About Your Area
With its southern borders only 30 miles from London, the County of Bedfordshire is the gateway to the Midlands and East Anglia. Set in a rich rural landscape, the county is an attractive place to live, work and visit.
The geographical county of Bedfordshire, which includes Luton, has a population of about 580,000. Bedfordshire County Council provides services for the area covered by the three districts of Bedford, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire. This area has a population of about 390,000, with a fifth living in the historic town of Bedford on the River Great Ouse. In 1997 Bedfordshire's largest town, Luton, became a unitary local authority.
There are many areas of outstanding natural beauty and attractions, including stately homes and gardens, woodland walks and nature reserves, country parks and world-famous animal parks. The County enjoys excellent transport links to London, the north and beyond.
During recent years there has been a resurgent in artisan producers and retailers, and the local residents of Bedfordshire are lucky enough to have a high quality selection of wonderful local produce available to them on their doorstep! The excellent variety on offer from our farm shops, delis and markets, as well as a great variety of restaurants offer local menus, has also made the county an attractive destination for today’s foody!