Hill Rise, Bedford

Bedford Park is a large urban park, located in the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The park is the largest urban park within the town, and it is owned and maintained by Bedford Borough Council. Bedford Park was constructed and planted in the 19th Century, as the town of Bedford expanded northwards. The park was developed at the same time as Bedford's first municipal cemetery, which is located directly to the north of the park. Today, the cemetery is no longer used as a major burial ground for the town. The park however is still very much in use. The general Victorian design of Bedford Park has been maintained to this day. The park has many mature trees and shrubs, as well as herbaceous borders and naturalised bulb borders (including daffodils, wood anemones and crocuses). The park's original bandstand is still in use, as is the original cricket pavilion, which is maintained along with a full size cricket pitch. Other sporting facilities at the park include areas for tennis, football, rounders and basketball. There is also a bowling green. Robinson Pool is located in the southwest corner of Bedford Park, and is the main public swimming pool in Bedford. Other facilities at the park include two children's playgrounds and a café. Bedford Park was awarded Green Flag status in 2007 & 2008, joining Priory Country Park to become the second park in Bedford to win the prestigious national award.

Harpur is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England. The boundaries of Harpur are approximately Manton Lane to the north, De Parys Avenue to the east, Bromham Road to the south, with the Midland Main Line railway line to the west. Manton Heights, the Poets, the Prime Ministers, and the Black Tom neighbourhoods all lie within the boundaries of Harpur ward.

Park Wood is a 5.2 hectare Local Nature Reserve located in the Brickhill area of Bedford. It is owned by Bedford Borough Council and managed by the council with the assistance of the Friends of Park Wood.The site has diverse habitats with mature trees, grassland, scrub and ponds. Flowers include bee and pyramidal orchids. An orchard has been planted with traditional fruit trees.There is access by a footpath from Brickhill Drive opposite Eagle Gardens.

HMP Bedford is a Category B men's prison, located in the Harpur area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

Bedford High School for Girls was a private school for pupils aged 7 to 18 in Bedford, England. It was one of a number of schools run by the Harpur Trust. The school was located on its original site in Harpur ward, near the centre of Bedford, until its closure in 2012. In September 2010 the junior department of the school merged with the junior department of Dame Alice Harpur School. From September 2011 to September 2012 the senior schools also merged, the new school is known as Bedford Girls' School.

Bedford School is a 7–18 boys public school in the county town of Bedford in England. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust. Bedford School is one of the boys' schools in the United Kingdom, and was the winner of the Independent Boys School of the Year Award at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards in 2021.Bedford School is composed of the Preparatory School (ages 7 to 13) and the Upper School (ages 13 to 18). There are around 1,100 pupils, of whom approximately one half are boarders. In 2014, James Hodgson succeeded John Moule as headmaster after Moule moved on to Radley College.

The Parish Church of St Peter de Merton with St Cuthbert is an Anglican church on St Peter's Street in the De Parys area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.

A bronze statue of John Bunyan stands on St Peter's Green, Bedford, England. The statue was sculpted by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, it was erected in 1874, and unveiled on 10 June of that year. The statue was commissioned by the Ninth Duke of Bedford (who also commissioned the bronze reliefs on the doors of the Bunyan Meeting Free Church) and presented by him to Bedford town.

Greyfriars was a monastic house in Bedford, England. The house of the Grey Friars (or Franciscan friars) was founded either by Mabilea de Plateshull (Lady Mabel de Pattishall) (according to Leland) or John St. John (according to Valor Ecclesiasticus) during the reign of King Edward II, and their church was dedicated on 3 November 1295. The date of the arrival of the Franciscans in the town is not known. The revenue of the friary was valued at £3 13s. 2d (according to Valor Ecclesiasticus, or £5 per year according to William Cobbett) at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The friars formally acknowledged the supremacy of the King on 14 May 1534, and the deed of surrender was dated 3 October 1535, and subsequently, in 1539 the property was granted to John Gostwyke.

Bedford Modern School (often called BMS) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in The Harpur Trust, born from the endowments left by Sir William Harpur in the sixteenth century. BMS comprises a junior school (ages 6–11) and a senior school (ages 11–18).The school has had four names. In 1873 the school became Bedford Modern School to reflect its modern curriculum, providing an education for the professions. BMS provided education not only for the locality but also for colonial and military personnel abroad, seeking good education for their young families.

The Harpur Trust is a charity in Bedford, England. The stated aim of the charity is to help and support the people who live in and around Bedford, and to help them improve their lives by: providing and promoting education offering help and relief to anyone who is sick, in need, in hardship or distress providing recreational facilities with a social welfare purpose for the people of Bedford and its surroundings.Reorganised as a company limited by guarantee in 2012, it was previously called The Bedford Charity (The Harpur Trust) as its legal name, but was most often referred to as the Harpur Trust.The main activities of the charity are the operation of a number of independent schools and one academy in Bedford. The charity also operates a number of almshouses in the Bedford area. In addition, the charity supports the community by giving grants to local projects. In 2009/10 it donated over £1,900,000 in grants to projects based in and around Bedford. This money is intended to help local organisations and individuals to make a difference to their own lives or those of others.

Reflections of Bedford is an abstract sculpture by Rick Kirby, located in Bedford town center, on Silver Street. Commissioned by Bedford Borough Council, it was erected on 12 December 2009. Kirby was chosen after winning a Public National Art exhibition to design a new sculpture for the town. The statue consists of two 5-metre high faces, opposing each other. They are both made of stainless steel, to represent the former mint located on the street.The pedestal of the sculpture is also inlaid with blue and purple coloured spotlights, which turn on at night to illuminate the statue. The backs of the scultpures are entirely flat, although one has a plaque attached stating the artist, name, and date of the work. At installation, the statues were rather controversial due to their cost of £100,000, and an alleged lack of public consultation. In addition, the bust of Trevor Huddleston was moved to make space for the faces.