Kempston Hardwick, United Kingdom
Kempston Hardwick is a town of 20,000 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Kempston Hardwick
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 14 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bedford Bridge, Universal United Kingdom Resort, Moot Hall and Ampthill Park.
Weather in Kempston Hardwick
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Kempston Hardwick
Kempston Hardwick is a small hamlet on the edge of the town of Kempston in Bedfordshire, England. Historically it was one of the hamlets or "ends" scattered across the parish of Kempston. It is served by Kempston Hardwick railway station on the Marston Vale line, which was one of the least-used stations in the UK railway network.
From the Wikipedia article Kempston Hardwick (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Bedford Bridge
Bridge · 3.4 mi
Bridge in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK
Universal United Kingdom Resort
Monument and historic site
Planned Universal Studios theme park in Bedford, England
Museums and landmarks2
Moot Hall
Museum · 2.2 mi
Building in Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, UK
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Ampthill Park
Park · 3.4 mi
Country house and former country estate in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England, UK
Restaurants and cafes14
The Fletton Brick
Bar and pub · British · 1.1 mi
Fletcher Road, Kempston
Su-Th 08:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-01:00
2 more on the map.
History
Hardwick Preceptory was a priory of the Knights Hospitaller from 1279 to 1489. The first mention of this property occurs in 1279. In 1287, and 1330, the Prior claimed to hold a view of frankpledge from four tenants in Kempston. In 1338, this estate comprised a messuage with a garden worth 4s. per annum, a dovehouse valued at 3s. 4d., a water-mill 26s. 8d., 370 acres of land worth £6 3s. 4d., 32 acres meadow worth 44s., 8 acres of pasture worth 8s., and pasture for 200 oxen worth 20s. After the Dissolution, the property, called the manor of Hardwick, was bestowed upon Sir Richard Longe in 1540.
Elizabeth I gave the manor and mansion of Kempston Hardwick to her gentlewoman Elizabeth Snowe in March 1560.
Kempston Hardwick was part of the ancient parish of Kempston. In 1894 the parish became part of Bedford Rural District. In 1896 the parish was divided, with the town of Kempston forming Kempston Urban District and the rest of the parish becoming a new parish called Kempston Rural. In 1937 a new parish of Stewartby was created that included Kempston Hardwick.
Kempston Hardwick is the confirmed location for the planned Universal Studios Great Britain.
From the History section of Kempston Hardwick on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship5
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Healthcare2
Map of Kempston Hardwick
47 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
London Luton Airport (LTN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Kempston 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Bedford 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Ampthill 4 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Flitwick 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Sandy 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Newport Pagnell 9 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Biggleswade 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Henlow 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Milton Keynes 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Saint Neots 13 mi northeast, about 21 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Kempston Hardwick
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Local news
Headlines from INDB.
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kempston Hardwick Station, Joshua Brown from Ashford, Kent, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bedford Bridge (1), Peter_Glyn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Moot-hall, Shritwod at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Wootton Library, Quilt Phase, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wootton Lower School, Quilt Phase, CC BY-SA 3.0
- London Midland Moquette on a Class 153, TheJRB, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Street-level photo, wasd42, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.