Bedfordshire: Local History Resources

The county of Bedfordshire in the East of England has many interesting communities with memories to share through video.

Contents Of This Page:

Local History Videos

The highlighted towns and villages listed above click through to a new page, where you will find links to relevant online videos. Over time, more pages and links will be added.

However, if you’re looking for footage about the county generally rather than specific communities, you may be interested to watch the following short films:

Bedfordshire Memories Part 1 DVD clip: TIMEREELTV on YouTube

Bedfordshire Memories Part 2 DVD clip: TIMEREELTV on YouTube

KLR1031 1940s Bedfordshire Village Life, UK: thekinolibrary (YouTube)

Bedfordshire Memories Part 1 DVD Trailer: Pastfilms (YouTube)

Bedfordshire Memories Part 2 DVD Trailer: Pastfilms on YouTube

What region is Bedfordshire In?

Bedfordshire is in a region called the East of England. It’s found in the southern half of England about 60 miles north of London.

Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire surround Bedfordshire. It is sometimes considered part of England’s Home Counties, because of its proximity and economic connections to London, but is not part of the South East region.

Is Bedfordshire a city?

Bedfordshire is a historic and ceremonial county. Bedford is one of the county’s major centres of population, but is a town with less than 80,000 households and is not a city.

Around the county, you can find beautiful countryside at the Forest of Marston Vale, Greensand Ridge and the Dunstable Downs, stately homes and museums, Whipsnade Zoo, and

Many new residents are drawn to Bedfordshire because of the good employment opportunities in a family-friendly environment.

Others arrive to study at the University of Bedfordshire, which formed in August 2006 with the merger of the (now defunct) University of Luton with De Montfort University’s Bedford campus. Today it has six campuses across Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire providing a base to almost 20,000 UK and international students.

What is the population of Bedfordshire?

According to Central Bedfordshire Council, in mid-2018 the county’s population was estimated to be 283,600. More than half of these residents lived in either Luton or Bedford.

What towns and villages are in Bedfordshire?

The county of Bedfordshire does not have a city. But the county’s towns and villages include:

Aley Green
Ampthill
Apsley End
Arlesey
Aspley Guise
Aspley Heath
Astwick
Barton-le-Clay
Battlesden
Beadlow
Bedford
Beeston
Begwary
Biddenham
Bidwell
Biggleswade
Billington
Bletsoe
Blunham
Bolnhurst
Bourne End
Bromham Village
Caddington
California
Campton
Cardington
Carlton Castle
Cauldwell
Chalgrave
Chalton
Chaul End
Church End
Chellington
Chicksands
Chiltern Green
Clapham
Clifton
Clipstone
Clophill
Cockayne Hatley
Colesden
Colmworth
Cople
Cotton End
Cranfield
De Parys
Duck’s Cross
Dunstable
Dunton
Denton
East Hyde
Eastcotts
Eaton Bray
Edworth
Eggington
Elstow
Eversholt
Everton
Eyeworth
Fairfield Park
Fancott
Farndish
Flitton
Flitwick
Goldington
Gravenhurst
Great Barford
Great Billington
Great Denham
Greenfield
Hall End
Harlington
Harpur
Harrold
Harrowden
Hatch Haynes
Haynes Church End
Haynes West End
Heath and Reach
Henlow
Henlow Camp
Herrings Green
Higham Gobion
Hills End
Hinwick
Hockliffe
Hockwell Ring
Holme
Holywell
Honeydon
Houghton Conquest
Houghton Regis
How End
Hulcote
Husbourne Crawley
Hyde
Ickwell
Ion
Ireland
Keeley Green
Kempston
Kempston Rural
Kempston South
Kempston West
Kensworth
Kensworth Lynch
Keysoe
Keysoe Row
Kingsbrook
Knotting
Knotting Green
Langford

