Bedford is a town in the southeast midlands of England. It lies on the River Ouse, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of London. Bedford is a market town and an important industrial center, with such industries as engineering and the manufacture of electrical goods. It is also the administrative center of Bedfordshire. John Bunyan, a preacher and the author of The Pilgrim's Progress (1678, 1684), was born near Bedford. The Bunyan Meeting House in Bedford stands on the site of his old church. A statue of Bunyan stands at a road junction in the town center.