Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A walk around the fantastic history of the town of Bedford in England, just 40 minutes by train from London St Pancras Station. Bedford sits on the River Great Ouse and is best known for its association with John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrims Progress. Bedford has an incredibly rich history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times when it's said to be the burial place of the powerful Mercian King Offa. The town was raided and occupied by Vikings then liberated and fortified by the Saxon King Edward the Elder and was a border town between Wessex law and the Danelaw. It was the scene of two dramatic sieges of its powerful castle, in 1153 and 1224. The church of St Paul was built on the site of a Saxon church and the stones of the church were at one time used to fortify the castle.
The video also features the fantastic Edwardian Arcade opened in 1915 and highlights local band The Grubby Mitts grubbymittsband.bandcamp.com
Make Your Own Damn Art - full documentary
youtu.be/ZmJaRGEFkqM?si=w-iAlvYTZtlDyTh-
Music
So Aware - Damon Greene
Lily of the Valley - Zorro
Land Of Eternal Spring - Cora Zea
courtesy of epidemicsound.com
share.epidemicsound.com/ftphix (affiliate link)
Over the Meadow, Over the Stream - Alan Rogers
Thanks to my supporters on Patreon patreon.com/JohnRogers
Please subscribe for regular videos: bit.ly/1EJjIB8
Join this channel to get access to perks:
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#england #bedford #bedfordshire
Maps:
Open Street Map “© OpenStreetMap contributors” using data available under the Open Database Licence
Danelaw Map
• Source: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg)
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
_________________________________________________________________________________
Patreon patreon.com/JohnRogers
My shop: teespring.com/stores/the-lost-byway
My Books:
Welcome to New London amzn.to/3LTK9Rv
This Other London amzn.to/2zbFmTd
Audiobook & Kindle: amzn.to/2xLGb8s
Blog: The Lost Byway: thelostbyway.com
Twitter: twitter.com/fugueur
Instagram instagram.com/thelostbyway
Make a donation to help support the channel paypal.me/JohnRogersLondon - many thanks!
Shot in 4K on a Olympus OM-D EM-1 mark 2 with audio recorded with a Rode Wireless GO
My Walking kit (amazon affiliate link - I earn a small commission on purchases)
amzn.to/2Xky2UA
A walk around the fantastic history of the town of Bedford in England, just 40 minutes by train from London St Pancras Station. Bedford sits on the River Great Ouse and is best known for its association with John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrims Progress. Bedford has an incredibly rich history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times when it's said to be the burial place of the powerful Mercian King Offa. The town was raided and occupied by Vikings then liberated and fortified by the Saxon King Edward the Elder and was a border town between Wessex law and the Danelaw. It was the scene of two dramatic sieges of its powerful castle, in 1153 and 1224. The church of St Paul was built on the site of a Saxon church and the stones of the church were at one time used to fortify the castle.
The video also features the fantastic Edwardian Arcade opened in 1915 and highlights local band The Grubby Mitts grubbymittsband.bandcamp.com
Make Your Own Damn Art - full documentary
youtu.be/ZmJaRGEFkqM?si=w-iAlvYTZtlDyTh-
Music
So Aware - Damon Greene
Lily of the Valley - Zorro
Land Of Eternal Spring - Cora Zea
courtesy of epidemicsound.com
share.epidemicsound.com/ftphix (affiliate link)
Over the Meadow, Over the Stream - Alan Rogers
Thanks to my supporters on Patreon patreon.com/JohnRogers
Please subscribe for regular videos: bit.ly/1EJjIB8
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCk1qvhkPMbF703QHR8qj8og/join
#england #bedford #bedfordshire
Maps:
Open Street Map “© OpenStreetMap contributors” using data available under the Open Database Licence
Danelaw Map
• Source: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg)
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
_________________________________________________________________________________
Patreon patreon.com/JohnRogers
My shop: teespring.com/stores/the-lost-byway
My Books:
Welcome to New London amzn.to/3LTK9Rv
This Other London amzn.to/2zbFmTd
Audiobook & Kindle: amzn.to/2xLGb8s
Blog: The Lost Byway: thelostbyway.com
Twitter: twitter.com/fugueur
Instagram instagram.com/thelostbyway
Make a donation to help support the channel paypal.me/JohnRogersLondon - many thanks!
Shot in 4K on a Olympus OM-D EM-1 mark 2 with audio recorded with a Rode Wireless GO
My Walking kit (amazon affiliate link - I earn a small commission on purchases)
amzn.to/2Xky2UA
