How far is Shortstown from the Universal Bedford site?

Shortstown is 3.3 miles from the Universal construction site at Kempston Hardwick in a straight line, which is about 10 min by car allowing for the road route. That puts it in our "short commute" band.

How much is a room to rent in Shortstown?

Indicatively, a single room in Shortstown runs around £430–£540 a month and a double around £520–£650. These are guide ranges for the area rather than live listing prices, and bills-included arrangements typically sit at the upper end.

Are there many rooms available in Shortstown?

Supply is moderate. Shortstown has a population of roughly 3,500, and it is a village in Bedford Borough. There is a reasonable flow of rooms, though expect that to tighten as construction ramps up.

village · Bedford Borough · MK42

Rooms to rent in Shortstown

3.3 miles from the Universal site at Kempston Hardwick — the 11th closest of the 58 areas we cover.

To the site: 3.3 miles
By car, about: 10 min
Single room: £430–£540
Double room: £520–£650

Rents are indicative guide ranges for the area, not live listing prices. Distances are measured from the settlement centre to the construction site.

What Shortstown is like

Originally built for workers at Short Brothers' airship works, and now dominated by the two vast Cardington airship hangars that still stand on the skyline. Substantial new housing has been added around the original village.

Why base yourself here

A lot of newer housing and a decent supply of rooms, with a clear run round Bedford's southern edge to the A421. Another place with genuine history of housing an industrial workforce, which is roughly what is about to happen again.

Getting to the Universal site

By car

10 min

Roughly, via A600, A421. Allow more in peak construction traffic — the A421 is the main artery for the whole site.

By train

No station here

Buses into Bedford town centre, then the Marston Vale line to Kempston Hardwick. Cycling to the site is feasible for the determined.

Local landmarks

Cardington airship hangars
Shortstown village hall
Harrowden

What you should expect to pay

Indicative monthly room rents in Shortstown
Room type	Indicative monthly rent	Notes
Single room	£430–£540	Usually a box room; bills sometimes separate.
Double room	£520–£650	The standard shared-house room. Most common option.
Availability	Moderate	Population roughly 3,500.

These are indicative area ranges to help you budget and compare locations. They are not live listings and individual rooms will fall outside them in both directions.

Also worth checking near Shortstown

Neighbouring areas, ordered by distance to the Universal site.

Wixams

On the doorstep

village · Bedford Borough

To site: 1.9 miles
Drive: 5 min
Double: £580–£730

Almost all the housing is new, which in practice means more en-suite rooms, better insulation and lower bills than the Victorian terraces you will find in Bedford. It is also one of the closest places to the site with real housing volume.

Moderate supply

Cauldwell

Short commute

suburb · Bedford Borough

To site: 3.2 miles
Drive: 10 min
Double: £450–£580

Cheap rooms, on the correct side of Bedford for the site, and within walking distance of Bedford St Johns for the direct Marston Vale train to Kempston Hardwick. Arguably the best value-to-commute ratio on the whole map.

Good supplyDirect train to site

Bedford

Short commute

town · Bedford Borough

To site: 3.8 miles
Drive: 10 min
Double: £580–£730

By far the deepest supply of rooms, house shares and HMOs in the area, and the only place locally where you can reliably find something at short notice. You get a real town around you — supermarkets, a hospital, a station and a night out — rather than a village with one pub.

Strong supplyDirect train to site

Willington

Short commute

village · Bedford Borough

To site: 6.2 miles
Drive: 15 min
Double: £520–£650

Very quiet and rural, with the Bedford to Sandy cycle route on the doorstep. Rooms almost never come up, so this is one to set an alert for rather than expect to find.

Very limited supply

Renting a room in Shortstown

How far is Shortstown from the Universal Bedford site?: Shortstown is 3.3 miles from the Universal construction site at Kempston Hardwick in a straight line, which is about 10 min by car allowing for the road route. That puts it in our "short commute" band.
How much is a room to rent in Shortstown?: Indicatively, a single room in Shortstown runs around £430–£540 a month and a double around £520–£650. These are guide ranges for the area rather than live listing prices, and bills-included arrangements typically sit at the upper end.
Can I get from Shortstown to the Universal site without a car?: Buses into Bedford town centre, then the Marston Vale line to Kempston Hardwick. Cycling to the site is feasible for the determined.
Are there many rooms available in Shortstown?: Supply is moderate. Shortstown has a population of roughly 3,500, and it is a village in Bedford Borough. There is a reasonable flow of rooms, though expect that to tighten as construction ramps up.

Got a spare room in Shortstown?

With 20,000 construction roles running to 2031, a furnished spare room can earn up to £7,500 a year tax free under the Rent a Room Scheme.

List your room

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