This fascinating, illustrated history of Bedfordshire provides a nostalgic look at the county's ancient, medieval and industrial past, and highlights some of its most important historic sites, as well as its towns and cities.

The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts.

Bedfordshire is bordered on the north-east by Huntingdonshire, on the east by Cambridgeshire, on the south-east and south by Hertfordshire, and on the west by Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. It is one of England's smallest counties yet has much packed into its borders, from the industrial towns of Bedford, Luton, and Dunstable as well as the smaller rural towns of Leighton Buzzard, Ampthill and Biggleswade. Bedfordshire is also a place of immense history, from great churches and grand estates, such as Woburn, Luton Hoo and Wrest, a changing rural and industrial landscape, scarred by clay and sand extraction, to the wonderful Greensand Ridge escarpment, and the Grand Union Canal. The larger towns of Luton and Bedford have dominated the county for decades, with airports, hat-making, car manufacturing and education pre-eminent. Today, Bedfordshire is becoming more popular with commuters as transport links to London improve and those seeking better value move out of the capital to make their homes there.

This book provides a unique insight into Bedfordshire's past and will be of interest to residents, visitors and those wishing to discover more about the county's remarkable history.

Contributions by: Historic England