Bedford: Bridges, Bunyan and Boathouses

We decided to explore the "other" end of the waterway above Bedford Town Lock: the eastern end. On the way we passed two fine boathouses, this one still very much in operation, and another all fenced off.

We also passed under a few more bridges: a road bridge first, then two suspension foot bridges. This one was built in 1888 ...

… and the second in 1998.

This looks much more spectacular from the ends, and shows why it is called the "butterfly bridge".

Not far along The Embankment we reached a slightly wider section, marked as a boat turning point, beyond which it got shallow and weedy.

We winded here, dropped through the lock and tied up on a long run of bollards.

Back in the town once more we looked round the John Bunyan Museum and his church, although in his time (mid 1600s) it was called "Bedford Meeting". It wasn't allowed to be called a church as it was independent from the established Church of England.

One of the stained glass windows depicts Bunyan in his prison cell writing The Pilgrim's Progress. He spent 12 years in Bedford Gaol for preaching without a licence. A postcard of this window was famously sent to hostage Terry Waite. It was reputedly the only post Waite received during his incarceration and buoyed him up (along with the BBC World Service).

Later I spotted the John Bunyan trip boat, operated by the Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Trust, coming along the same section we covered in the morning.

Which reminds me. We have seen very few powered boats in Bedford. Plenty of rowing boats, kayaks and canoes, but just three other narrowboats, the John Bunyan trip boat and two small cruisers. It's time for us to move on, so tomorrow we shall go down to Great Barford on our way to St Neots.