Did You Know?

Bedfordshire is located in the East of England within easy reach of both the Midlands region and London and the South East region. Prominent towns in the area include Luton, Bedford, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard.

Bedfordshire includes the Chiltern Hills an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, popular with cyclists and walkers, it offers visitors the best in the English countryside. The north of the county is more rural with the south more urban offering visitors a mix between town and country.

The town of Bedford is about 1000 years old. There was a castle there, but it was destroyed in 1224. A small hill with a tower now stands in the place of the castle. It overlooks the river Ouse which flows through the town. Every four years a River Festival is held there, with stalls, a fair and dragon boat races.

The date for Bedfordshire Day was agreed in 2015 after a public vote organised by the Friends of Bedfordshire Society. 

Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was annulled by a convocation at Dunstable Priory in Bedfordshire in 1533.

Half the population of Bedfordshire live in either Bedford or Luton. 

The word “Bedfordshire” has been used as a humorous synonym for “bed” since at least 1665. 

Famous Bedfordshire people include John Le Mesurier, Ronnie Barker and Carol Vorderman.

A traditional Bedfordshire dish is the Clanger, a suet pastry with meat at one end, jam the other. 

Bedfordshire is also home to the largest concentration of Italian Immigrants in the U.K According to a 2000 census, 10% of Bedford ‘s population is of Italian descent.

Bedford became an instant fame when several hotels were introduced to the public in the late 1800s. These hotels attracted thousands of people across Bedfordshire including hundreds of Haligonians who used to visit hotels in Bedford in summers.

During the World War II, Bedford sheltered BBC music and various religious communities because London was the prominent target due to being the England’s capital and became very dangerous for locals to live in.

There are many Italian people living in Bedfordshire. Many of them came from the 1950s onwards to work at the brickworks of the London Brick Company. There are many Italian bars and restaurants and social clubs as well as a church and a vice-consulate.