Bedford, also known as Nyarha, is a town in the centre of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, situated at the intersection of the R63 Provincial Route and R350 Regional Route.
The town is located on the southern edge of the Winterberg mountain range, in the Smaldeel (a narrow strip of grassland running laterally from KwaMaqoma (formerly Fort Beaufort) to Somerset East, renowned for its sweet grass).
Bedford falls within the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality and the Amathole District Municipality.
The town suffered a major decline in fortunes in the latter half of the 20th century before reviving itself around the turn of the millennium. It is regarded today as an artist’s haven and retirement village.
The lack of industry in the town, while a boon to those hoping to escape the rat race, means that the town has a large unemployment rate. The woes of the poor are exacerbated by a high HIV-AIDS infection rate.
The Bedford Provincial Hospital is situated in Maitland Street, three blocks northwest of the town’s centre.
History
The town goes back to 1854 when it was founded and named for the Duke of Bedford in England. Sir Andries Stockenstrom had to sell portions of his land to raise funds for the restoration of his library burnt by the British soldiers, mistrustful of his attempt to broker peace in the Cape Frontier Wars. The farm is still there and open to visitors.
In 1820, a group of English and Scottish settlers arrived in what is now Bedford with the prospects of looking for wealth and prosperity.
