Walks with the Bedford Association of Tour Guides
Enjoy a series of walks with the Bedford Association of Tour Guides The walks take place from from April to October.
- Places are limited and must be booked in advance.
- Book online or call the Box Office on 01234 718044
- Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee.
- Bookings for walks on Wednesdays will close at 4pm the day before
- Bookings for walks on Sundays will close at 4pm the day before
All walks will leave from the Gold Letter Box on St Paul’s Square, Bedford MK40 1SL, not The Higgins Bedford. The exception is the Movers & Shakers walk, which starts at the top of St. Loyes Street opposite Bedford Prison.
If you would like to know more about the walks, please email info@bedfordtourguides.org
If you have any ticket enquiries, please call the Box Office on 01234 718044
Walks last around 90 minutes. Each walk covers 1-2 miles and most are suitable for those less mobile. Children are welcome on the these walks but they must be accompanied by an adult.
Please note that any walks with less than two attendees booked will be cancelled.
Programme:
Bedford's Movers & Shakers
11am - 12.30pm
£4 per person, £2 for children over 8
2 June, 7 July, 18 August, 25 September
Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee
You will know of the 'mugshot', but did you know it was first introduced into the criminal justice system by Robert Evan Roberts, a reforming governor of Bedford Prison in Victorian times? Join us on this walk and meet Roberts and others who made a difference in Bedford and in the world; an astronomer, a polar explorer, the first woman county councillor and discover how some of the most attractive private dwellings in Bedford came to grace this area of town. N.B. Please note that this walk starts from St Loyes, opposite Bedford Prison.
Tales of the Tower & Steeple
11am - 12.30pm
£4 per person, £2 for children over 8
5 June, 3 July, 7 August, 4 September
Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee
St Paul's and St Peter's churches have a fascinating history and many stories to tell. Join us on a brief tour of each church and discover why they have played such an important and integral part in the development and the history of the town itself.
I Never Knew That
11am - 12:30pm
£4 per person, £2 for children over 8
5 May, 25 May, 26 June, 28 July, 11 August, 13 October
Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee
The most commonly heard phrase after the completion of a Guided Walk. This Walk encompasses all that information about Bedford and its many features that YOU never knew!
The Jewel in Bedford's Crown
11am - 12:30pm
£4 per person, £2 for children over 8
14 April, 19 May, 16 June, 22 September, 27 October
Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee
The Jewel in Bedford's Crown is undoubtedly the River Great Ouse and its Embankment. This entertainig and informative circular walk takes you along the banks of the river, which has been described as one of the finest riverside settings in England. Learn the story of the Victorian Embankment development and enjoy a walk in the ornamental gardens.
The Rise and Fall of Bedford Castle
11am - 12:30pm
£4 per person, £2 for children over 8
28 April, 26 May, 31 July, 15 September, 20 October
Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee
The Norman Conquest of Britain witnessed the introduction of castles to the landscape and in Bedford, a major castle was built in the 12th century. Walk through the old castle grounds, see the mound on which it once stood and hear the story of the castle and its demise in the siege of 1224. This year witnesses the 800th anniversary of the Great Siege of Bedford Castle in 1224.
Bedford in World War II
11am - 12:30pm
£4 per person, £2 for children over 8
1 May, 29 May, 14 July, 1 September, 6 October
Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee
A walk that reveals the way of life in Bedford and some of the little-known facts about the role it played during World War II. Learn how Bedford became the main hub of the BBC during the war and how it also became a centre of wartime entertainment. Discover a 'secret' Bedford and the connections of the town to the code breakers at Bletchley park.
The Silent Faces of Bedford
11am - 12:30pm
£4 per person, £2 for children over 8
21 Aril, 12 May, 23 June, 4 August, 28 August, 2 October
Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee
Bedford has many impressive statues and memorials. They cannot speak for themselves but our guides can tell you their story and why they take their place in Bedford's history.
The Life and Times of John Bunyan
11am - 12:30pm
£4 per person, £2 for children over 8
24 April, 19 May, 16 June, 22 September, 27 October
Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee
Discover the story of Bedford's most famous son who was imprisoned for his non-conformist preaching. Visit the site of the cottage in which John and his family lived, the churches in which he worshipped and the site of the gaol in which he spent 12 long years and began to write one of the best selling books in history, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
A copy of the Guided Walks 2024 leaflet can be found here