[12] Between 1869 and 1974 Shefford was the site of an orphanage called St Francis' Boy's Home run by the Roman Catholic Church.

[8][13] During World War II an entire Jewish children's community came into being in Shefford as 500 pupils from Judith Grunfeld's school were billeted in and around the town.

[14] This was part of "Operation Pied Piper" where schools were moved in anticipation of wartime bombing.

The Hit and the Flit meet just a short way down the path from the Northbridge Street river bridge to form the historic Ivel Navigation.

[16] Central Bedfordshire Council has its main offices at Priory House in Chicksands, immediately west of Shefford.

[20] Morrisons and Co-op supermarkets are in the town centre and a Tesco store is attached to the Esso Petrol Station on the outskirts.

1982)[21] and Chinese, Indian and Turkish takeaways and restaurants, and a fish and chip shop.

There are three estate agents, a newsagent, a convenience store, a charity shop, an angling centre, a bakery, a tea room, a wine bar, a Post Office with sorting facilities and an ironmonger/building supply centre.

The town has a scout group, Guiding Groups and a local Army Cadet Force hut at Chicksands on the Army Intelligence Corps base, which is part of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire ACF, in 4 Company.

[citation needed] Shefford railway station was on the Bedford–Hitchin line but closed to passengers in 1961 and to freight in 1964; its goods yard is now the site of an industrial estate.

Current public transport provision consists of hourly buses 9A and 9B between Bedford and Hitchin, operated by Stagecoach East and promoted by Intalink.

[23] Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia.

[25] The town is served by the local newspapers, Bedford Today (formerly Times & Citizen) [26] and The Biggleswade Chronicle.