Local History Videos

Vintage postcard of Bedford High Street, England

Bedford History in Old Photos and Film

Vintage postcard of Bedford High Street, England

Enjoy a glimpse of history through old images of Bedford, in Bedfordshire, England, UK.

Bedford is one of two major population centres in Bedfordshire, which between them are home to the majority of the county’s residents.

The town has changed dramatically since the Second World War. In addition to large housing developments and a population in car ownership, the population has become more diverse. Italian migrants were later followed by the first of the Asian workers, and more recently the local Polish community has grown.

Old Pictures of Bedford

Old picture postcard of Bedford Prison on the Bridge
Old picture postcard of Bedford Prison on the Bridge
Old engravings of scenes of Bedford, England
Old engravings of scenes of Bedford, England. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. “John Bunyan; Elstow Church; Bedford Gaol; Bunyan’s house; Bunyan’s chair; The new monument to John Bunyan, at Bedford, England. (The statue presented to the town by the Duke of Bedford.)”

Old Photos of Bedford

Old photo of the bridge over the River Ouse at Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, in the late 19th Century
Old photo of the bridge over the River Ouse at Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, in the late 19th Century. Image: Photos of the Past/Flikr
Old photochrom of the statue of philanthropist and prison reformer John Howard, 1726 to 1790, taken in Bedford, England, in the 1890s
Old photochrom of the statue of philanthropist and prison reformer John Howard, 1726 to 1790, taken in Bedford, England, in the 1890s. Image: Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress.
Old photo of Bunyan's Statue in Bedford, England, taken in the 1890s
Old photo of Bunyan’s Statue in Bedford, England, taken in the 1890s. Image: Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress.
Old photo of the riverbank at Bedford, England, in the 1890s
Old photo of the riverbank at Bedford, England, in the 1890s. Image: Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress.
Old photochrom of the River Ouse at Bedford, England, in the 1890s
Old photochrom of the River Ouse at Bedford, England, in the 1890s. Image: Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress.
Old photochrom of the bridge and promendade at Bedford, England, in the 1890s
Old photochrom of the bridge and promendade at Bedford, England, in the 1890s. Image: Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress.
Old photo postcard of the High Street, Bedford, England, circa 1904
Old photo postcard of the High Street, Bedford, England, circa 1904. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of the Arcade at Bedford, in Bedfordshire, England, which was posted in 1906
Vintage postcard of the Arcade at Bedford, in Bedfordshire, England, which was posted in 1906. Image: Mark Crombie on Flikr.
Vintage postcard of the Bunyan Statue at Bedford, England, at night
Vintage postcard of the Bunyan Statue at Bedford, England, at night. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage Christmas postcard of the suspension bridge at Bedford, England
Vintage Christmas postcard of the suspension bridge at Bedford, England. Image: Mark Crombie on Flikr.
Vintage postcard of the bridge over the River Ouse at Bedford, England, circa 1906
Vintage postcard of the bridge over the River Ouse at Bedford, England, circa 1906. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Old photo postcard of the High Street, Bedford, England, UK
Old photo postcard of the High Street, Bedford, England, UK. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of the High Street at Bedford, England, circa 1906
Vintage postcard of the High Street at Bedford, England, circa 1906. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Old photo postcard of a steam locomotive at Bedford Railway Station, Bedfordshire, England, circa 1910
Old photo postcard of a steam locomotive at Bedford Railway Station, Bedfordshire, England, circa 1910. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of Bedford High Street, England
Vintage postcard of Bedford High Street, England. Image: Mark Crombie on Flikr.
Vintage postcard of an event in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK
Vintage postcard of an event in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Old postcard of a Church Parade at Bedford, England, in 1914
Old postcard of a Church Parade at Bedford, England, in 1914. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Old photo postcard of an early omnibus in Bedford, England, UK
Old photo postcard of an early omnibus in Bedford, England, UK. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of a house on De Parys Avenue, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
Vintage postcard of a house on De Parys Avenue, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of the chapel at Bedford Grammar School, in Bedfordshire, England
Vintage postcard of the chapel at Bedford Grammar School, in Bedfordshire, England. Image: Mark Crombie on Flikr.
Old photo postcard of a flood on Midland Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK
Old photo postcard of a flood on Midland Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of Bedford School for Girls, England
Vintage postcard of Bedford School for Girls, England. Image: Mark Crombie on Flikr.
Vintage postcard of the outdoor swimming pool at Bedford, England, in the late 1950s
Vintage postcard of the outdoor swimming pool at Bedford, England, in the late 1950s. Image: Mark Crombie on Flikr.
Vintage postcard of the bridge and River Ouse at Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, UK
Vintage postcard of the bridge and River Ouse at Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, UK. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Bedford Bedfordshire England UK.Thanks to David Mark from Pixabay for the image at the top of the page.

