The Home of Sunflower Fabrics
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Bedford is a beautiful historic town, centred on the site of an ancient bridge, crossing the river Great Ouse. There has been a stone bridge crossing the river at this point since the 13th century. Today's bridge dates from 1835, and is built on the site of John Bunyan's incarceration, where he wrote much of The Pilgrim's Progress. Bedford offers many attractions to the day visitor, and provides another excellent reason for visiting us - make a day of it ! |
The town centre offers all of the shopping options and amenities you'd expect from a thriving modern town. The final phase of town centre upgrades is now complete, offering a spacious pedestrianised environment in which to shop.
Very close to the town centre is the Cecil Higgins art gallery, and Bedford museum.
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Sunflower Fabrics used to be situated on Castle Road, and although now we have moved just around the corner, this road is still the best way to get to the shop. If you are driving, there is good parking. If not, your walk is about 12 minutes from the centre of town, with plenty to look at along your way. See the details on how to get here.
Castle Road is the centre of a thriving local community, served by many small, charming shops: a DIY shop in the old tradition, several bakers, a specialist Cheese & Bread shop - these all offer sandwiches made to order.
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There are two chinese take-away restaurants, a Post Office, a Wine shop, a Crafts & Hobbies shop, a Farm Shop, Fruiterers & Florists, a Public House, a Family Butchers, an excellent fresh fish shop and many antiques and bric-a-brac shops. |
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Running parallel to Castle road, about 2 minutes distance by foot, is Bedford's "Embankment". This beautiful area flanks the river as it ambles its leisurely way through the town. I love this part of our town.
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The Embankment starts at the town
bridge and ends, 20 relaxed walking minutes later at the
Aspects leisure centre. Sunflower Fabrics is 5 minutes walk from the middle of the area. The Embankment will provide all the entertainment you and yours will need, following that gruelling retail therapy at my place. |
| The many beautiful flower beds, wide open grassy areas, trees, swans, geese, squirrels, gulls and ducks all make this a wonderful area to walk in, at any time of year. Summer brass band concerts and the riot of dazzling primaries in the landscape give way to an incredible range of golds, deep reds, and yellows in autumn, when leaves carpet the ground, creating quietly muffled corridors of transcendent colour. |  |
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Winter's palette is pale skies, black skeletal trees, cold grey mists, a dark frozen river and the promise of virgin-white snow until Spring starts the cycle again. Any time is a good time to wander here. For its interest, for a peaceful time to think, for some gentle exercise, and for quilting inspiration ! |
| Near one end of the area is "Russell Park", offering crazy golf, tennis courts, and a well-equipped children's playground. Plenty of public loos ! Denmark street is here, and boasts arguably the best Fish & Chip shop in the town. If you're a connoisseur, or new to Britain and are of the "try anything once" variety, then this is undeniably the place to try English Fish & Chips. Take them to the park and sit on a bench to enjoy them. |  |
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Nicholl's Brasserie is located on The Embankment, and offers an excellent lunch between 12am and 2:30pm. You can sit outside to watch the river and the world go by, or take warmth inside if it's cold. |
If you're bringing children, then the promise of a trip to The Oasis may keep them in check ! The Oasis is an indoor pleasure pool, 5 minutes walk from The Embankment, offering water chutes, jacuzzis, fountains, a warm pool and a wave machine. Children of 7 or over may be left under the supervision of the staff. There is a gym inside and a restaurant. Parking is very easy. Next door is a large branch of Tesco's supermarket.
Aspects Leisure Centre sits at the downstream end of the Embankment. It is a large, new entertainment complex offering a large bowling alley, a Fatty Arbuckles restaurant, Pizza Hut, an amusement arcade, and a multi-screen cinema. A drive-thru/sit-down MacDonald's restraunt is a stone's throw from this complex.
If you're interested in boats, then Priory Marina is a pleasant 10 minute walk away. A great opportunity to watch the tranquil comings and goings of the boats, or browse around the sale yard dreaming of what you can't afford to buy.
Talking of boats, there is a boating lake where small boats may be hired, and with three rowing clubs on the river here, there is frequently boating activity to watch.
Many people fish here.
With so much to offer, a day spent in Bedford is a day to be enjoyed by you and your family. I hope you'll agree that this is another reason to take the time to visit Sunflower Fabrics.
To get to Bedford follow the directions in the visit page
Bedford's tourist information office may be phoned on: 01234 215226.