Foster Hill Road Cemetery

26/08/2026

Bedfordshire Ramblers Annual Festival
Sunday 6th September
Experts tell us that walking is good for our physical and mental health, and you get the benefit from even short walks. To encourage more people to get into the habit of walking, the Bedfordshire Ramblers hold an annual Festival in September, offering dozens of interesting events, open to all. As in previous years, we will support this worthy cause, holding a walk in the cemetery. It will be a fairly leisurely stroll, pointing out some of the fascinating stories and architectural features of such an important icon of Bedford's history, so don't be put off thinking that it will be a route march! From feedback, our walks are always judged to be some of the very best of the historical/cultural walks, so why not join us and get your steps up to 5,000, 10000 or even more. Take a look at the attached calendar of walks...there may well be other walks that you will like.

www.bedswalkfest.co.uk

09/08/2026

Please take care during the dry weather

The cemetery, like much of the country, is extremely dry at the moment. If you're planning a visit, please help us to keep everyone, including local wildlife, safe.

· Our water dishes are helping wildlife through the hot weather, and we encourage you to leave out water safely at home too.
· Walk dogs only when the heat has subsided and make sure they have plenty of water. Taps are available in the cemetery if your dog needs a drink.
· Dispose of ci******es and other smoking materials only in designated bins. Never throw them from car windows or onto dry grass verges.
· Please pick up and remove glass bottles, jars and mirrors, as curved glass can magnify sunlight and potentially start a fire.
· Please do not light memorial candles or vigil lights while conditions remain so dry.

The good news is that the cemetery's beautiful mature trees provide plenty of wonderful shady spots, so visitors can enjoy the peaceful surroundings while staying out of direct sunlight.

Thank you for helping us protect the cemetery, its visitors and its wildlife.

27/07/2026

Around forty people joined us on a very sunny Sunday for our annual tree walk led by Jo Roberts, Community Engagement Officer from the Forest of Marston Vale. It was a lovely informal afternoon hearing about all the wonderful trees in the cemetery followed of course by tea, cakes and lots of chatter. We certainly appreciated the natural shade provided by our tree canopies on a very hot afternoon. All our events are posted on our website - please see link in the comments.

02/07/2026

A huge thank you to our fabulous guest volunteers from National Highways. 👏
They did an amazing job working along the west wall today and we really appreciate all their hard work and enthusiasm. Your support makes such a difference - thank you.

10/06/2026

To mark we have two guided walks this Sunday 14th June at 2.00 pm. Walk leaders Anni and Adrian will each be giving their unique perspective on the remarkable women buried at the cemetery. The forecast looks good so why not join us? Full details on our website - pls see link in the comments. Meet at the Chapel at 1.50 pm. No booking required. Walks are free - donations always welcome.

06/06/2026

04/06/2026

Celebrating 2026 with all our amazing volunteers!

01/06/2026

We are lucky to have such a wonderful variety of beautiful birds in the cemetery.
A big thank you to Keith White for sharing these lovely images with us. A robin enjoying its lunch (or perhaps collecting food for its young) and a magpie proudly showing off its stunning blue feathers.

25/05/2026

We marked Commonwealth War Graves week with a series of military walks led by volunteer Colin. The weather did its best to challenge us with rain earlier in the week and scorching sunshine yesterday. Thank you to our volunteers for all their hard work preparing and delivering these events and to our lovely visitors for braving the elements. The grave shown here belongs to Edward (Ted) Laxton, one of a number of civilian casualties caused by bombs dropped on the town on the 30th July 1942. Link about the Laxton family in the comments.

16/05/2026

We will be in good company today with other fabulous local heritage organisations showcasing the best of Bedfordshire. Looking forward to meeting everyone 😊