▁▁ ▁Re <0xC4> <0xA3> i ▁Man or ▁▁▁ ▁Category : Man or ▁houses ▁in ▁Lat via ▁Category : Al s ung a ▁Municip ality <0x0A> </s> ▁Bed ford shire ▁is ▁a ▁county ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁of ▁England . ▁It ▁is ▁bounded ▁by ▁H ert ford shire ▁to ▁the ▁south - east , ▁Camb rid ges hire ▁to ▁the ▁north - east , ▁North am pt ons hire ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁and ▁Buck ingham shire ▁to ▁the ▁west . ▁It ▁has ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁and ▁a ▁population ▁estimated ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁at ▁ 6 4 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁with ▁an ▁increase ▁of ▁ 1 1 % ▁over ▁the ▁previous ▁ten ▁years . ▁Ge ograph ically , ▁it ▁is ▁mainly ▁rural , ▁but ▁still ▁the ▁four teenth ▁most ▁dens ely ▁populated ▁county ▁of ▁England , ▁with ▁over ▁half ▁the ▁population ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁largest ▁built - up ▁areas , ▁L ut on ▁and ▁Bed ford . ▁The ▁county ▁is ▁govern ed ▁by ▁three ▁unit ary ▁authorities , ▁Bed ford , ▁Central ▁Bed ford shire ▁and ▁L ut on . ▁The ▁county ▁town ▁is ▁Bed ford , ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁treat y ▁in ▁about ▁ 8 7 9 ▁between ▁King ▁Alfred ▁the ▁Great ▁and ▁Gut hr um , ▁which ▁divided ▁English ▁and ▁Dan ish ▁territory ▁by ▁a ▁line ▁which ▁went ▁through ▁Bed ford . ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁L ut on ▁and ▁southern ▁Bed ford shire ▁lies ▁in ▁the ▁Ch il tern s