Moving to Bedford - areas in central Bedford

[BananaLion21]

Hi all,

We are moving to Bedford to relocate for my husband’s work and I will be commuting to London.

We’re looking for a good central Bedford location in close walking or (gentle) cycling distance of the town centre and train station. We love the Victorian/Edwardian houses and general vibe of Castle Quarter, Poets Area and Prime Ministers Area and have had a look at a few properties but have found it difficult to find anything of decent size in these areas for our price range.

Key criteria are also good size garden (or nearby park) and good schools catchment area (not private).

We had one estate agent tell us to avoid the Queens Park area. Does anyone local know if this is good advice or if it’s out of date advice? Have seen a few houses on Rightmove and from street view it doesn’t seem to look to bad.

Any other suggestions for areas to consider or avoid would be gratefully received!

Thanks

All good suggestions, avoid Queenspark. Have a look at Biddenham or Bromham too.
St James primary in Biddenham has a very good reputation. No idea of the secondaries.

Walking from Biddenham or Bromham isn't going to be easy.

Hi there @BananaLion21

Yes so the desirable areas near the station will be
anywhere near de Parys, castle quarter, you can also look near Warrick avenue, Clapham road, Landsdown road.

The last three that i mentioned are within walking distance from the station and are ''good roads''.
Landsdown road being the most prestigious/expensive.

Other honourable mentions
St Michaels, St Augustines and St Georges, these are closer to the park but further from the station. .

Spensor road and Milton road are not the best. I strongly recommend that you drive to Bedford and take your time to drive through each of these roads and have a look fir yourself. As in Bedford town, roads differ greatly in terms of the houses, residents and prices.

I know this because we are in almost exactly the same situation as you. I've been scanning right move and Zoopla for the last 3 months and have had viewings most weekends.

The Victorian houses are really lovely and they are big, but you won't get a huge garden that close to the station. At the moment there doesn't appear to be any on the market with huge gardens. If you want more garden space then look towards Brickhill and Putnoe both still very close by bike, maybe not walking.

The only place i have been warned to stay away from is Kempston. This is near the hospital and south of the river. I work in Bedford and have driven around there and tend to agree,.

I am born and bred Bedford. Stay north of the river. Brickhill and Putnoe are very good areas. Castle Road, Poets etc are nice and lovely victorian houses but you won’t get big gardens.

@BananaLion21 how are you getting on? We are visiting Bedford for the first time at the weekend.

Wanted to draw attention to the planned rail line route to Cambridge that is in discussion, the proposed route would require some house demolition in the Poets Area, so make sure you know about it if looking to buy in Bedford.