111-481: Eaton Ford is an area in the civil parish of St Neots , Cambridgeshire , England. It is a mainly residential area also containing Riverside Park, a large area of riverside parkland. Much of the housing stock dates from the period of London overspill during the 1960s and subsequently. The former village green is still in place. Eaton Ford lies in the area bounded by the River Great Ouse , Duloe Brook in
222-550: A cricket pavilion and bandstand which are both still in use. Priory Country Park is a large country park located on the northern bank of the River Great Ouse in eastern Bedford. Both parks have been awarded Green Flag status . Bedford's principal church is St Paul's , in the square of the same name at the historic centre of the town. It is the Civic Church of the Borough of Bedford and County of Bedfordshire and has
333-466: A three-tier education system, which was arranged into lower , middle and upper schools , as recommended in the Plowden Report of 1967. The arrangement was put to the vote in 2006 with a view to moving to the two-tier model, but was rejected. On 17 November 2009, borough councillors voted 19 to 17 in favour of a two tier system, which would then be phased in. However, following the defeat of
444-635: A Baron's area of control was called a "soke" and in French the area was called the Soka de Eton, and later Eaton Socon. Before the river was bridged, people waded across it, and this was called a "ford", from which the immediate area became called Eaton Ford. The Priory was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, and the relics of St Neot were lost. The River Great Ouse
555-596: A beautiful mile-long waterside frontage. The park has a cafe, parking for 250 cars, a large children's activity area, a skate park, and a miniature railway, Riverside Miniature Railway . During the summer concerts are occasionally held on Sunday afternoons in the park. Barford Road Pocket Park in Eynesbury, hosts weekly parkrun and junior parkrun events. To the north of the town is Paxton Pits Nature Reserve providing walks through its 190 acres (77 ha) of lakes, meadow, grassland, scrub and woodland. The reserve
666-524: A communal leisure budget and supports tourism. The next tier of local government is Cambridgeshire County Council , headquartered in Cambridge. This provides county-wide services such as road infrastructure, fire and rescue, education, social services, libraries and heritage. The fourth tier is the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Combined Authority, responsible for strategic planning. Eaton Ford
777-484: A ford. It was constructed entirely in timber and, because there were marshy areas both sides of the river, it included a long causeway. In 1588, a new town bridge was built. A survey of the old bridge showed that it consisted of 72 arches, and it was 704 feet in length and 7 ft 6in wide. The replacement bridge was to have masonry piers up to the flood water level. The river formed the boundary between Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire, so both counties had to contribute to
888-659: A former brickworks site near Stewartby , on the outskirts of Bedford, with the company exploring the possibility of building a theme park and resort in the area, citing Bedford's proximity to London and Luton Airport. In 2024, Universal Studios United Kingdom was announced to be in the planning and approval phases, with construction potentially beginning as early as January 2025, and the park itself slated for completion around 2030. Following successful rollouts of autonomous delivery robots in nearby Milton Keynes, Northampton and Cambridgeshire by Starship Technologies , in July 2022,
999-548: A further 2,800 houses in 2021 in the nearby Wintringham development. Expansion of light industry facilities was incorporated in the original overspill planning, and has also been continued more recently. The population of St Neots in 2011 was 31,165; in 2021 it was around 33,000. This figure is expected to rise further still in the coming decade. St Neots' position as a traditional town location, with plentiful industrial sites and good transport facilities encourages this expansion. The Loves Farm estate will be extended eastwards, and
1110-582: A hospital for the elderly, and renamed the White House. In the 1950s part of it was converted for use as flats, and in the 1980s the building was completely upgraded internally, and the entire building was made into flats. In the period following 1960 Eaton Ford expanded quickly under the London overspill programme and subsequent housing development. Prior to this scheme, the housing stock in Eaton Ford
1221-504: A little under two hours to Gatwick Airport. St Neots was the 423rd busiest station in the UK in 2018–19 (out of 2560) with 1.3 million journeys beginning or ending there. St Neots station footbridge has access to the car park and taxi rank on the west side, and the district of Love's Farm on the east side. There are lifts to the platforms. East West Rail is a plan to establish a railway between Oxford and Cambridge. As of 2023 Construction
