2. Lime Street

The earliest recorded name for Lime Street is Lime Kiln Lane or Gee’s Lane.

It was later known as Queen’s Head Lane, Duck’s Lane or Lime Kiln Lane.



Brayley's Map, 1807, detail.



Lime Street is of course named after the lime kiln that was in St Loyes Street, opposite the west end of Lime Street. The kiln is shown on the Speed Map of 1610. Lime kilns were used mainly to make mortar for building, there is another lime kiln still visible in Bedford on Castle Lane.



John Speed's Map, 1610, detail.



Jeffery's Map of 1765 refers to "Queen's Head or Duck Lane". This was possibly confusion caused as Harpur Street was once known as Duck’s Lane and this name continued onto St. Loyes but not onto Lime Street. The Queen's Head Inn that gave its name to the street in the 18th century must have disappeared before 1751 as there is no mention of it in the list of Bedford Inn's and Ale Houses recorded in the Quarter Sessions role of that date.