Tiling, bathrooms and kitchens in Bedford

Bedford's riverside centre is ringed by Victorian and Edwardian streets — around Castle Road, the De Parys area and Queens Park among them — where tall terraces and villas often have original tiled paths and hallways, and bathrooms squeezed into converted bedrooms.

The town is also growing fast. Developments at Wixams, Great Denham and Biddenham have brought thousands of new homes to the area, and their standard bathrooms and kitchens are prime candidates for better tiling — walk-in showers, stone-effect floors and statement splashbacks.

North of the town, villages such as Sharnbrook, Oakley, Bromham and Clapham mix stone and brick cottages with newer housing, where careful preparation is the first step to a finish that lasts.