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#17327830331881332-578: A local leader. Neot was a holy man who founded a monastery near the present-day Cornish village of St Neot . When he died, his remains were kept there as holy relics, and many pilgrims visited, making donations. In the later tenth century a priory was established immediately north of the village of Eynesbury in what is now St Neots. The landowners, Leofric and his wife Leoflaed, obtained Neot's remains (leaving an arm in Cornwall), realising that they would attract pilgrims, and their money, to their priory. This
1443-652: A major industry in the town. The 19th century saw Bedford transform into an important engineering hub. The northern part of the town was badly damaged in the Great Fire of Bedford in 1802, which destroyed 72 properties in the St Loyes area. 21 years later, the Great Flood of Bedford swamped most of the town when the River Great Ouse burst its banks. The former Phoenix public house in St Johns Street has
1554-586: A mayor. In 1989 the town council moved to new offices in an extension to the Priory Centre. The parishes of St Neots Rural and Eynesbury Hardwicke were both abolished in 2010 and divided between St Neots and Abbotsley . St Neots is in the parliamentary constituency of St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire . The member of parliament is Ian Sollom of the Liberal Democrats . Prior to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies , St Neots
1665-469: A medieval bridge over the Ouse and a well-proportioned Market Square, but the church is tucked away on the fringe of the town. It is almost everything a good town church should be: a luxurious Perpendicular building with perhaps the finest tower in the county, faced in ironstone and pebbles with ashlar dressings – an agreeable contrast in colour and texture. The roof is almost flat – although not over-elaborate it
1776-547: A merger with the University of Luton in 2006 had been a campus of De Montfort University (itself now solely based in Leicester ). For further education, the town is served by Bedford College and The Bedford Sixth Form . Additionally, Stella Mann College is a private college, which offers a range of further education courses relating to the performing arts . The town has a high number of places of worship, including
1887-427: A non-UK identity; just over 8% had a "British and other" identity. In 2001, Bedford was 69% Christian, 24% Irreligious, 3% Muslim, and 2% Sikh. By 2021, Bedford was 48% Christian, 40% Irreligious, 7% Muslim, and 2% Sikh. Bedford Park is the town's largest urban park and is located directly to the north of the town centre. The park retains many original features from its Victorian design and construction, including
1998-451: A parish called Eynesbury Hardwicke . In 1938 the urban district council bought a large early 19th century house called Cressner (or Cressener) House at 12 Huntingdon Street and converted it to become its offices and meeting place. The urban district was enlarged in 1965 to take in part of the parish of Eaton Socon from Bedfordshire, including the old village of Eaton Socon and the Eaton Ford area, which by that time were effectively part of
2109-421: A pay on foot system. Greyfriars occupies 142 parking spaces, including 7 designated disabled spaces, although there is a 2-hour per day parking limit. Bedford bus station serves the town and was reopened on 29 March 2015, after undergoing £8.8million regeneration which began in 2013. The main operators in and around the town are Stagecoach East and Stagecoach Midlands . Bedford Borough previously operated
2220-680: A public house, the Barley Mow. The low-lying areas near the river have been subject to flooding, and a flood control scheme has been implemented; the Riverside Park adjacent to The Paddock, the carpark there, and adjacent areas are planned surge containment zones: in times of heavy water flow in the river, these areas are flooded to prevent more serious inundation; flood control banks are provided to protect houses in The Paddock. In Anglo-Saxon times there were small settlements on
2331-476: A stone marker in its wall almost two metres above ground level, representing the maximum height of the floodwater in 1823. In 1832 gas lighting was introduced, and the railway reached Bedford in 1846. The first corn exchange was built 1849, and the first drains and sewers were dug in 1864. Bedford's first woman town councillor was Mary Milligan who, in 1919, was also the secretary of the local Women's Citizens League. The contiguous Bedford built-up area forms
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#17327830331882442-433: A tall, iconic spire which is one of the dominant features of the town. There was an early Minster church on the site by 1066 and work on the present structure began in the early 13th century, but little remains from that period. John Bunyan and John Wesley both preached in the church. In 1865–1868 the tower and spire were completely rebuilt and the two transepts added and lesser alterations have been made since. From 1941 to
2553-691: A traditional pantomime at the Bedford Corn Exchange each Christmas. Esquires (one of the town's premier live music venues) regularly plays host to many notable bands and acts from all over the United Kingdom as well as showcasing local live music. Every two years, an event called the " Bedford River Festival " is held near the river in Bedford during early July. The event lasts for two days and regularly attracts about 250,000 visitors. The event includes sports, funfairs and live music. It
