If you’re looking for an interesting day trip destination or a few days’ vacation, look no further! The county of Bedfordshire is just the place for you! Within reach from London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire, this county in the East of England is a great place to escape from your everyday routines! Take a look below for 30 amazing and fun facts about Bedfordshire.
1. Bedfordshire’s location is nearby both the Midlands region and London and the South East region.
2. Luton, Bedford, Dunstable, and Leighton Buzzard are the well-known towns in the county.
3. The Chiltern Hills an area of outstanding natural beauty is in Bedfordshire.
4. The Chiltern Hills is very popular with cyclists and walkers offering visitors the best of the English countryside.
5. The north of Bedfordshire is more rural while the south is more urban giving visitors a mix between town and country.
6. Several small towns and villages are included in the region.
7. There are many attractions in Bedfordshire for visitors to explore, like the Shuttleworth Collection, Houghton House, Woburn Abbey, Woburn Safari Park, Whipsnade Zoo, and the Chiltern Hills.
8. The county is also known for many historic buildings, castles, museums, and galleries.
9. Throughout the year Bedfordshire is host to several local festivals, shows, fairs, and concerts.
10. Incredibly, Leighton Buzzard’s sand is exported to Saudi Arabia.
11. The highest points in Bedfordshire are the Dunstable Downs.
12. The world’s first tractor was invented in Biggleswade, a market town and civil parish in Central Bedfordshire, by local Dan Albone in 1902.
13. People from Bedfordshire are called “Bedfordshire Bulldogs” or “Clangers”. The term “Clangers” originates from a traditional local dish.
14. You can’t miss the gigantic airship hangers at Cardington as you travel through the county, a reminder of the area’s rich aviation legacy.
15. Britain’s first hot air balloon landed in Bedfordshire.
16. Bedfordshire’s unique fuel content of the clay resulted in bricks which were very cheap to manufacture.
17. Bedford was the centre of the UK’s brick-making industry for over 100 years.
18. According to the 2000 census, the largest concentration of Italian Immigrants in the UK is in Bedford.
19. The County Day of Bedfordshire is held every year on the 28th of November.
20. This day marks the anniversary of the birth of John Bunyan, the author of The Pilgrim’s Progress.
21. The exact date of Bunyan’s birth is not known, but he was baptised on the 30th of November, 1628 in his hometown of Elstow near Bedford.
22. The Bedfordshire Day’s date was settled in 2015 after a public vote organised by the Friends of Bedfordshire Society.
23. In 1533, Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was rescinded by convocation at Dunstable Priory in Bedfordshire.
24. Catherine of Aragon was imprisoned in the county before their marriage was rescinded.
25. The residents of Arlesey, Bedfordshire claim it is the longest town in Britain. Arlesey’s main street is three miles long.
26. Half the Bedfordshire inhabitants live in either Bedford or Luton.
27. Since at least 1665, the word “Bedfordshire” has been used as a humorous synonym for going to bed.
28. In the alphabetical list of English counties, Bedfordshire comes first.
29. The Clanger is a traditional Bedfordshire dish, a suet pastry with meat at one end, and jam on the other.
30. In the county there’s only one bakery left that makes the clanger in a variety of flavours, so don’t miss out!
