Bedford Association of Tour Guides

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

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!

You will know of the “mugshot”, but did you know it was first introduced into the criminal justice system by Robert Evan Roberts, a reforming governor of Bedford prison in Victorian times? Join us on this walk and meet Roberts and others who made a difference in Bedford and in the world: an astronomer, a polar explorer, the first woman county councillor and discover how some of the most attractive private dwellings in Bedford came to grace this area of the town.

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.

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 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.

Walks and Tours booked by individual groups, companies and organisations operate throughout the year. Prices for 2023 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.

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.

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.