2664-569: A war memorial to the men of the town killed in the First World War . The memorial was designed in 1921 by the sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger and depicts the Anglo Saxon Lady Athelflaed, who ruled Mercia, killing a dragon. The inscription reads 1914 † 1919 TO BEDFORDIANS WHO DIED, MANY IN EARLY YOUTH, SOME FULL OF YEARS AND HONOUR, BUT WHO ALL ALIKE GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY. Bedford Castle Mound
2775-586: A year is typical of inland areas of southern-central England. Bedford is home to one of the largest concentrations of Italian immigrants in the United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census, almost 30% of Bedford's population were of at least partial Italian descent. This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment in the early 1950s by the London Brick Company from Southern Italy . From 1954 to 2008 Bedford had its own Italian vice-consulate . In addition to Italian immigrants, Bedford has also been
2886-588: Is Bedford St John's which in on the Marston Vale Line . Services are operated by London North Western Railway and run between Bletchley and Bedford's main station . Road access to and from the town is provided by the A6 and A421 roads; the former connects the town with Kettering to the north-west, and Luton to the south, whilst the latter connects the town with Milton Keynes and the M1 (at Junction 13) to
2997-503: Is a grassy area at the junction of St Neots Road and Crosshall Road, but has long since lost its attractiveness to road improvement schemes. There is a large school complex, Crosshall Junior School on the Great North Road, with considerable pedestrian and vehicular traffic generated at the start and end of the school day. (Despite the historic name, the Great North Road is only a local distributor road here). St Neots Golf Club
3108-452: Is also a gallery with temporary exhibitions by local creatives including fine art, ceramics, sculpture and illustration. The museum organises a variety of specialist and family events from walks, talks, one-day festivals, temporary and touring exhibitions. St Neots general market is held on the market square every Thursday. A further farmers market is held on the market square every second and fourth Saturday. Thee theatre community includes
3219-511: Is expected to begin in spring 2024 with roads and infrastructure, hence Cambridge Road, and the first homes expected to be completed in 2026. St Neots Museum is housed in the town's former Victorian Police Station and Magistrates Court. It has local history collections covering the town's rich past including a display about James Toller, the Eynesbury Giant, a resident from the 18th century who measured over 8 ft in height. There
3330-530: Is famous for its nightingales and cormorants and is home to a wide variety of other birds, insects, mammals and flora. The Rowley Arts Centre was opened in May 2014 and includes a six-screen cinema operated by Cineworld and a complex with three restaurants and a gym. It was named after Peter Rowley, an American playwright, author and critic who was Lord of the Manor of St Neots and who donated £1 million towards
3441-611: Is home to four private schools run by the Harpur Trust charity, endowed by Bedfordian Sir William Harpur in the 16th century. These are: Smaller private institutions include Bedford Greenacre Independent School (boys and girls aged 3–18), and Polam School (boys and girls aged 12 months to 9 years), neither of which are part of the Harpur Trust. Bedford hosts a campus of the University of Bedfordshire , which prior to
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3552-542: Is in the Huntingdon parliamentary constituency . The Member of Parliament is (2021) Jonathan Djanogly ( Conservative ). St Neots St Neots is a town and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire , England. It is 18 miles (29 km) west of Cambridge . The areas of Eynesbury , Eaton Ford , Eaton Socon , and Wintringham form part of the town. The town centre lies on
3663-414: Is largely residential, but with an extensive area of parkland – Riverside Park – adjacent to the river. There is practically no industrial activity within Eaton Ford, and most people in work travel to other parts of St Neots, or commute further afield. Eaton Ford Green forms a small but pleasing "village green" focus to the community, and St Neots Town Council arrange to maintain flower beds. Maltman's Green
3774-462: Is located on Crosshall Road, and the grounds occupy nearly all of the northern part of Eaton Ford up to the River Kym, which forms the boundary. The other occupier of this part of Eaton Ford is a marina, Crosshall Marine Ltd. Its tucked-away location means that it may well be unknown to residents who do not play golf and do not use river craft. Eaton Ford has a semi-independent convenience store and
3885-566: Is of Sub-Saharan descent ), South America and the Caribbean, making it one of the most ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse towns in the United Kingdom outside of London in proportion to its size. At the 2011 Census, the ethnic mix of the Bedford urban area was 74.4% white, 4% mixed, 15% Asian/Asian British, 5% Black/African/Caribbean/Black British, and 1% "other ethnic group". In terms of national identity, just over 50% identified as English only, 24% as British only and 15% only as
