Bedford Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located in the county of Bedfordshire, and around 50 miles north of central London, is the town of Bedford.

The town's name is believed to be derived from a Saxon chief called Beda, while 'ford' refers to a shallow river crossing, in this case of the River Great Ouse which runs through the town.

During the early 12th century a castle was built in Bedford by the river. In 1224 the castle was destroyed under orders from Henry III. All that remains is the castle mound - which is, incidentally, the starting point of this walk.

Bedford received a market charter in 1166 from Henry II. During the medieval era the town was a producer of wool. This industry flourished up until the 17th century, at which point it went into decline. From the 16th century Bedford became a producer of lace, and from the 18th century, brewing became a major industry. In 1689 Bedford benefitted from the Great Ouse navigation - the process of widening the river to make it accessible by cargo boats. This was a significant boost for the local economy at the time.

Just north of the River Great Ouse is St Paul's Square, home to St Paul's Church, constructed in the 13th century. Outside church is a statue of John Howard. In 1773 Howard was appointed High Sheriff of Bedfordshire. Having took it upon himself to inspect the county prison, Howard devoted himself to the cause of prison reform across the country.

Another statue is seen during the walk - that of John Bunyan. Born in 1628 in the village of Elstow near Bedford, Bunyan was arrested in 1660 after the Restoration of the Monarchy. The charge was preaching at a religious gathering not held in a parish church. The sentence was three months, but as he did not agree to desist from preaching, he ended up spending twelve years in Bedford County Gaol. During this time he wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, which is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious, theological fiction in English literature.

By urban area Bedford is one of the largest towns in the UK without a fully professional football team. However, the town has an impressive prowess in rowing as a number of Olympic medallists learned their craft right here on the River Great Ouse. Also, Paula Radcliffe trained at Bedford & County Athletics Club prior to winning multiple marathon golds including London, New York and Chicago.

In closing, here's a completely pointless fact: for those who still use landlines, Bedford has the easiest-to-remember dialling code in all of the UK. The code is 01234. Feel free to wow all your friends with this nugget.

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Filmed: 17th July 2021

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/VrADzguho1pYEG3t5

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Bedford Castle Mound
1:33 The Embankment
1:51 River Great Ouse
2:00 The Embankment
3:53 Boer War Memorial
4:01 The Embankment
4:14 St Mary's Street
4:29 River Great Ouse
4:42 St Mary's Street
5:16 High Street
5:48 St Paul's Square
6:06 John Howard Statue
6:11 St Paul's Church
6:16 St Paul's Square
8:54 St Paul's Church
9:00 St Paul's Square
9:35 High Street
10:51 Silver Street
11:04 Reflections of Bedford Sculpture
11:12 Silver Street
11:21 High Street
13:05 St Peter's Street
13:12 John Bunyan Statue
13:17 St Peter's Street
13:25 High Street
14:05 Lime Street
15:36 Harpur Street
16:53 Midland Road

Видео Bedford Walk: Town Centre【4K】 канала 4K Explorer