Green’s Dictionary of Slang

bed; thus go up the wooden hill/high road (to Bedfordshire), to go to bed; thus Bedfordshire woman n., a prostitute.

1658		Mennis & Smith ‘Weomen’ Wit Restor’d (1817) 216: Weomen are borne in Wilsheire, Brought up in Cumberland. Lead their lives in Bedfordsheire Bring their husbands to Buckingame And dye in Shrewsbury.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk IV 76: Now when, with raking up the Fire / Each one departs for Bedfordshire, / And pillows all securely snort on.
1721		Penkethman’s Jests 52: He said he wanted a Bedfordshire Woman, but he had forget her Name.
1738		Swift Polite Conversation 94: miss.: Indeed my Eyes draw Straws (She’s almost asleep) [...] col.: I’m going to the Land of Nod. nev.: Faith, I’m for Bedfordshire.
1741		Richardson Pamela II 326: Said she, I think he did make two or three attempts upon you in Bedfordshire? Yes, Madam, said I, he was very naughty, to be sure.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: Bedfordshire. I am for Bedfordshire, i.e. for going to bed.
1803		Sporting Mag. July XXII 221/2: It was not surprising [...] that a certain noble new-married couple went off with unusual expedition to Bed-fordshire.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1821		‘A Real Paddy’ Real Life in Ireland 151: They [...] shaped their course for Bedfordshire most plaguily tired.
1840		T. Hood ‘Miss Kilmansegg & Her Precious Leg’ in Poems (1846) I 145: The time for sleep had come at last; / And there was the bed, so soft, so vast, / Quite a field of Bedfordshire clover.
1853		R.S. Surtees Mr Sponge’s Sporting Tour 357: If you’ll give me eight-and-twenty bob, I’ll be off to Bedfordshire.
1859		G.A. Sala Gaslight and Daylight 2: The proprietor [...] is off to bed. [...] There is a bristly bearded tailor [...] who utters a similar somniferous intention. He calls it ‘Bedfordshire.’.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1870		W.E.A. Axon Haunted Bridge 7: When ivry body but yorsel is snug asleep i’ bedfordshire.
1899		H. Garland Boy Life on the Prairie 195: The children were about starting to ‘climb the wooden hill’.
1899		‘Pot’ & ‘Swears’ Scarlet City 279: I felt quite sorry to go, when Carmichael suggested that it was time for Bedfordshire.
1935		Bury Free Press 12 Jan. 11/2: ‘The Wooden Hill’ Every night, away we go [...] up the wooden hill.
1983		J. Sullivan ‘Friday the 14th’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Why don’t you go up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire and check it out?
1989		T. Blacker Fixx 32: We took what Aunty Bar-Bar still referred to as the High Road to Bedfordshire.
1999		Indep. Rev. 22 July 8: Clean yer railings, then up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire.
2001		A. Sillitoe Birthday 114: Brenda used to plonk herself in the same place to lighten the mood before going up the wooden hill when Jack was on nights.
2001		K. Waterhouse Soho 18: Come on, Jen, let’s have you pissed off up them stairs to Bedfordshire.
2005		Guardian G2 4 May 216: The battle of Bedfordshire [...] life was made hell by her son’s sleeplessness.