3996-509: Is part of Bedford's built-up area, as is the village of Biddenham. Other villages adjacent to, but outside of, the built-up area include Bromham , Elstow , Renhold and Ravensden . Wixams is a new town which is being developed to the south of Bedford. Villages in the Borough of Bedford, outside of the built-up area, with populations of more than 2,000 (as of 2005) include Clapham , Elstow , Oakley , Sharnbrook , Shortstown , Wilstead , and Wootton . There are also many smaller villages in
4107-545: Is part of the council's 'One Leisure' brand, which has other sites in Huntingdon and St Ives. The Great Ouse river passes through the centre of the town, through Regatta Meadows and Riverside Park and linking to Eaton Socon providing opportunities for riverside leisure walks, and forms part of the Ouse Valley Way walking route. Riverside Park is close to the town centre and covers 72 acres (29 ha) with
4218-626: Is the largest theatre in Bedford and hosts many larger productions as well as projects from the university. There is an active amdram (community theatre) scene, with groups such as the Swan Theatre Company, Bedford Drama Company (formerly Bedford Dramatic Club), Bedford Marianettes and ShowCo Bedford producing plays and musicals in venues like the Place Theatre and the Corn Exchange. The Bedford Pantomime Company produces
4329-461: Is the remnant of Bedford's medieval castle , located close to the centre of the modern town, less than a hundred yards from Bedford Bridge and the High Street. In around 2000, Bedford Borough Council built a sloping retaining wall on the south side, facing the river. Although almost completely modern, the wall does incorporate a few pieces of historic masonry. A paved path leads round the side of
4440-588: Is the second-largest regular outdoor event in the United Kingdom, beaten in numbers only by the Notting Hill Carnival . The Bedford Regatta each May is Britain's largest one-day river rowing regatta. Other annual events include "Bedford by the Sea" (when large quantities of sand are deposited in the town centre), the "Bedford International Kite Festival" and "Bedford Festival of Motoring" in June. "Proms in
4551-402: Is the town's local weekly newspaper. St Neots railway station is served by generally half-hourly trains north to Peterborough and south to Horsham via London St Pancras and Gatwick Airport , with additional peak time commuter services in the mornings and evenings to and from London King's Cross . Journeys are typically around 45 minutes to London King's Cross, 55 minutes to St Pancras, and
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4662-533: Is underway on the western section between Oxford and Bedford. The company's preferred route between Bedford and Cambridge has been announced, which includes a station at Tempsford south of St Neots, where the new line and the existing East Coast Main Line will intersect. Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire , England. At the 2011 Census, the population of its urban area (as defined by
4773-498: Is very English and most satisfying. There are several Perpendicular screens. Regional local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia . Television signals are received from the Sandy Heath TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Cambridgeshire , Heart East , Greatest Hits Radio East , Star Radio , HCR FM and Black Cat Radio, a community based radio station. The Hunts Post
4884-522: The Bedford Bypass . Despite being far upriver from the sea, seals have occasionally been reported as swimming as far inland as Bedford. The Old Town Hall dates back to 1550 and the building was originally constructed as a school. The River Great Ouse passes through the town centre and is lined with gardens known as the Embankment. Within these gardens, opposite Rothsay Road, stands
4995-696: The Bedford constituency , represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament . The current Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford is Mohammad Yasin , who is a member of the Labour Party . Bedford is 46 miles (74 km) miles north-northwest of London , 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Birmingham , 25 miles (40 km) west of Cambridge and 19 miles (31 km) east-southeast of Northampton . The town of Kempston
5106-777: The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority , led by the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough . The town council is based at the Priory Centre, on the banks of the River Great Ouse. The council consists of 21 elected councillors including a town mayor and a deputy town mayor. With a budget (2020–2021) of £1.8 million, its operations cover cemeteries and "closed" churchyards (those that are full), public conveniences, allotments, play areas, bus shelters in rural locations, and some residual footway lighting (but not street lighting). The historic parish of St Neots
5217-548: The Local Government Act 1894 . That act also said that parishes could no longer straddle district boundaries, and so in 1895 the two parishes of St Neots and Eynesbury were both reduced to just cover the parts within the St Neots Urban District. The part of St Neots parish outside the urban district became a parish called St Neots Rural, and the part of Eynesbury outside the urban district became
