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Originally a small market town with Saxon origins, Bedworth developed into an industrial town in the 18th and 19th centuries, due largely to coal mining and the overspill of ribbon weaving and textile industries from nearby Coventry. The opening of the Coventry Canal in 1769 and later, the railway in 1850 enhanced the town's growth. Bedworth was for many years primarily a coal mining town, but the last colliery was closed in 1994. In the middle of the 19th century, the large number of public houses, and thirsty miners lead to the town being called 'Black Bedworth'.

Due to its good transport links, and proximity to major cities such as Coventry, Birmingham and Leicester, Bedworth is now growing rapidly as a dormitory town.

From 1894 Bedworth was a civil parish within the Foleshill Rural District. In 1928 Bedworth was incorporated as an urban district in its own right. In 1974 the Bedworth Urban District was merged with the borough of Nuneaton to create the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth.

The most notable buildings in Bedworth are the Nicholas Chamberlaine Almshouses on All Saints' Square in the town centre, which are built in Tudor style and date from 1840, having been funded by a legacy from the local benefactor Nicholas Chamberlaine (1632-1715) through his will.

The main venue in Bedworth is the Bedworth Civic Hall which has an attached arts centre.

The Bedworth water tower is probably the most noticeable landmark building in Bedworth, built in the 1880s in the then fashionable style of an Italian campanile, it is visible from many miles around. It used to provide drinking water for the houses and the mining facilities. It was part of the 19th century development of the water supply infrastructure following the 1854 cholera outbreak in London's Soho district that was identified by Dr. John Snow as originating from a contaminated water pump, (this can be regarded as a founding event of the science of epidemiology) and the summer 1858 'Great Stink' in London. The tower was also home to a pair of peregrine falcons in 2006, before its 2012 residential redevelopment.

Bedworth has many pubs and working men's clubs. These include, but are not limited to: the Bear and Ragged Staff (a Wetherspoon pub), the White Horse, the Miners Arms, the Mount Pleasant, the Black Horse, the Black Bank, Saunders Hall, Collycroft Working Men's Club, Bedworth Liberal Club, Bedworth Conservative Club, the Griffin Inn, the Newdigate Arms, the Cross Keys, the Collycroft Goose (now closed), the Royal Oak, the Prince of Wales, JB's and Littleworks (reopened as Jack's Entertainment Club). Although, the White Swan, the British Queen, the Navigation, the Cricketers Arms, the Woolpack, the Corner Pin (demolished vacant site), the Lord Raglan - Exhall (since demolished as of late 2012 to become a Co-Op), the Orchard (converted to a Sainsbury's Local store) and others have closed, in line with national trends.

Bedworth also has a skate park built in the Miners' Welfare Park in 2001 after campaigning by local youngsters. Previous to this, most youngsters would skate in the town centre, or in the market area, much to the annoyance of residents and the local police.

A new play area, located on the site of the previous aviary and paddling pool near the cricket ground within the park, was dedicated in June 2012 to Sergeant Simon 'Val' Valentine. He was born and brought up in Bedworth, a soldier of 2nd Btn Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who lost his life in August 2009 while serving his country in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The town centre was closed and thousands of townspeople paid their respects at Sergeant Valentine's funeral in 2009.