Bedford Association of Tour Guides

Find out more

Walk with the Tour Guides to learn about...

• The time when Bedford was a frontier town at the edge of Viking badlands
• Falkes de Breaute the ruthless High Sherriff of Bedfordshire & Buckinghamshire whose nine years of tyranny were ended in 1224 by King Henry 111 following the siege of Bedford Castle
• Bedford’s own Dick Whittington – William Harpur by name – who became Lord Mayor of London in 1561 and with his new found wealth endowed Bedford’s Grammar School giving rise to today’s Harpur Trust
• John Bunyan – where he lived, the streets he walked and the gaol where he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress
• The Ark, a house owned by the Panacea Society and kept in readiness for The Messiah on his second coming
• The day Glen Miller set off from a Bedford airfield never to be seen again
• Notorious criminals, places of public execution and a reforming prison governor

Tour Guides’ services

Walks

From June to October, walks leave from the Gold Letter Box, St Paul’s Square at 11.00am. Walks last about 90 minutes, cover 1-2 miles and most walks are suitable for the less mobile. Please confirm departure point and ease of access when booking.

Children of all ages are most welcome on all of our walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £3.00 per adult or £1.50 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.

Online booking

Please select here to visit The Higgins Bedford website to book online.

Our regular Walks are...

The Silent Faces of Bedford

Bedford has many impressive statues and memorials. They cannot tell their own story – but we can and do!

I Never Knew That

The most commonly heard phrase after the completion of a Guided Walk. This Walk encompasses all that information about Bedford and its many features that YOU never knew!

Places & Faces of Bedford

Bedford has many impressive properties, often built as homes for the professional and the wealthy. Many survive though few are still family homes. Join us to find out who lived where and why these Bedfordians were important to the town.

 

---

 

The Life And Times of John Bunyan

Bedford's most famous son. Born in Elstow parish but spent much of his life in Bedford and, in particular, in Bedford gaol. Visit the site of the cottage in which John and his family lived, the churches in which he worshipped and the site of the gaol in which he spent 12 long years and wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress.

Bedford in World War II

One of our most popular walks revealing the secrets and mysteries of life in Bedford during World War II. What famous people were here and why? What was meant by the BBC during the War when announcing a programme from "Somewhere In England"? And why has Bedford been called “the Spy Capital of the World”?

The Rise and Fall of Bedford Castle

The Normans were swift on their arrival in this country to build a castle of great size in Bedford. Discover the castle's story and why it was demolished.

 

---

 

The Jewel in the Crown

The Jewel in Bedford's Crown is undoubtedly the River Great Ouse and its Embankment. Find out how the construction of this part of the town came about and hear about the many important features which stand on either side of the river and which can easily be overlooked.

Guided Walks Programme 2022

Please see details of our planned walks below. For more information please contact us on info@bedfordtourguides.org

NEW: Gift Vouchers

How about something different for a birthday, anniversary or celebration? Gift Vouchers for our walks are available from £30. Please email info@bedfordtourguides.org for further information.

Online booking

Please select here to visit The Higgins Bedford website to book online.

Date	Walk
Sunday 12 June	I Never Knew That
Wednesday 15 June	The Jewel in Bedford's Crown
Sunday 19 June	The Rise and Fall of Bedford Castle
Sunday 26 June	Bedford in World War II
Wednesday 29 June	Places & Faces of Bedford
Sunday 3 July	The Silent Faces of Bedford
Wednesday 6 July	I Never Knew That
Sunday 10 July	The Jewel in Bedford's Crown
Sunday 17 July	The Life and Times of John Bunyan
Wednesday 27 July	Bedford in World War II
Sunday 31 July	Places & Faces of Bedford
Wednesday 3 August	The Life and Times of John Bunyan
Sunday 7 August	The Silent Faces of Bedford
Sunday 14 August	The Jewel in Bedford's Crown
Sunday 21 August	The Rise and Fall of Bedford Castle
Wednesday 31 August	Places & Faces of Bedford
Sunday 4 September	The Silent Faces of Bedford
Wednesday 7 September	The Life and Times of John Bunyan
Sunday 11 September	I Never Knew That
Sunday 18 September	The Life and Times of John Bunyan
Sunday 25 September	The Rise and Fall of Bedford Castle
Wednesday 28 September	The Jewel in Bedford's Crown
Sunday 2 October	Places & Faces of Bedford
Wednesday 5 October	I Never Knew That
Sunday 9 October	Bedford in World War II
Sunday 16 October	The Silent Faces of Bedford
Wednesday 19 October	The Rise and Fall of Bedford Castle
Sunday 23 October	The Jewel in Bedford's Crown

Online booking

Please select here to visit The Higgins Bedford website to book online.

Bespoke Walks and Tours

Bespoke walks for groups, companies and organisations

Walks and Tours booked by individual groups, companies and organisations operate throughout the year. Prices for 2022 are £3.00 per adult, £1.50 for children over 8, or from £30.00 per group. In addition to our regular programme of walks, we are happy to lead walks and tours on other topics specifically requested by groups or organisations. Please email info@bedfordtourguides.org for more information.

Coach Tours

We gladly assist holiday and tour companies visiting Bedford by providing and leading day tours on a general theme or specific topic. If you are planning a visit by coach to Bedford or are organising a group holiday in the town, why not book a guide to accompany your group on a walk or a coach tour of the neighbouring area?

Among the coach tours provided in the past have been Airfields of World War 2; Glenn Miller (including the Glenn Miller Museum); John Bunyan; the R101 and Airships; the picturesque Villages of East Bedfordshire as well as visits to Shuttleworth (Aircraft Collection, Swiss Garden, and The House), Wrest Park, DISC Intelligence Museum (Chicksands), 306 Bomb Group Museum at Thurleigh.

---

Talks

Among the topics currently available are; The BBC and Glenn Miller in WW2 Bedford; The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of The Cardington Airships; The Wreck of the Clipper Loch Ard; Bedford Castle And How It Was Lost; John Howard – Obsessive Saint; and Col. Fred Burnaby – Victorian Superman. For other topics, please ask.

For Schools

We also offer specific Walks and Tours as requested by any school or college. We can assist with the local provision of National Curriculum topics. Again, please ask.