10 Best Things to Do in Bedford

St Paul's Square is the cultural heart of Bedford, located directly in the city centre and surrounded by churches, historic buildings, shops, restaurants and entertainment. From the square, you can access just about anything you like in the city as well as catch live music, performances and comedy shows held year-round.

If you fancy a pint, you'll find plenty of local pubs around, and you can shop all you'd like at nearby covered shopping centres. The square is named for the famed and historic St Paul's Cathedral, a stunning example of Gothic architecture right in the heart of town.

Bedford Park is among the largest parks in the city and offers an endless expanse of trimmed green lawns, formal gardens, age-old trees and a cricket pitch. The park is one of just a few with the coveted status of a Green Flag park. It maintains its original 19th-century Victorian trappings, from its copper-roofed original bandstand to the mock-Tudor-style pavilion on the pitch.

It's vibrant in the summer months with blooming crocuses, daffodils and wood anemones surrounding the lake and leading to the Robinson Pool public bath on-site. It's located right in the heart of town for easy access.

Herrings Green Activity Farm is an active farm with hands-on interactive activities and over 200 birds of prey that you can view and pet. Kids can get up close and personal with falcons, owls and eagles, and they can also take part in milking cows and grooming horses.

Kids will enjoy the petting zoo featuring rabbits, hedgehogs, chicks, guinea pigs, alpacas and Shire horses. Besides petting the animals, you can take tractor rides and experience the "Critter Encounter" where you'll interact with reptiles and other creepy-crawly creatures. The farm is located just a 10-minute drive from the city centre.

Priory Country Park is a Green Flag park along the shores of the River Great Ouse with a brilliant mosaic of grassland, woods and lakes for fishing and water sports. The park was just a gravel quarry up until the 1970s.

Today, it covers 121 hectares of unspoiled natural landscape centred around Priory Lake, which is popular for people who love to get out on the water for sailing and fishing, as well as hikers who enjoy backpacking, and cyclists who want to ride the trails. A cafe is on-site that offers a terrace view of the lake while you enjoy tea and light fare. It's located in the heart of the city right at the bend in the river.

The Panacea Museum is located in a grand Victorian house dedicated to the history of the Panacea Society, an apocalyptic group that existed in the early 20th century. The Castleside house in which it's located today houses exhibits dedicated to the society's interest in the Book of Revelation, the idea that the apocalypse was coming, and the belief that Bedford was to be the new Garden of Eden.

It also shows off the propaganda campaigns they undertook in the still-furnished interior, which includes the original wood-panelled meeting room. The museum is just 2 minutes south of the city centre.

The Higgins Bedford is an art gallery and museum that showcases 500 years' worth of design and collections that are nationally recognised in a house decorated with valuable arts. The museum was founded by brewer Cecil Higgins in 1949 to showcase his private collection of ceramics, glass and applied arts.

Today, the collections show off the works of William Burges and Edward Bawden, among others, as well as Irish cut glass, Nymphenburg and Meissen porcelain, furniture, enamels, costumes and metalwork. Other exhibits showcase the history of the city and the surrounding county. The museum is located just a 2-minute drive south of the city centre.

Summerfields Miniature Railways showcases 3 elaborate and scenic miniature railways hosted by the Bedford Model Engineering Society. Each rail has a different scale gauge, and trains run by steam, diesel and electric means. The trains are large enough to sit on (but not in) and run along miniature tracks on a 1.2-hectare site.

Thousands of people journey here for the whimsical site of the running trains and to explore the wonders of model railroading. The railway is located halfway between Bedford and Hitchin, less than a 20-minute drive from the Bedford city centre.

Shop one of the oldest markets in the UK The Bedford Charter Market has been held in St Paul's Square in the town centre since the 1500s and sells food as well as local arts and crafts. The market originally dealt in the sale of livestock, but today it sells everything from gardening supplies to homewares, fresh produce and handmade arts and crafts from local artisans and creatives.

It's held twice a week and is one of the oldest market charters in the entire country, making it attractive to historians as well as those looking for the perfect local keepsake.

Subtropical Swimming Paradise is an indoor waterpark heated to a balmy 29.5°C all year long and filled with tropical plants and trees. Kids and adults alike will love taking a swim in the warm waters that are just like being on a tropical island. Pre-booking your slot is a necessity, so be sure to call, as you can book up to 4 weeks in advance. Besides the pool, attractions include whirlpools, waterslides and other rides like the Wild Water Rapids.

You can book overnight stays for up to 7 nights or visit in 2-hour time slots to enjoy the park and its rides on a day trip. The park is just a 26-minute drive south of the city centre.