How to find us

Coming to the Office

Our address is:

Beds & Luton Archives & Records Service
Riverside Building
Borough Hall
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK42 9AP

Tel: (01234) 228833

Opening hours - no appointment required

Monday 9 am to 7 pm
Tuesday and Wednesday 9 am to 5 pm
Thursday: Closed
Friday 9 am to 5 pm

We are closed on Bank Holidays.

Borough Hall Location Map

You can view the  Borough Hall Location Map| (PDF document opens in new window).  Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files and a free version can be downloaded from the Adobe website| (external link).

How do I get to you from the railway and bus stations?

The railway & bus stations are about a 10 - 15 minute walk away from our building (see map above). The main railway station, served by First Capital Connect,  Midland Mainline and Silverlink services, has a taxi rank.

 Can I park my car at Borough Hall?

We only have spaces for disabled visitors - see below.

There are about a dozen visitor spaces at the front of Borough Hall. These spaces are time-limited and are only available for short stay visitors for up to 30 minutes duration.

We urge all other visitors to our Service to familiarise themselves with the public car parks| before they make a journey. Melbourne Street pay-and-display car park| is the nearest to us.

Visitors can use the Park & Ride Scheme|, which includes a bus stop outside Borough Hall.

Separate arrangements will be made for deliveries - please contact us| for details.

Any queries or comments relating to car parking can be e-mailed |to us.

What do I do after I park my car of if I come on foot?

 

Come to the Riverside Building. The main entrance is on the first floor, which is reached by a footbridge/walkway from Prebend Street and connects to the car park by steep ramps and steps. Follow the signing for 'Archives Service'. See the map (right) for details.

 

 

 

I need to use a lift and/or require other assistance in getting to you - how can you help?

We welcome disabled visitors but we are well aware that access to our premises is awkward for  people in wheelchairs and those who have difficulty walking. We have pressed hard for improvements and continue to do so. We try to give you here as much advice as possible. If you have any other queries, then please ring us and we will try and accommodate your needs as best we can.

A. For people in wheelchairs

If you use a wheelchair you should:

• Park in the Borough Hall car park near the main entrance
• Go towards the main Borough Hall reception where you will find a bell to ring for assistance. Staff on reception will contact us to arrange for a member of our staff to accompany you through the main building
• Note that there is a toilet adapted for disabled people in the Riverside Building in which the Archives Service is based. It is to the right of the main entrance on the first floor.
• When you have finised a member of staff will escort you back to main reception or to your car.

B. For people with other mobility difficulties

Unfortunately all routes into the Riverside Building have either a few steps or require some walking. If you are restricted from walking any distance or require the lift to get to our second floor location, we will try to make access as easy as possible for you. The first thing is to come straight to the Riverside Building. There are allocated disabled car parking spaces in this section of the car park.

• If you are at car park level, then at the ground floor staff entrance (up 6 steps) use the telephone in the yellow box to contact the Archives Service so that a member of our staff can come down and let you in. You can then go up to the second floor in the lift.
• If you are at first floor level - the pedestrian footbridge level - enter the building through the glass doors and by the second door on the left you'll see a telephone on the wall. Use this to contact us so a member of staff can come down and bring you up in the lift.

C. Monday evening access 5 - 7pm

For security reasons, the glass entrance doors to the Riverside Building are locked at 5.20pm. Access to the office after 5.20pm is via the door at car park level. Use the telephone in the yellow box by the door to notify us of your arrival and gain admittance. Unfortunately, the door at car park level is only accessible via 6 steps. If this may be a problem for you please telephone us in advance for advice.

The car park intercom is not manned after 5pm so the barrier will be raised. You may wish to bring a mobile phone with you  to telephone us on (01234) 228833 if you have any problems.