Swan Hotel, Bedford

Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly extended in stone, although the final plan of the castle remains uncertain. Henry III of England besieged the castle in 1224 following a disagreement with Falkes de Bréauté; the siege lasted eight weeks and involved an army of as many as 2,700 soldiers with equipment drawn from across England. After the surrender of the castle, the king ordered its destruction (slighting). Although partially refortified in the 17th century during the English Civil War, the castle remained a ruin until the urban expansion in Bedford during the 19th century, when houses were built across much of the property. Today only part of the motte still stands, forming part of an archaeological park built on the site between 2007 and 2009.

Bedford Rowing Club is an amateur rowing club in Bedford, United Kingdom founded in 1886.

The Town Bridge is located in Bedford, the county town of Bedfordshire in England. Spanning the River Great Ouse, it connects the town centre of Bedford with St Johns, historically a separate settlement but now a suburb of Bedford. The current bridge was designed by the architect John Wing between 1811 and 1813, replacing an earlier bridge said to date back to 1224.. It was widened between 1938 and 1940. The Swan Hotel and the remains of Bedford Castle are located nearby, the stone from the latter was said to have been used for construction of the medieval bridge. It has been Grade II listed, having first been listed in 1952.

The statue of John Howard, in St Pauls's Square, Bedford, is a bronze of John Howard, erected in 1890, the centenary of Howard's death. The statue is "clothed ... in the travelling dress of the time to denote he was a great traveller." The sculptor was Alfred Gilbert. It stands on an ornate plinth inscribed with his date of birth and death, and the date of the statue's erection. The plinth in turn sits on five octagonal stone steps, raising the total height of the monument to about 20 feet (6.1 m). The statue is a Grade I listed structure.

The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum is the principal art gallery and museum in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, run by Bedford Borough Council and the trustees of the Cecil Higgins Collection.

St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church located on St Paul's Square in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. Formerly a medieval collegiate church, the large building of cathedral proportions with its later additions and iconic spire dominates the town. St Paul's is the largest Anglican church in Bedfordshire, and the church exercises a ministry of welcome to thousands of visitors and pilgrims from far and wide each year. St Paul's is officially recognised as a Major Parish Church and is a member of the Major Churches Network. Historically, St Paul's has played a key part in the life of the British nation: as the home for the BBC's daily worship during the Second World War; and the Service for the National Day of Prayer in 1941, at which the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Gordon Lang preached, was also broadcast to the UK and wider world from the church. St Paul's is today the Civic Church of the Borough of Bedford and the County of Bedfordshire; it is a focus for special commemorations and celebrations in the borough, county, and the wider region of the East of England, as well as being a central venue for concerts, recitals and exhibitions. As well as serving a diverse parish and ministering to a congregation of all ages, the church also enjoys fine choral and liturgical worship in the English cathedral tradition. It is a grade I listed building.

The Shire Hall is a municipal building in St Paul's Square, Bedford, Bedfordshire. The shire hall, which was the headquarters of Bedfordshire County Council from 1888 to 1969, is a Grade II listed building.

The Borough of Bedford is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is based in Bedford, its namesake and principal settlement, which is the county town of Bedfordshire. The Bedford built-up-area is the 71st largest in the United Kingdom and comprises the boundaries of the pre-1974 Bedford Municipal Borough, the town of Kempston and the village of Biddenham, with the BUA surrounded by a rural area with many villages. 75% of the borough's population live in the Bedford Urban Area and the five large villages which surround it, which makes up slightly less than 6% of the total land area of the Borough. The borough is also the location of the Wixams new town development, which received its first residents in 2009.

Bedford Abbey was a short-lived Benedictine monastery, recorded in 10th-century England. Bedford Priory, perhaps representing the same institution two centuries later, was an Augustinian priory that within two decades of its foundation moved to nearby Newnham. Bedford Abbey existed in the 10th-century, staffed with Benedictine monks when Oscytel, Archbishop of York, died in 971.: 30 : 147  The archbishop was buried in the abbey, after his body was taken there by its abbot, Thurcytel (who later moved to Crowland Abbey).: 30 : 147, 420  Thurcytel is the only known abbot of the monastery.: 30  Its history after this is obscure, and may have evolved into St Paul's Church in Bedford, which became an Augustinian priory c. 1166.: 147, 420 : 30 Around 1180, the priory moved to Newnham (see Newnham Priory).: 147 

John Bunyan Museum is a museum primarily dedicated to the life, times and works of John Bunyan. The museum is located in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.John Bunyan (1628 – 1688), a Christian writer and preacher, was born in Harrowden (one mile south-east of Bedford), in the Parish of Elstow, England. He wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the most famous published Christian allegory. In the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August. In 1672, the congregation led by Bunyan purchased a barn which they used to conduct worship. Eventually, a church, which came to be called the Bunyan Meeting Free Church, was built on the site of the barn. In 1849, a second church was built which is still used for services. A separate museum building was constructed in the compound in 1998 and the Bunyan artefacts and memorabilia formerly housed in a small museum room in the church were moved into it.The museum's displays recreate a number of scenes from Bunyan's life which also show some of Bedford's social history in the seventeenth century. In addition there are artefacts such as Bunyan's iron violin and wooden flute, Bunyan's stoneware jug he used in prison as well as his will and a third edition of The Pilgrim's Progress.

The Corn Exchange is an events and concert venue located on St Paul's Square in the Castle area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The structure, which was commissioned as a corn exchange, is a Grade II listed building.

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.