5328-522: The Office for National Statistics ), including Kempston and Biddenham , was 106,940. Bedford is also the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford , a unitary authority that includes a significant rural area. Bedford was founded at a ford on the River Great Ouse and is thought to have been the burial place of King Offa of Mercia , who is remembered for building Offa's Dyke on
5439-654: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ , and that Bedford was the original location of the Garden of Eden . The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum , Bedford is housed in the recreated Victorian home of the Higgins family of Victorian brewers and in a modern extension. The museum has local history collections, while the galleries have notable collections of watercolours, prints and drawings, ceramics, glass and lace. Bedford contains several works of public art , most notably
5550-595: The Southern Football League Division 1 Central. The town also has a rugby club St Neots RUFC , a rowing club St Neots Rowing Club , two Dragon Boat teams and a table tennis club, the St Neots Table Tennis club. Huntingdonshire District Council operates a leisure centre complex in Eynesbury with an indoor swimming pool, gym, squash courts, sports hall, tennis courts, all weather pitches, creche, and cafe. The site
5661-681: The Statue of John Bunyan , the Statue of John Howard , and Reflections of Bedford , a statue by British sculptor Rick Kirby . The Panacea Museum tells the story of the Panacea Society , a religious community formed in the early twentieth century. The Bedford Corn Exchange is the largest entertainment venue in the town and plays host to a variety of performances, meetings, conferences, concerts and private functions. The venue has been host to many great entertainers such as Glenn Miller and Bob Hope . The University of Bedfordshire Theatre
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#17327830331885772-537: The 1960s they were transferred to Huntingdonshire, to join St Neots, of which they had become a part for practical purposes. In 1974 Huntingdonshire was abolished as a County, and Eaton Ford was in Cambridgeshire. St Neots Golf Club had existed from before 1900, but in 1912 it moved to its present site alongside Crosshall Road. Until the 1960s, the road network in Eaton Ford consisted of the Great North Road,
5883-430: The Bedford urban area, only Brickhill, Biddenham and Kempston elect their own parish councils , while the rest (and majority) of the built-up area is unparished. Kempston is the only civil parish in both the built-up area and Borough of Bedford which has a town council . Bedford is served by Bedfordshire Police . The Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner of that force is John Tizard . Bedford forms part of
5994-498: The Black Death of 1348-9 which reputedly shrank the population of England by a third. Many travellers would have passed through the village from London to the north and they may have carried their germs with them. The first bridge across the River Great Ouse at St Neots was probably built in the 11th or 12th century to bring traders and pilgrims into the market place established by the monks of St Neots Priory. It probably replaced
6105-578: The British Isles and worldwide. Eaton Ford and Eaton Socon , lying on the west side of the River Great Ouse, were formerly within Bedfordshire, but in 1965 they were incorporated into the urban district of St Neots. Technology-based industries operate in some of the town's light industrial estates, and there is a gas turbine power station at Little Barford in neighbouring Bedfordshire . Recent developments in St Neots have expanded
6216-685: The Civic and County Church of St Paul's and the Church of St Peter's . There are three from the Newfrontiers network, as well as Polish, Arab, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian Roman Catholic churches, LDS ( Mormon ) meeting houses, Greek , Russian and other Orthodox churches, Presbyterian churches, Lutheran churches, Baptist churches, Evangelical churches, Methodist churches, Protestant churches, Anglican churches and various independent churches and other places of worship that cater to
6327-617: The Domesday Book, Eudo Dapifer held Eaton Socon "with the Manors of Wyboston and Sudbury"; the tenant-in-chief at Sudbury being Richard, son of Gilbert. Later, Sudbury was recorded as having belonged to St Neots Priory in King Edward’s time. The family who became Lords of the Manor there in the 13th century eventually adopted the name of the Manor as their surname and became known as "de Sudbury". The Manor House may have stood on or near
6438-521: The Elder built the town's first known fortress, on the south side of the River Great Ouse and there received the area's submission. This fortress was destroyed by the Danes . William II gave the barony of Bedford to Paine de Beauchamp, who built a new, strong castle. Bedford traces its borough charter in 1166 by Henry II and elected two members to the unreformed House of Commons . The new Bedford Castle
