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The Knife and Cleaver

3.5 star property
Inn in Bedford with a restaurant and a bar

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Knife and Cleaver

Exterior
Room amenity
Restaurant
Towels
Exterior
The Knife and Cleaver offers a warm retreat with its delightful restaurant and cozy bar. Travelers can use the business center, connect to WiFi in public areas, or simply unwind on the peaceful terrace. Previous guests particularly appreciate the helpful staff.

Reviews

8.6 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Housekeeping
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 5 of 5 rooms

View all photos for Standard Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Standard King Room )

Standard Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Standard King Room ) | 1 bedroom, WiFi

Standard Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Standard King Room )

Highlights

Separate sitting area
Heating
Flat-screen TV
Hypo-allergenic bedding
Premium bedding
Separate bedroom
Heating
Private bathroom
  • 20 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Superior Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View

Room amenity

Superior Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View

8.6 out of 10
Excellent
(8 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Heating
Shower/tub combination
Deep soaking bathtub
Private bathroom
  • 30 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View

Room amenity

Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View

Highlights

Deck/patio
Separate sitting area
Heating
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Heating
Hair dryer
  • 3 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Standard Double or Twin Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View (TWIN)

Room amenity

Standard Double or Twin Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View (TWIN)

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)

Highlights

Heating
Flat-screen TV
Fan
Premium bedding
Separate bedroom
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
  • 28 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Superior)

Room amenity

Double Room, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Superior)

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)

Highlights

Heating
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Heating
Shower/tub combination
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
  • 28 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

About the neighborhood

Map
The Grove, Houghton, Bedford, England, MK45 3LA

What's nearby

  • Wrest Park & Gardens - 10 min drive - 7.3 miles
  • Priory Country Park - 11 min drive - 8.0 miles
  • Box End Park - 11 min drive - 7.8 miles
  • Wrest Park - 11 min drive - 7.9 miles
  • Bedford Park - 13 min drive - 7.6 miles

Getting around

  • Stewartby Station - 5 min drive
  • Luton Airport (LTN) - 40 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Cottage Bakery - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Surfin Cafe - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪The George Maulden Ltd - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Ampthill Park Hub - ‬6 min drive
  • The Knife & Cleaver

About this property

The Knife and Cleaver

Property highlights
You can look forward to a terrace, a bar, and a business center at The Knife and Cleaver. In addition to a restaurant, guests can connect to free WiFi in public areas.
You'll also enjoy the following perks during your stay:
  • Free self parking and extended parking
  • Breakfast (surcharge), express check-out, and express check-in
  • 1 meeting room, smoke-free premises, and wedding services
  • Guest reviews say great things about the helpful staff
Room features
All guestrooms at The Knife and Cleaver include amenities such as WiFi.

Similar properties

Exterior

Mercure Bedford Centre Hotel

  • Pet friendly
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Air conditioning
8.0 out of 10, Very Good, 438 reviews
Mercure Bedford Centre Hotel

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free extended parking on site

Food and drink

  • Breakfast available for a fee
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Business center
  • Conference space
  • Meeting room

Outdoors

  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • No elevator

More

  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bathroom

  • Towels provided

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 11:30 PM
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
Guests planning to arrive outside of normal check-in hours must contact this property in advance to arrange check-in.

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Property payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards
This property is professionally cleaned
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

Knife Cleaver Bedford
Knife Cleaver Hotel
Knife Cleaver Hotel Bedford
Knife Cleaver
Knife Cleaver Bedford
Knife Cleaver Hotel Bedford
The Knife & Cleaver Hotel Bedford
The Knife And Cleaver
Knife Cleaver Hotel
Knife Cleaver B&B Bedford
Knife Cleaver B&B
The Knife Cleaver
The Knife Cleaver
The Knife and Cleaver Inn
The Knife and Cleaver Bedford
The Knife and Cleaver Inn Bedford

Frequently asked questions

Is The Knife and Cleaver pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at The Knife and Cleaver?

Self parking and extended parking are free at this property.

What time is check-in at The Knife and Cleaver?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 11:30 PM.

What time is check-out at The Knife and Cleaver?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is The Knife and Cleaver located?

Situated in Bedford, this inn is 2.6 mi (4.3 km) from Greensand Ridge Walk and 2.7 mi (4.3 km) from Marston Vale Millennium Country Park. Birds of Prey Centre and Flitwick Football Centre are also within 6 mi (10 km).

