The boundaries of Putnoe are approximately Mowsbury Park and golf course to the north, Church Lane and Haylands Way to the east, Polhill Avenue to the south, with Kimbolton Road to the west.

The name in its present form has been around since the 16th century, but was formerly known as Puttenhoe and Putenho indicating the spur or "hoh" of land belonging to an unknown Anglo-Saxon settler Putta.

A One Stop supermarket, a bakery and cafe, a butcher's, an optician's, a newsagents and post office, a pub named The Bluebell, and an Elderly Persons Home called 'Puttenhoe' are all located here.

Mowsbury Golf Course and Squash Complex is located directly to the north of the park, and is operated by Bedford Borough Council.

[12] The area has a regular bus service into Bedford Town Centre, and there are many post and telephone boxes dotted around the locality.