6549-473: The Labour Government in 2010, the new coalition government announced that the funding necessary for the switch to a two-tier system would no longer be available. As a result, the switch proceeded on a school by school basis as national funding was due to cover most of the cost. However, in July 2015, the council announced the intention to support the transition to a system of two tier education across
6660-741: The Park", held in early August, is a popular musical event. Bedford's special brand of the ordinary has resulted in regular small TV and radio appearances, for instance the upbeat episode of Mark Steel's in Town , contrasting with the less enthusiastic treatment in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . The "Bedford of Bedfordshire's Community Calendar" segment of this US show featured Bedford-born John Oliver . In December 2023, Universal Destinations & Experiences announced that it had purchased 480 acres (later expanded to around 700 acres) of land on
6771-478: The River Great Ouse was much wider and shallower than at present, with ill-defined banks. This made fording the river possible with care, and by choosing a dryer period to do so. Ea-tun came to be known as Eaton, and after the Norman Conquest the more southerly part was designated by the fact that it was part of a soke, a governmental sub-division, and in time this became Eaton Socon. The important Ford in
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#17327830331886882-552: The River Ouse (Bedfordshire) Navigation Act was passed for improvements to the River Ouse, to enable navigation as far as Bedford. During the 19th century the superstructure of the bridge was widened and the "scallops" peculiar to the Huntingdonshire half were carried across the whole length of the parapet. (The scallops were in fact jack-arches supported on cantilever beams, supporting the footway extensions.) The end of
6993-414: The Riverside Theatre Company, who stage productions, run workshops and have groups for all ages; VAMPS formed in 1961 as the St Neots and District Operatic Society and stage popular musicals and variety shows; St Neots Players, formed in the late 1920s as a play-reading group with past members who used to perform the annual Shakespeare , Pantomime and other mid-season productions at the Kings Head Hotel in
7104-422: The Roundhouse Community Primary School. Into the east of Love's Farm, there are developments to upgrade Cambridge Road (B1428) between the A428 junction and the Bret Road junction at Wintringham. This will support the eastern expansion of St Neots, and make way for Monkfields, the next development and Phase 3 of Love's Farm. L&Q Estates, the developers of Monkfields, have stated that construction work on site
7215-582: The Stables Theatre; and Stageworks, a performing arts group offering classes, holiday programmes, workshops and a college offering full-time training to students aged 16 years and over that prepares students for musical theatre and acting, SJ School of Dance, Pocket Productions, and Peppercorns Academy. The local creative community is served by Neotists, a community interest company for creative professionals with members covering design, illustration, art, photography and IT, which commissions local creatives to collaborate on projects, run workshops and events for
7326-415: The Welsh border. Bedford Castle was built by Henry I , although it was destroyed in 1224. Bedford was granted borough status in 1166 and has been represented in Parliament since 1265. It is known for its large population of Italian descent . The name of the town is believed to derive from the name of a Saxon chief called Beda, and a ford crossing the River Great Ouse . Bedford was a market town for
7437-443: The Wintringham Estate is under construction, and will infill a substantial part of the space between Cambridge Road and the by-pass. The town is to benefit from the Government Future High Streets Fund. Huntingdonshire District Council will manage the expenditure of £12.8 million. St Neots has a semi-professional non-League football team, St Neots Town F.C. , who play at Rowley Park Stadium. The club are currently members of
7548-615: The borough. As with the rest of the United Kingdom, Bedford has a maritime climate , with a limited range of temperatures, and generally even rainfall throughout the year. The nearest Met Office weather station to Bedford is Bedford (Thurleigh) airport, about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north of Bedford town centre at an elevation of 85 metres (279 ft). Temperature extremes at the site have ranged from 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) in July 2022, down to −15.3 °C (4.5 °F) in January 1982. However, such extremes would likely be superseded if longer-term records were available – Historically,
7659-450: The bridge at Eaton Ford was also widened to make less of a bottleneck. The old stone bridge survived well into the 20th century, but it proved inadequate for the weight of modern motor traffic, even when passage over it was restricted to one-way operation. There was a five mph speed limit. Because of its position on a county boundary, the negotiations regarding its replacement were prolonged and took over 20 years to complete. Finally in 1964,
