5. Midland Road

Midland Road was previously called Well Street, as marked on John Speeds map.

The well was situated in the street near the south end of Allhallows and until the 19th century this marked the western edge of town. From here Forth Street continued to the hamlet of Forth or Ford End.

Midland Road was named after the railway, which opened in 1857. (St. Johns Station and the Bedford Bletchley line opened a few years earlier in 1846) The name Midland Road seemed to creep quite slowly down the street. By 1871 the name Midland Road only applied to the section from River Street up to the station. It wasn’t until 1884 that the whole street was named Midland Road.

For a short time around 1866 the section between River Street and Prebend Street was named Trumpington Road after a medieval meadow that previously occupied the space between the road and river.

The arrival of the railway brought great expansion and industry to Bedford. The station at Midland Road initially had lines to Cambridge and Hitchen, this was extended to St. Pancras in 1868. Charles Dickens reported in 1867 that he was compelled to leave the train at Bedford because of the 'reckless fury of the driving and the violent rocking of the carriages.' Another traveller, James Howard, jumped to the defence of the line 'the Midland line runs as smoothy as any I have ever journeyed by.'