Historic Bedford tells the story of the Great Ouse

Special programme for the River Festival weekend

Bedford Radio | Sunday 19th July 2026 7:41pm

Once again Bedford has come together to celebrate the Great Ouse in Bedford at the River Festival, which was first started to mark the restoration of navigation from Bedford to the sea.

But why had the navigation become derelict at all? And why was the river ever made navigable in the first place? Those are among the questions that are answered in a special two-part edition of Historic Bedford, our show all about the history of our town and the area around it. Both parts are now available to listen to on-demand using the players below.

The story takes in Vikings, witch-ducking, brewing, rowing and fishing, among many things. Bedford’s prosperity grew on the back of trade along the river, even before the industrial revolution. But ultimately the trade died away, and the river became more of a focus for society and leisure in the town, as it still is today.

Historic Bedford is accompanied by a special programme about the role of the river in the town’s life today, which features contributions from Bedford Angling Club, Viking Kayak Club, Bedford Rowing Club, and BedsGOVET on the controversial issue of water quality. It also offers a glimpse of the possible future of the river, from the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust.

Bedford: A River Runs Through It was broadcast at 6pm on Friday 17 July. Historic Bedford was broadcast at 6pm on Saturday 18 July (part one) and Sunday 19 July (part two). 

Previous editions of Historic Bedford have told the story of the arrival of the railways, which destroyed the river trade, and of VE Day in Bedford - a show that was nominated for a Community Radio Award last year.
 

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