7770-404: The built-up area of the town. St Neots Urban District was abolished in 1974, with district-level functions transferring to the new Huntingdon District Council (later renamed Huntingdonshire District Council). A successor parish was created covering the area of the former urban district. The parish council declared the parish to be a town, allowing it to take the style "town council" and appoint
7881-485: The community and provide opportunities and connections for professionals working in the creative industry . In 2023, the Neotists organised the St Neots Festival, a music and performing arts festival in Priory Park. There are three tiers of local government covering St Neots, at civil parish (town), district , and county level: St Neots Town Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council . The district and county councils also form part of
7992-667: The company announced a partnership with Bedford Borough Council and The Co-operative Group to rollout the autonomous robots in the Bedford built-up area, delivering from three Co-op stores in Goldington, Queens Drive and Kempston, an area spanning 45,000 residents and 20,000 households. Local news and televisions programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia from the Sandy Heath TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio on 95.5 FM, Heart East on 96.9 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts on 96.2 FM, In2beats on 106.5 FM and Bedford Radio which
8103-423: The costs of materials and labour. The town bridge was replaced again, probably in 1617, but this time entirely in masonry. The bridge was clearly of great importance as it allowed river traffic to pass without hindrance (by removal of the ford), and commerce was becoming increasingly important. Other improvements in the same period included river work to improve navigability, and to make Bedford accessible. In 1670
8214-450: The development from the profit he made from selling the land on which the Love's Farm development was built. The complex was subsequently purchased as an investment by Huntingdonshire District Council for £7.6 million in 2019. St Neots has a ten pin bowling centre with 16 lanes, which was built on part of the site of the outdoor swimming pool that closed in 2003. Originally the intention for
8325-527: The different ethnic, racial, and language groups. There are four Islamic mosques in the town. There are also Buddhist and Hindu temples in the town. Bedford has the largest Sikh gurdwara in the United Kingdom outside London, alongside two other Sikh gurdwaras; one of which is in Kempston. Bedford has Guru Ravidass and Valmiki temples. There are Quaker , Jehovah's Witness and Wiccan communities who meet and have their own places of worship in
8436-692: The eastern bank of the River Great Ouse . The town is close to the A1 road (north-south), as well as the A421 and A428 roads which link Cambridge to Bedford and Milton Keynes . St Neots railway station is on the Great Northern route between London and Peterborough . St Neots had a population of 33,410 in 2021. The town is named after the ninth century monk Saint Neot , whose bones were brought to St Neots Priory from Cornwall in around 980 AD, resulting in pilgrims visiting in large numbers. Before
8547-741: The end of the Second World War the BBC 's daily service was broadcast from St Paul's. Another notable local church is St Peter's , on St Peter's Street, which contains some of the oldest architectural remains in Bedford, the most ancient being the two monoliths . St Paul's Church also hosts the town's Visitor Information Centre. Just outside the town lie the Cardington airship hangars . The hangars have been used to shoot scenes for movies such as Star Wars , Batman Begins , The Dark Knight , and Inception . The hangars can be seen from
8658-534: The formation of St Neots Poor Law Union on 24 September 1835. After some difficulty in finding a suitable site, a workhouse was built in Eaton Socon (the location is now considered to be in Eaton Ford). Its capacity was 250 persons. A separate infirmary block was ready in 1879, increasing the limited capacity of the workhouse. In the late 1920s the building ceased to operate as a workhouse, and became used as
8769-426: The founding of the priory the area had been part of the parish of Eynesbury. As the town around the priory grew it became a separate parish of St Neots in the twelfth century. The two were administratively reunited in 1876 when Eynesbury was absorbed into St Neots. Remains of Iron Age settlement have been found in the town centre; a Roman encampment was located in the town. It became known as Eynesbury, after Ernulf,
8880-506: The land as it was vacated. The last remaining building from the Army activity was removed in 1983. Eaton Ford is within the area of St Neots Town Council; there is an Eaton Ford ward. Huntingdonshire District Council is the next tier, with offices in Huntingdon. It collects all council tax and administers/provides building regulations, planning and environmental checks/approvals, day centres, assessed housing benefits, parks, waste collections,
8991-511: The largest and grandest medieval churches in modern Cambridgeshire. In the 19th century, it was provided with a high quality set of stained glass windows depicting the life of Jesus Christ. It is considered to be a very fine building, and has been called the Cathedral of Huntingdonshire. Writing originally in 1958 before the enlargement of the town and the reconstruction of the bridge, John Betjeman said: The good small market community has
