The Higgins Bedford
Castle Lane
Bedford.
MK40 3XD
Maps and information relating to transport and parking in Bedford can be found on the Bedford Borough Council website >
Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to get to the Higgins Bedford, designed with the help of Autism Bedfordshire.
Walking
The Higgins Bedford is situated at the heart of Bedford’s Cultural Quarter just 2 minutes walk from the High Street and the Embankment.
Bus and Coach
The closest bus stops for local Stagecoach services are on Newnham Road and on Castle Road near Albany Road. Buses 4, 5 and 7 stop at Newnham Rd and/or Albany Rd. Bedford Borough Council provides further information on bus and coach services >
Stagecoach X5 service operates between Cambridge and Oxford via Milton Keynes and Bedford every 30 minutes. Visit the Stagecoach X5 website here >
Bedford Bus Station is a 6 minute walk from The Higgins Bedford.
Train
The Higgins Bedford is 0.9 miles from Bedford Midland Railway Station. Follow the sign posted route to the Town Centre and Art Gallery & Museum, about 20 minutes walk. Alternatively there are taxis readily available at the railway station.
There are frequent services from London (St Pancras International) with trains arriving and departing every 30 minutes. The First Capital Connect service runs from Brighton, Gatwick Airport, London stations, St Albans and Luton through to Bedford. The East Midlands Trains service runs from Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Kettering and Wellingborough to Bedford, and on to St Pancras International.
Further information can be found on the National Rail Enquiries website or telephone 08457 484950 for more information
London Midland runs the Marston Vale Line from Bletchley to St John’s Station, Bedford calling at local stations. Follow the signposted route from the station to the Town Centre, and to the Art Gallery & Museum. Connections are available at Bletchley from Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard. Further details can be found on the Marston Vale Community Rail website >
Road
If arriving from the north or south there are excellent links to Bedford from the M1, A1 and A6. If travelling from the west or east, the A421 and A428 provide easy access to the town. There is an excellent Park & Ride facility on the A6 at Elstow, south of Bedford, which is also convenient for visitors arriving on the A421 from the M1 and A1.
There are 4 car parking spaces at the entrance of the art gallery and museum for visitors with Accessible Parking Permits or Blue Badges. Bedford Borough Council website provides further information about the Blue Badge Scheme >
The main routes to Bedford are:
- From the M1 (North and South) : exit at Junction 13 and follow the A421 towards Bedford, and follow the signs to the Town Centre
- From the A1 (North) : exit at the Black Cat roundabout and follow the A428 to Bedford, and then signs to the Town Centre
- From the A1 (South) : exit at the Sandy roundabout and follow the A603 to Bedford, and then signs to the Town Centre
The nearest public car park is at Lurke Street, just 5 minutes walk from The Higgins Bedford. If attending evening functions the nearest 24 hour, open air, public car parks are St Peter’s Street and Riverside Square, both about 10 minutes walk. The Bedford Borough Council website provides more information about parking in the town
Park & Ride
The Park & Ride service has frequent buses into the town centre. If you are driving into Bedford from St. Albans, Luton, Dunstable, Ampthill, Cranfield or other destinations on the A6, the Park & Ride could be the service for you. Bedford Borough Council website provides further information about the Park & Ride>
For Sat Nav use MK42 9XF
Cycle
Bedford is a cycling town with a good network of cycle routes enabling cyclists to easily reach The Higgins from all areas. The National Cycle Network Route 51 from Oxford to the east coast passes through the town along the south side of the River Great Ouse on its way from Milton Keynes to Sandy.
There are 5 ‘Sheffield’ type cycle parking stands accommodating 10 cycles immediately outside the entrance to the art gallery and museum and many more in the nearby town centre.
Download a PDF map of Bedford and Kempston Cycle Routes.
Download a PDF map of cycle stands in Bedford.