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Reviews

The Knife and Cleaver Reviews

8.6

Excellent

8.6

Cleanliness

9.0

Location

9.0

Staff & service

8.2

Eco-friendliness

8.6

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 119 out of 220 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 60 out of 220 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 21 out of 220 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 16 out of 220 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 220 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Martin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Greeted by very friendly staff who then showed me to my room, drink selection good but I didn't eat there so can't judge that, I will say there is a broken window in the room but it doesn't affect noise or sleep and there was two pieces of broken glass on the table, but it's a lovely place 100% would stay there again
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Phil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic pub in a great location with excellent food and friendly staff
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Phil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent hotel in a great village location and with a very good menu
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Alan

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
The shower had some remedial work to the tiles and had mastic smeared along the joints, black mould had started to accumulate The staff especially Acer and Gavin were exceptional, nothing was too much, they are a credit to your team
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ruth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place to stay

A lovely pub, great food, really great staff who couldn’t have been more helpful or friendly - and a good nights sleep in a well equipped room. Lots of quirky decorative touches.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

Rebecca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Very good- nice staff, comfy room, good restaurant
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

K

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely but noisy

The room was great, but the church bell rang every 25 minutes all through the night. I barely slept. It was every annoying.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

V Good

It’s a pub and a very good one. Food is very good.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Motel like rooms very pleasant. Staff were really good and friendly.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

CM

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

You really must visit this one!!

This is a real find, staff are fabulous food amazing and room private and cosy, with lovely fresh cotton sheets. All for a really fair price
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Sandra

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Welcome was excellent, room was nice but en suite requires some attention. The cistern ran all night wasting water and disturbing our sleep. Restaurant and food was great. Breakfast was ok. Lovely church across the road chimes on the hour and tinkles every quarter so not great if you're already awake because of the cistern.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

4/10 Poor

Steven

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service

Not bad, not great

The location was ideal and the room was good. Bathroom need an update and maybe a desk in the room. However, no cooked breakfast in the morning. Just 2 bread loaves, ham, cheese and cereal plus some tired looking pastries. This was not mentioned at check-in
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

4/10 Poor

Sean

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great pub, bad management

Great location, good staff who make you feel very welcome. My stay, was tainted by the manager. Never heard anyone talk to their team like he did. Completely shocking and I would be shocked if they dont have a staff retention issue.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Cat

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
The room was nice, good layout, and the sofa area in the conservatory and outdoor space was a bonus. And it was quiet too, which I was worried about as it's a pub. The room wasn't super clean, there were dead bugs and stuff. And some of the room felt tired and tatty. But that wouldn't stop me staying again. However, the biggest issue was there is no wifi in the rooms, and the phone signal isn't great. As I was there to work it was a problem.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

4/10 Poor

Laura

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

Utter rubbish!!

We got there after a 3 1/2hr drive to a cramped cabin that was not as clean as we would have liked, grubby bathroom & cigarette burns in the throw on the bed. What made it worst was the shower cutout after one of us briefly used it after a long trip. This was not fixed though a plumber was called due to not having the right part. We ended up washing in the tea-cup of a sink we had. Nothing has been done to date despite reporting it on check out. I would not be going back anytime soon.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disappointing

One night stay, the room was clean but dusty plastic plants. The bath seal leaked so the floor floods when using over bath shower, despite closing the shower curtain as instructed. Glass shelf above sink not secured so collapsed as soon as a toothbrush was placed on it, fortunately didn’t smash. We went to the bar to eat at 7pm, ordered a pint of cider- no problem but ordering a pint of beer took three attempts to find one they had in stock. We got dinner menus and enquired about the pie advertised on blackboards outside and inside the bar but they had sold out- at 7pm. There is an extensive menu, we sat in cosy alcove with our drinks while we chose - chicken wings and pork steak… neither were available. We tried to order three more main courses, each time the lady had to come back to say they were unavailable, so we had mushrooms on toast from the starter menu with a side order of fries which amazingly they seemed to have. Both average. Breakfast equally disappointing there were 4 options but 2 were unavailable, we ordered bacon egg and tomatoes but there had no tomatoes despite them being offered as part of the full English. The cleaning staff were hoovering the room around us while we ate and the toilets were out of action. The staff we met were friendly but we felt were embarrassed and frustrated, creating a tense atmosphere and we overheard many angry sounding conversations. Overall disappointing -the pictures online look so inviting, we wont be back.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Liked: Cleanliness
I would stay there again
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

6/10 Okay

Beverley

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Food was very good,staff that were there did very well they need a good housekeeper and cleaners. Seemed to be very popular
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

4/10 Poor

Douglas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Not a happy tummy after eating not gluten free foo

The pub itself was nice and the rooms were adequate for our needs. Unfortunately it seemed that the kitchen staff don’t know the difference between gluten free food and non gluten free food, the item in question was a roll for breakfast. It looked a lot like a brioche roll and tasted too nice for GF lol. I did email the place to explain my wife’s discomfort with the food and have not had a reply hence this not so good review. I will repeat myself from my email and hope the people in the kitchen get to hear how they basically poisoned my wife, causing her great discomfort and vomiting on our journey home. This was one week ago and she is still suffering
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

STEVEN

Liked: Amenities
Lovely property and location, staff were excellent.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Phil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great country pub with good food and in a lovely rural location
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Phil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely pub in a great location, especially in the summer as they have an excellent outside seating area
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Phil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely pub in a great location, especially in the summer as they have an excellent outside seating area
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Phil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic pub in a lovely village location with great food and friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Phil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent to stay with great food and a friendly service
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

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