Leagrave
Leedon
Leighton Buzzard
Lidlington
Limbury
Linslade
Little Barford
Little Billington
Little Staughton
Lower Caldecote
Lower Dean
Lower Gravenhurst
Lower Shelton
Lower Stondon
Lower Sundon
Lower Woodside
Luton
Marston
Moretaine
Maulden
Melchbourne
Meppershall
Millbrook
Milton Bryan
Milton Ernest
Moggerhanger
New Mill End
Newnham
Northill
Oakley Odell Old Warden
Pavenham
Pegsdon
Pepperstock
Pertenhall
Podington
Potsgrove
Potton
Pulloxhill
Putnoe
Queens Park
Radwell
Ravensden
Renhold
Ridgmont
Riseley
Roxton
Salford
Salph End
Sandy
Seddington
Sewell
Sharnbrook
Sharpenhoe
Sheep Lane
Shefford
Shelton
Shillington
Shortstown
Silsoe
Skimpot
Slip End
Souldrop
Southcote
Southill
Stagsden
Stanbridge
Stanford
Steppingley
Stevington
Stewartby
Stotfold
Streatley
Studham
Sutton
Swineshead
Tebworth
Tempsford
The Hyde
Thorn
Thorncote Green
Thurleigh
Tilsworth
Tingrith
Toddington
Totternhoe
Turvey
Upper Caldecote
Upper Dean
Upper Gravenhurst
Upper Shelton
Upper Staploe
Upper Stondon
Upper Sundon
West End
Westoning
Wharley End
Whipsnade
Wilden
Willington
Wilshamstead
Wilstead
Wingfield
Wixams
Woburn
Wood End
Woodside
Wootton
Wootton Green
Wrestlingworth
Wyboston
Wymington
Yielden

Bedfordshire Local History On Facebook

We didn’t find any relevant Facebook pages or groups about local history in Bedfordshire. If you know of one we’ve missed, please do get in touch.

Local History Groups And Resources In Bedfordshire

A1 Searchers Metal Detecting Club

Albion Archaeology Ltd (formerly Bedfordshire County Archaeology Service)

Ampthill & District Archaeological & Local History Society

Ampthill & District Preservation Society

Ampthill History Forum

Bedford Architectural, Archaeological & Local History Society

Bedfordshire Family History Society

Bedfordshire Gardens Trust

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment Museum Collection

Bedfordshire Historical Record Society

Bedfordshire Libraries Virtual Library

Bedfordshire Local History Association (BLHA)

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service

Bedfordshire War Memorials and Rolls of Honour

Bedfordshire Women’s Land Army

Biggleswade History Society

British Newspaper Archive

Caddington Local History Group

Carlton & Chellington Historical Society

Clapham Historical Society

Colmworth & Neighbours History Society

Dunstable & District Local History Society

Francis Frith Collection (Photographs)

Friends of Bedford Cemetery

Friends of Luton Museums

Gazeteer of markets and fairs in England and Wales to 1516

Harlington Heritage Trust

Heritage Gateway

The Higgins, Bedford (museum and art gallery)

Historical Directories of England & Wales

Historic Environment Record (HER) – Bedford Borough Council

Historypin

International John Bunyan Society

John Bunyan Museum Bedford

Langford & District History Society

Leighton Buzzard & District Archaeological & Historical Society

Luton & District Historical Society

Manshead Archaeological Society of Dunstable

Maulden History Society

Maypole Heritage

North East Medals

Old Warden History and Heritage Society

Potton History Society

Riseley Historical Society

Rootsweb: Bedfordshire Genealogy – Bedfordshire Parishes

Rootsweb – Bedfordshire Genealogy – Military History

Rootsweb – Bedfordshire Geneaology – Railways

Roxton & District Local History Group

Sandy & District Historical Society

Sandy Historical Research Group

Sharnbrook Local History Group

Shortstown Heritage

Stevington Historical Trust

Toddington Historical Society

Turvey History Society

Victoria County History (Institute of Historical Research, University of London)

Willington Local History Group

Woburn Abbey

Woburn Heritage Centre Trust

Woburn Sands & District Society

Wrestlingworth History Society

Wrest Park Volunteer History Research Team

In addition, there are many national resources (enough to justify their own page!) which could help your local history research.

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Thanks to TheOtherKev from Pixabay for the photo at the top of this page.