Who Will Speak for Bedford?

Monday, 20th September 2010

In his latest column for the magazine (subscribe!) Charles Moore offers a backhanded compliment to Leicestershire and Staffordshire, writing that they, like much of the English midlands are "much more attractive than people think". This seems reasonable: the solid, unfussed calm of midland market towns and the quiet pleasures of the midland countryside are oft-overlooked. But then he writes:

The only county hard to praise is Bedfordshire.

Can this be true? Is Bedford the worst - or if not worst then hardest to praise - county in England? I've never set foot in Bedfordshire and can't remember seeing anything good from the train either. So, readers, what if anything is one missing? Or is Charles correct?

Filed under: England (129 more articles)

Previous Back to Alex Massie Next

Blogs: Martin Bright | Susan Hill | Melanie Phillips | Coffee House | Faith Based

Actions: Print this article | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (10)

Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Post comment

Chris

September 20th, 2010 3:02pm Report this comment

From the middle of the delightful county of Bedfordshire let me tell you that Charles Moore is a tedious, affected and posing prat.

dearieme

September 20th, 2010 3:03pm Report this comment

Many Cambridgeshire folk would agree.

Jackart

September 20th, 2010 3:04pm Report this comment

Some of Bedfordshires villages are beautiful, constructed of warm red sandstone, especially in the south.

I'm from Northamptonshire originally, but Beds is very pretty in places.

Matthew

September 20th, 2010 3:05pm Report this comment

No, Bedford and Bedfordshire are awful. Luton means Bedfordshire gets minus points. Hertfordshire is similarly pointless, but beautiful. Herts feels like it should be in Sussex or Kent.

Badger

September 20th, 2010 3:40pm Report this comment

Uh... maybe he's channelling what GK Chesterton wrote about Pimlico. (See his essay on Kipling).

George Lees

September 20th, 2010 3:45pm Report this comment

Bedford/shire is bland but there are parts of Scotland that are far worse, terrible 60s architecture and chippy people you can not understand.

Ben G

September 20th, 2010 4:57pm Report this comment

Go stand at the top Beech Avenue in Woburn Park, and look down onto one of the finest 18th Century landscapes in England.

Perhaps His Grace has yet to invite Mr Moore to Woburn...

merlinthepig

September 20th, 2010 6:21pm Report this comment

It's fair to say that Luton is the pits and Bedford is not far behind, redeemed from bottom place only by the Bunyan heritage and not a lot else.

Dunstable is increasingly awful which justifies my decision to leave there after 15 years. I hope to persuade my parents to do the same. Leighton Buzzard, once attractive, is slowly being ruined by the building of mass housing. Otherwise, the smaller towns and villages in the rest of Bedfordshire (especially North Bedfordshire where I spent some very happy childhood times)are generally attractive and I agree with Ben G that the Woburn estate is as beautiful as any rural location I can think of.

Matthew, Hertfordshire has Watford. Enough said.

Neill Harvey-Smith

September 20th, 2010 8:49pm Report this comment

I live in north-east Bedfordshire, and can report beautiful villages with close communities, and plenty of lovely traditional pubs for you to visit. Alex, you are welcome.