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Bedford
High Street History

Places > Bedford > Streets > High Street

Where to start, books and more to inspire you to find out about Bedford High Street

Home | Books | Census | Directories | Maps | Newspapers and Journals | Obituaries | Objects | Oral History | Photographs | Reports | BLARS

For contact details for:
Bedford Local Studies Library and Heritage Library 
BLARS (Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service)
Bedford Museum (The Higgins)
The HER (Historic Environment Record) see Where to go for more information.

Books

Hockliffe's 86/88 High Street, BedfordBedford Local Studies Library has books covering all aspects of the history of Bedford. The Heritage Library (HL) has books on Bedford published before 1900.

  • Andrew, Martin, Photographic Memories, Francis Frith's Around Bedford, 2001. BED/FRA
  • Baker, A. and Wilde, N. Bedford in Times Past, Countryside Publications, 1980. BED/BAK
  • Bedford: Diamond Jubilee Edition, 1897 HL
  • Chrystal, S. Bedford by the River in Old Picture Postcards, 2003. BED/CHR
  • Hamson, J. Bedford Town & Townsmen 1845-1895: a record of the local history of Bedford during the last half century, Bedfordshire Times Office, 1896. HL 942.561
  • Mates Illustrated Guide to Bedford 1906, Chantry Press, 1985. BED/MAT
  • Memories of Bedford, True North Books, 1999. Oversize BED/MEM
  • More Memories of Bedford, True North Books, 2001. Oversize BED/MOR
  • Simmonds, Anne T. Why Harrison and Simmonds? The story of a family business and what went before. Harrison and Simmonds, 2008. BED/SIM
  • Where to Buy at Bedford: an illustrated local review, 1891. HL BED/WHE
  • Wildman, Richard, Bedford a Pictorial History, Phillimore, 1991. BED/WIL 
  • Wildman, Richard, Bedford Then & Now in Colour, The History Press, 2011. BED/WIL
  • Wildman, Richard (ed.). Bedford Past and Present, Paul Hooley, 1975. BED/WIL
  • Wildman, Richard, Bygone Bedford, White Crescent Press, 1974. BED/WIL
  • Wildman, Richard, Britain in Old Photographs, Bedford, Alan Sutton, 1995. BED/WIL
  • Whos Who in Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire, Whos Who in the Counties Series, 1936. HL 920.04256
BLARS (Bedfordshire and Luton Archives & Records Service) also has a collection of books about Bedford including:
  • Picturesque Bedford: photographic views of the schools, river and large business establishments. Printed and published by Rush & Warwick, c. 1903

Census

  • Bedfordshire census returns from 1841 to 1901 at the Local Studies Library and BLARS.
  • Censuses covering England and Wales from 1841 to 1911 available on Ancestry Library edition online at a Bedfordshire Library.

Directories

Bedford High Street 1969The local Bedford directories are an essential source for finding out about High Street businesses. As they were commercial publications each one contains advertising pages about local shops and trades. The main part of the directory is arranged by street and there is a name index at the back. The collection in the Heritage Library covers the period:

  • c.1868-1976 (incomplete) for Bedford
  • 1831-1940 (incomplete) for Bedfordshire.

Bedford Directories can also be consulted at BLARS

Maps

Goad maps at Bedford Local Studies Library can be viewed from 1968 to date. These street maps list all the shops in the town centre including the High Street. The map collection at BLARS includes a detailed 1:500 scale OS map c.1884 for Bedford showing the outline of properties.

Newspapers and Journals

Times and Independent NewspaperHoldings for local newspapers, the original paper copies and on microfilm go back into the 19th century. The Bedfordshire Times is one of the major titles. The cuttings collection at the Local Studies Library was started in the early 1970s with some earlier material covering the period 1900-1970s being added. The newspaper cuttings collection includes over a thousand cuttings on Bedford shops and industries. Search the newspaper cuttings index under:

  • Bedford: Shopping
  • Bedford: Industries and Trades

See also the ring-binders with selected cuttings:

  • Bedford a history of some well-known shops
  • Shopping in Bedford

BLARS also has local newspapers.

The collection of journals at the Bedford Local Studies Library includes a complete set of the Bedfordshire Magazine. All the articles have entries in the Local Studies catalogue. Volume 23 for example has an article on Laxtons. Ann Hagan wrote an article in the March 2010 edition of OVL (Ouse Valley Living) (pp.42-43) about the history of some of the High Street businesses.

Obituaries

Over the years, the major obituaries in the local papers, held in the Local Studies Library have been indexed and include entries for many prominent trades people of Bedford.

Objects and Ephemera

Contact Bedford Museum (The Higgins - re-opening in Spring 2013) for more information about the Chrystal Collection of objects from Bedford shops, a model of Arthur Days shop and the Laxton catalogues.

Oral History

Contact Bedford Museum (The Higgins) for recordings of peoples memories of Bedford businesses and shops http://thehigginsbedford.blogspot.co.uk and have a look at their High Street blog for a selection of recordings and photographs. http://bedfordhighstreet.blogspot.com

Photographs

There are collections at Bedford Local Studies Library, BLARS, HER and Bedford Museum (The Higgins). Search the post-card and illustrations indexes at Bedford Local Studies Library.

Reports

57 High Street, BedfordAvailable at Bedford Local Studies Library

  • Bedford Borough Council. High Street Historical Gazetteer, 2008 (images and a brief outline of the history of each High Street property). This can also be viewed online at www.bedford.gov.uk
    In the search box  enter High Street Renaissance to find links to:
    High Street Historical Gazetteer
    A Strategy for Bedford High Street
    Townscape Heritage Initiative
  • Bedford High Street: Street Facades, Shop Fronts and Advertisements: Design Guide. 1991. Oversize 711.5520942561
  • The Bedford Study: Central Area: Shopping c. 1982. Oversize 711.4
  • The Bedford Study: Town Centre: Appraisal. 1967. Oversize 942.369
  • Bedfordshire Extensive Urban Study: Bedford Archaeological Assessment, 2001. The quickest way to find this online report, which includes the historic town of Bedford, is to search for Bedfordshire Extensive Urban Study in Google.
  • Conservation Area Appraisal in Respect of Bedford Conservation Area. 2008.  Oversize 711.40942561
  • Jones, A. For the Record, Bedford 1945-1974: land use and financial planning, Roberts Publications, 1981. BED/JON
  • Max Lock Group. Bedford by the River: a town planning report, Murray, 1952. BED/LOC

Other Resources from BLARS (Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service)

  • John Bull Clock 47 and 49 High Street BedfordAuction sales catalogues  - Includes Brown & Merry Sales Index Book c. 1870-1940
  • Building & Land Index (go the Bedford Section and search for the High Street)
  • Building plans from 1864 (in many cases they include elevation drawings). Check the High Street index sheet 1864-1921.
  • Companies Index and Trades Index
  • Company billheads
  • Rating information

Page last updated: 29th January 2014