Bedford Embankment in Full Flow

Sometimes you don't have to go too far to find something new to experience. Bedford is the town where I currently live, it's a small town in the east of England situated on the River Great Ouse.

As is the nature of rivers, they swell when it rains upstream, and this is no exception. Recently there was a great deal of rain and the Great Ouse burst its bank, so I went out to have a look...

The Embankment is a great place to explore, the river splits into two and winds around the parks and a boating lake before rejoining as one before Priory Marina and the country park.

The islands it forms feature playing fields, a bandstand, a couple of weirs, a lock for boats passing through, and a hydroelectric generator with uses an Archimedes Screw to generate energy.

On the other side of the river, you have Russell Park, with its bowling green, putting green, childrens play areas, and open space which is where you can enjoy live music during the River Festival, which happens every couple of years.

Of particular interest are the bridges which cross the space, allowing visitors to easily explore the many areas of the park. There's the original suspension bridge, which was built in 1888. Then there's the Butterfly Bridge, which was opened to the public over a hundred years later in 1988, which is another focal point of the park.

It's great to have places to explore 'on your doorstep', and to experience them at different times of the year to see how they change. I hope these pictures capture one of these moments...

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