Measuring the distances…
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Thinking of living at MK42 9XP? Who your neighbours would be, how far the schools, station, shops, GP and parks are from the postcode itself, which schools are near and how they do, what there is to do at the weekend, and a day in the life here.
Most daily things are within reach on foot; the station is further.
Answer a few questions in Where could I live? and this will use your own priorities. Until then, try a perspective.
Working out the fit…
here typical · scale 0–50%
10 crimes recorded on High Street in the last 12 months. The street →
here typical · scale 0–50%
here England and Wales · scale 0–100%
here England and Wales · scale 0–50%
| School | Stage | Distance | Latest results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shackleton Primary School | Primary | 750 m | 54% met the expected standard |
| Camestone School | Primary | 1000 m | 48% met the expected standard |
| Cauldwell School | Primary | 1.1 km | 74% met the expected standard |
| King's Oak Primary School | Primary | 1.3 km | 61% met the expected standard |
| Springfield Primary School | Primary | 1.3 km | 51% met the expected standard |
| Bedford Academy | Secondary | 1.2 km | Attainment 8: 42.8 · 8.4% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Daubeney Academy | Secondary | 1.2 km | Attainment 8: 38.5 · 4.2% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Bedford Free School | Secondary | 1.6 km | Attainment 8: 46.5 · 10.3% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Bedford Girls' School | Independent | 1.8 km | 42.1% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Polam School | Independent | 2.6 km | – |
| Bedford School | Independent | 2.6 km | 44.7% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
Every primary near MK42 9XP, ranked → · Every secondary → Ranked on results, with Ofsted and SEN; each school's page says how hard it is to get in.
| Sport | Nearest | Distance | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennis | Southfield Tennis Courts | 940 m | 17 |
| Swimming | Kempston Pool | 1.6 km | 11 |
| Football | Wixams Hatters Football Club | 3.0 km | 6 |
| Bowls | Kempston Park Indoor Bowls Club | 1.5 km | 5 |
| Rowing | Bedford Rowing Club | 1.8 km | 5 |
| Squash | John Bunyan Sports And Fitness | 1.2 km | 3 |
| Golf | The Bedford Golf Club | 3.0 km | 3 |
| Cricket | Alexander Sports Centre | 3.1 km | 3 |
| Judo | Roger Gracie Academy | 1.5 km | 2 |
| Wrestling | Roger Gracie Academy | 1.5 km | 2 |
| Badminton | Bedford & County Badminton Club | 2.9 km | 2 |
| Sauna | Roger Gracie Academy | 1.5 km | 1 |
| Martial arts | Roger Gracie Academy | 1.5 km | 1 |
| Weightlifting | Roger Gracie Academy | 1.5 km | 1 |
| Ice bath | Roger Gracie Academy | 1.5 km | 1 |
| Jiu-jitsu | Roger Gracie Academy | 1.5 km | 1 |
The 16 sports with most places shown, of 41. Named clubs, pitches and centres mapped in OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and facilities registered with Sport England Active Places (Contains Data © Sport England, CC BY 4.0). Neither list is complete, so a club not shown may still exist.
The nearest station is Bedford St Johns, a short drive or bike ride (1.3 km), with 176k journeys a year; its busiest route is to London St Pancras International.
The nearest bus stop is Progress Way, 100 m away, with a bus about every 60 minutes on weekdays (route MK1); 11 departures an hour from the 10 stops within a 5-minute walk.
Central London is 69 km away as the crow flies.
This is car country: only 9% of households have no car.
The nearest primary school is Shackleton Primary School, about a 10-minute walk (750 m); 54% met the expected standard.
None of the state primaries within 2 km has Ofsted's top rating.
The nearest secondary is Bedford Academy, 1.2 km away; Attainment 8: 42.8 · 8.4% of GCSEs at 8–9.
Top-rated secondaries within reach: Bedford Free School (4.1 km) and Goldington Academy (5.7 km).
It's a family area: 26% of residents are under 15.
The nearest supermarket is Aldi, 700 m away, with Elstow Post Office (Movianto) closer still (200 m) for top-ups.
The nearest GP surgery is Elstow Medical Centre (700 m), with Berkeley Pharmacy the closest pharmacy (400 m).
For a haircut, Eclipse is 700 m away.
The nearest full A&E is Bedford Hospital, 3.7 km away, rated requires improvement by the CQC.
At its trust, 63% of major A&E patients were seen within 4 hours in September 2026 (the NHS standard is 95%), and 60% of people waiting for planned treatment had waited under 18 weeks (typical wait 15 weeks).
It's quiet in the evenings: only 8 restaurants, cafés and pubs in the neighbourhood itself.
St Helena is the closest café or restaurant (100 m), and Meltis Sports and Social Club the nearest pub (350 m).
Crime is around the national middle: about 107 per 1,000 residents a year.
There are 31 listed buildings.
It's a mix of homes: 12% flats and 32% detached houses.
It's new: 79% of homes were built since 2000.
It's growing: about 1,049 new homes were completed in 2021–2025.
The nearest park is Elstow Green, 250 m away; for exercise, Simply Gym (1.2 km).
Air quality is around the national middle (nitrogen dioxide 8.1 µg/m³).
For holidays, London Luton is 26 km away.
18 places on this map are within about a 10-minute walk.
Walking times are estimates from straight-line distance. Food businesses from the FSA food hygiene register; schools from the DfE register; nurseries from Ofsted's childcare register; care homes from the Care Quality Commission; pools, sports halls, tennis and golf from Sport England Active Places (contains data © Sport England); everything else © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Map © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.
More for moving: Moving for a reason · Where could I live? · Places like Wixams & Elstow · Compare a shortlist
No state primary within 2 km has Ofsted's top rating.
Most households own their home, 9% rent privately.
Written from the figures on this page: Census 2021, DfT journey times (2019), NaPTAN/ORR, Ofsted, CQC, FSA, police.uk and planning registers. Figures describe the neighbourhood around the street.