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Quick journey times and good choice of new builds gives Bedford commuter appeal

Posted 15 May 2017 by Helen Christie

Just 45 minutes from central London, Bedford's reasonable property prices may just provide the value for money commuters want...

Bedford is a traditional English market town situated on the banks of the River Great Ouse. It sits between the thriving cities of Cambridge and Milton Keynes at the heart of Europe’s dynamic innovation region and just a short hop from London. 

Over the past century Bedford has undergone a great many changes as its proximity to London and easy commute has meant increasing prosperity for the town. Bedford town centre includes a mix of both chains and independent shops mostly dotted around the central square mile of the town. The Harpur Centre is set behind the facade of the 19th century Bedford Modern School. The Castle Quarter 10 minutes’ walk from the town centre has a buzzy vibe with street side cafés, restaurants and the Eagle Art Gallery.

An area that is fast becoming popular with commuters, Bedford boasts fast trains to St Pancras in less than 40 minutes. The trains on the Thameslink service carry on to Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars Stations. A monthly season ticket to London costs £434.70 (£4,528 annually) with the fastest journey time between Bedford and London St Pancras taking just 37 minutes. Trains to Luton Airport Parkway can take just 14 minutes (£252.70 monthly, £2,632 annually); Bletchley takes 43 minutes (£115.60 monthly, £1,204 annually).

Bedford lies on the A6, a few miles east and west of the A1 and M1. There are two railway stations, with regular services to London St Pancras, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds.  Bedford is 57 miles from London, 1hr 19mins by car; Luton Airport is 21 miles (38 minutes); Stansted Airport 44 miles (1hr 7mins); Milton Keynes 18 miles and Cambridge 30 miles.

The award-winning Castle Quay development is a mixed-use leisure complex with 100 homes, shopping, cafes and an archaeological park. Bedford hosts a weekly gourmet food market and a farmers’ market twice a month. There is a vast choice of restaurants and bars which range from Italian and Mexican, to American diners and traditional Indian cuisine.

Bedford has a three-tier education system of lower, middle and upper schools. There are plenty of decent primary schools many rated 'good' by Ofsted. Bedford has a range of good state and private secondary schools including Sharnbrook Upper School, Wootton Upper School and Harlington Upper School. The well-renowned Harpur Trust independent schools include Bedford School for Boys, Bedford Girls' School and Bedford Modern School is co-ed. The University of Bedfordshire has 23,000 students and Cranfield University with 3,800 post graduate students.

Proposals for four new villages, made up of 3,500 houses, schools and shops, have been revealed this week. The plan is for the villages to be built in the Bedfordshire countryside, between Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise, around 13 miles from Bedford town centre.

Here’s a round-up of new homes available in Bedford:

Kings Field St Marys (Bovis Homes) – Kings Field St Marys is a new development around three miles from the centre of Bedford. Made up of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes, Kings Field is carefully designed to suit today’s liftstyles, and the development itself has new facilities and a lower school planned. Prices start from £249,995. View more about Kings Field St Marys from Bovis Homes 
Ripley View (David Wilson Homes) – With one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes and apartments available, Ripley View is David Wilson Homes’ newest development in Bedford. Part of the Great Denham Park community, residents will have access to education, entertainment and all the transport links Bedford offers. Prices start from £287,495. Find out more about Ripley View at Great Denham from David Wilson Homes Ripley View (David Wilson Homes)
Great Denham Park (Barratt Homes) – A new communty to the west of Bedford, Great Denham Park is a collection of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom properties, built to reflect the local architecture. The development is less than five miles from the centre of Bedford, giving residents easy access to the Harpur Centre for shopping, plenty of museums and parks, and Bedford rail station, making the development ideal for commuters. Find out more about Great Denham Park from Barratt Homes Great Denham Park (Barratt Homes)

Berryfields (Persimmon Homes) – Located in Wootton, a village south west of Bedford, Berryfields is a development of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes, ideal for first-time buyers, commuters and families alike. A country park is now open on the development, and residents can take advantage of the nearby amenities, including shops, pubs and medical centre. Help to Buy and Part Exchange are available on selected propertes. Prices start from £302,950. View more about Berryfields

​​​​​Berryfields (Persimmon Homes)


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