Castle, Bedford

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Castle
Population	8,259 ^[1]
District	Bedford
Shire county	Bedfordshire
Region	East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BEDFORD
Police	Bedfordshire
Fire	Bedfordshire and Luton
Ambulance	East of England
European Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	Bedford
List of places: UK • England • Bedfordshire

Bedford Castle

Castle is an electoral ward and area of Bedford, England.

The boundaries of Castle are (roughly) Bromham Road and Goldington Road to the north, Newnham Avenue to the east, the River Great Ouse to the south, with the Midland Main Line railway line and Queens Park to the west.

The Castle area includes all of Bedford town centre, north of the river.

1 History
2 Politics
3 Local Amenities
4 Schools
5 Places of Worship
6 References
7 External Links

[edit] History

the name 'Castle' comes from Bedford Castle which is located in the area. William II granted the Barony of Bedford to Paine de Beauchamp who built the castle. The Castle was destroyed in 1224 by Henry III. In 1166 The town of Bedford was given a Charter. This was when Bedford Market was founded in the Castle area. Bedford remained a small agricultural town, with wool being an important industry in the area for much of the Middle Ages. The River Ouse became navigable as far as Bedford in 1689. Wool declined in importance with brewing becoming a major industry in the town. ^[2]

Bedford Corn Exchange

In 1660 John Bunyan was imprisoned for 12 years in Bedford Gaol, which was located in the Castle area. It was here that he wrote The Pilgrim's Progress.

The 19th Century saw Bedford transform into an important engineering hub. In 1832 Gas lighting was introduced into the Castle area, and the railway reached Bedford in 1846. Bedford's Corn Exchange was built in the area in 1849, and the first drains and sewers were dug in 1864. Bedford's growth in the 19th century saw the Castle area expand along the river to the east. The final part of the neighbourhood was developed in the 1930's. ^[3]

[edit] Politics

Castle is an unparished area, with all community services under the direct control of Bedford Borough Council. Castle elects 3 councillors to Bedford Borough Council, all of which are currently independents.

[edit] Local Amenities

Bedford town centre is in the Castle area

All of the Bedford's CBD is located in Castle ward. This means many major High Street Shops and brands are located here. The main shopping areas of note are the High Street which includes a Debenhams Department Store, a 'Wilkinsons' store, banks, many pubs, nightclubs and Restaurants. The Harpur Centre is Bedford's (and Castle's) main shopping Mall. Branches of Boots, TK Maxx, Littlewoods, Argos and many other stores are located here. to the east is Castle Road where there are a host of smaller independent shops and community stores. ^[4]

Many of Bedford's central amenities and attractions are located in the Castle area, including Bedford's main Post Office, Town Hall, market, Magistrates Court, County Court, Bus station, police station and Bedford railway station. One of Bedford's largest hotels is located in the area - The Swan Hotel on the High Street. The main open space in the area is Russell Park and the Embankment. The Bedford Corn Exchange, the Bedford Civic Theatre and Bedford Museum and Esquires (a live music venue) are also located in the area.^[5]

[edit] Schools

There are two lower schools in Castle - Priory Lower School located on Greyfriars, and Castle Lower School situated on Goldington Road. Most older Castle students attend Newnham Middle School or Goldington Middle School. For Upper School education, most Castle students attend Biddenham Upper School. ^[6]