Since 1978 there has been an annual Bedford River Festival, although there is footage of a River Pageant happening back in 1920. Parades by water and road are now enhanced by both historic demonstrations and music and dance events on stage.

The town’s large Italian community holds an annual festival too, where delicious food takes centre stage. The occasional international football match success can add impromptu celebrations in local streets.

Bedford’s WW1 Women Workers

Inspection Of Women War Workers (1914-1918) – British Pathé on YouTube

Bedford – Now and Then

Part 1

A compilation of videos from Bedford Town Centre and Embankment from the mid-1960s, 1980, 2014 and 2015.

Bedford Now and Then – All Things Beds, Herts & Bucks on YouTube

Part 2

Bedford Now and Then Part 2!! – All Things Beds, Herts & Bucks on YouTube

Part 3

Part 3 visits Queens Park Bridge, Midland Road and Greyfriars.

Bedford now and then Part 3 – All Things Beds, Herts & Bucks on YouTube

Bedford River Pageant (1920s)

This is a wonderful look back at the Bedford River Pageant held in the 1920s.

It shows people have long enjoyed dressing up for historic recreations.

Bedford River Pageant (1920-1929) – British Pathé on YouTube

Aerial view of Bedford (1953)

This video shows the town of Bedford photographed from the air on 11th May 1953.

The addition of music from that year provides a good sense of the period captured on screen.

Aerial view of Bedford, England, 11th May 1953 – YouTube

Football, Brickworks & Local Streets (1950s/1960s)

Archive footage from Bedford, England during the late 1950s and 1960s

Starting with people enjoying a game of football, the footage then moves to the Stewartby brickworks.

In 1932 the Stewartby brickworks had 32 chimneys up to 70m (230ft) tall. By 1936 it was the world’s leading brickworks in terms of production output, making more than 500 million bricks a year. 

Unfortunately, the last owners of the Stewartby brickworks, Hanson, could not meet UK limits for sulphur dioxide emissions even after spending more than £1 million to tackle this issue in 2005–7. Consequently, the site closed in 2008.

On 11 October 2020, fire broke out in one of the site’s derelict buildings, causing a lot of smoke in the area. Over the next few hours Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service asked local people to avoid the area and advised those living nearby to keep doors and windows closed.

Finally, it’s a sunny day out on the streets of Bedford as people go about their business. 

Bedford UK – Football and Brickworks – Mat Guy on YouTube

Bedford (1960s)

Bedford in the 60s – britainonfilm on YouTube

Bedford Town (1960s)

This a short clip of what Bedford used to look like in the 1960’s.

Bedford Town in the 60s – The Ghost Dusters Uk on YouTube

Bedford Town Centre (1960s)

A look around Bedford Town Centre in the 1960s. Includes the Embankment and Market Square.

You’ll notice how few cars are on the road compared to today.

Bedford 1960s – All Things Beds, Herts & Bucks on YouTube

Bedford Mods (1960s)

A short compilation video using photographs of Bedford Mods in the 1960s. Also includes a video of the media hype at the time about the Mods and Rockers.

50 Years of Bedford Mods – Stephen Stringer on YouTube

Old Pleasure Boat On Bedford River (1960s) 

This is 1960s footage shows the old pleasure boat on Bedford River.

Bedford River 1960s The Old Pleasure Boat The Good Old Days – TOPCAMERAMAN on YouTube

Bedford Great Ouse Floods:1968

In 1968, the late Eric Gethins recorded flooding on the Great Ouse at Queen’s Park on 8mm cine film.

Bedford Great Ouse Floods 1968 – Emerton321 on YouTube

More Pictures of Old Bedford

Old Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, enjoyed through historic photos, vintage pictures & archive film. Browse history in these fascinating old images of a bygone era.

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LocalHistoryVideos/bedford-old-photos-pictures

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About the author

Hi, I’m Debbie. I’ve enjoyed books, films, and documentaries about history for more than 30 years. My favourite trips with friends and family are to museums, historic houses, archaeological sites, and I love unearthing old photos and archive film bringing history to life.

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