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MK42 (Bedford) area guide
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Postcode District:
MK42
Postcode District Name:
Bedford
Location:
The MK42 postcode district lies within or includes part of the following towns, counties, localities, electoral wards and stations: Bedford, Bedfordshire, Castle, Cauldwell, Eastcotts, Elstow, Harrowden, Kempston, Kempston East, Kempston North, Kempston South, Kingsbrook, Shortstown, Wilshamstead, Woburn Road Industrial Estate.
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History:
At its start, Bedford was a market town for the surrounding agricultural area. In 1166, Bedford officially became a borough under a charter issued by King Henry II, yet still remained a smaller agricultural town throughout the Middle Ages.
Agriculture was the main industry, along with an important influence of wool from the large sheep farms in the area. However, in the 1560s it became the centre of the English Lace industry and was home to skilled lace-makers such as Flemings and Huguenots.
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Present Day:
This region is home to one of the largest concentrations of Italian immigrants in the United Kingdom, which is mainly due to the large labour recruitment by the London Brick Company in the 1950s. There are also a large number of Greeks and South Asian ethnicities present in the area. This is a popular area for families. Bedford has five public schools: Bedford School for boys, Bedford Modern School, Bedford High School for girls, Pilgrim Pre-Preparatory School and Dame Alice Harpur School for girls.
Some of the more expensive streets in MK42 are Lilleshall Drive and Cryselco Close. Properties in Lilleshall Drive sell for around £300,000, according to the house type and size. This street has twenty-one detached homes with lush rear gardens. These are mainly family homes. Residents have the convenient access to Abbey Middle School and Elstow Lower School on Mowbray Road and High Street. There is also a supermarket and petrol stations nearby. Cryselco Close has an average property value of £300,000 that is also subject to change depending on certain demographics of the property. The fifteen homes on this street are also detached and are located right next to a park. There is a post office located on St Johns Street and a supermarket on Bedford Road which are fantastic assets to neighbourhood residents.
For those looking for property with a more affordable price tag, Britannia Road and Massey Close might be better options. Though it is subject to change according to the market, properties on Britannia Road sell for around £72,000. The street comprises mostly purpose-built, low rise flats. This area has a high concentration of elderly residents. A supermarket is located close by on Cardington Road, and for residents with cars, a petrol station is just a stone’s throw away on Hassett Street. Properties on Massey Close have an average value of £74,000 that can vary accordingly. Almost half of the forty three homes here are flats, while the rest are semi-detached. Families with young children have Bedford Road Lower School just quarter of a mile away from them. Those with older children enjoy access to Hastingsbury Upper School and Community College on Hill Rise. The supermarket on Bedford Road makes food shopping convenient and residents also enjoy a nearby petrol station.
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Amenities:
The River Great Ouse is lined with beautiful gardens known as The Embankment. These are perfect places for families to enjoy an afternoon picnic or take a long stroll. It is also the home of the First World War memorial opposite the Rothsay Gardens. For a spiritual connection, Saint Pauls Church is a historical cathedral that is on the very site of the original structure built in the thirteenth century.
Bedford has loads of great cafes, restaurants and bars. Cornfields Restaurant and Hotel serves modern British and European cuisine with a great seafood menu in a beautiful oak village inn that dates back to the seventeenth century. Some good local pubs are The Kings Arms, The Phoenix, Pilgrim Bar, King William IV and the Anchor.
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