Leisure and culture
River Great Ouse
The River, which runs through Bedford, must certainly be described as the Jewel in the Crown. It supplied the power to grind corn at Duckmill and Newnham. It also provided invaluable trade links as barges could navigate from The Wash on the North Seas, right the way through to Bedford’s Town Centre. This enabled coal and other supplies to be transported by water; coal wharfs would have lined the banks of the river in the town centre. Oakley Bridge.
From Victorian times, the Embankment has been enjoyed as a place to promenade and be seen, with its tree lined avenues and open spaces.
In the 1970’s the locks, which had fallen into disrepair, were rebuilt and the river was once again open to the sea. These days the river is invaded on a regular basis, but this time the invaders are not the Danes but visitor’s who come to celebrate Bedford’s River Festival. Held every two years, it is one of the largest free outdoor events, second only to London’s Notting Hill Carnival. The festival will take place in July 2010.
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Parks and Open Spaces
RELATED PAGES
Bedford in Bloom
Ranger Service
Water Resources
Parks and Green Spaces
Urban Parks
Memorial Benches
Parks
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