, occupies the site of an early settlement whose position was determined by the course of the Ouse. The name ‘Bedford’ derives from the Saxon chief, Beda, who founded a settlement at a fordable point of the Ouse during the eighth century.


The importance of


Bedford since early times as a trading centre can be seen in the network of main roads,


continued on page 12


not only approaching the town but within the built-up area, and the coins issued there during the tenth and eleventh centuries. At the close of the eleventh century and early into the twelfth century, Bedford Castle was built on the north side of the river and occupied a far larger space than the present remains would suggest following its destruction after the siege of Bedford in 1224. As the town developed


along lines still recognisable today, St Paul’s Church formed a natural centre to the town as a trading centre and it was in the Church


10 County Life


www.countylifemagazines.co.uk


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