9102-715: The largest settlement in the wider Borough of Bedford . The borough council is led by a directly elected mayor who holds the title 'Mayor of Bedford', an office which was first held by Frank Branston , until his death in 2009. The current mayor of Bedford is Tom Wootton from the Conservative Party . The Bedford built-up area is divided into 10 wards for elections to the Borough Council: Brickhill , Castle , Cauldwell , De Parys , Goldington , Harpur , Kingsbrook , Newnham , Putnoe , Queens Park , Kempston East and Kempston West . Within
9213-480: The length of Mill Hill Road. Intensely heightened political tension with Germany led to a period of rearmament, and a basic training camp for recruits was established. On the outbreak of World War II the camp was converted to be a base for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers . A searchlight and anti-aircraft gun emplacement were located within the camp, at the boundary at Great North Road. After
9324-706: The mound up to the top, which is a flat circular grassy area. A small wooden structure of the same date at the top of the wall, much like a bus shelter, protects tourists from the rain while they view the river embankment. There are two stations in Bedford. The main Bedford railway station is on the Midland Main Line , providing inter-city services to London St Pancras and the East Midlands, operated by East Midlands Railway . Stopping services, operated by Thameslink , run through London to Gatwick Airport and Brighton . Bedford's other lesser used station
9435-441: The name Eaton Ford came to be used. Young speculates that it was a little to the north of the present-day bridge, because of the angle of approach of Crosshall Road, which nowadays lurches southwards as it approaches the river. In Anglo-Saxon times there was a small settlement named Sudbury ("southern fort"). It was probably at the junction of the present-day Crosshall Road and the traditional Great North Road. In 1086, according to
9546-410: The nearest weather station to Bedford was Cardington about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) south south east of the town centre with an elevation of 30 metres (98 ft). This location recorded a minimum of −18.3 °C (−0.9 °F) during January 1963. Rainfall averages around 585 mm (23.0 in) a year, with an excess of 1 mm (0.04 in) falling on 109 days. Sunshine at around 1,500 hours
9657-400: The night of 9 July resting in the town. In the small hours of 10 July Parliamentary troops attacked, taking them by surprise, and the battle centred on the market square area. Many Royalists were killed or taken prisoner. In the 18th and 19th centuries the town enjoyed prosperity through corn milling and brewing, and from stagecoach traffic and from 1850 its railway connection. Eaton Socon
9768-534: The northern part came to be known as Eaton Ford. There were other places where the Great Ouse could be forded, but this seems to have been the principal crossing place. The name Eaton Ford was understood casually, but only took formal significance in 1963, when it was separated from Eaton Socon. About 972 AD an Anglo-Saxon landowner named Leofric and his wife Leoflaed founded a small monastery in Eynesbury (at that time known as Ernulph's Bury, and including part of
9879-506: The object of pilgrimages. Leofric arranged to abstract Neot's bones, depositing them in his Priory. This had the desired effect and the Priory became a major centre of attention for pilgrims. Over time, the Priory and the locality where it was situated, became known as St Neots. The combination of visits of pilgrims and visitors to the market made the Ford at Eaton of great importance, and slowly
9990-674: The picturesque but fragile structure was demolished and work began on the present more practical bridge. In the early years of the nineteenth century, the provision of relief for the destitute was uncoordinated and unsatisfactory. It was the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 which gave local government the task of making coordinated arrangements, and this swiftly led to the formation of Poor Law Unions, in which parishes would collaborate in providing workhouses. The destitute would be given indoor shelter and food, and would be allocated work they were considered capable of. This resulted in
10101-422: The population in the last few years: to the east of the local train station are the developments of Love's Farm, with more than 1,000 houses being built in the late 2010s and early 2020s. There is more to Love's Farm, as the second phase, to the south of phase 1, is Wintringham , planned to be a vibrant community with 2,000 homes, and there is a selection of two primary schools: Wintringham Primary Academy and
10212-521: The present day St Neots). The settlement was established at the junction of Huntingdon Street and Cambridge Street. The Priory had the potential to generate considerable income from the visits and donations of pilgrims, but to attract pilgrims they needed relics. Leofric decided to obtain the remains of Saint Neot, a much-revered Saxon monk who had spent much of his life in Cornwall and who had died in about 875 AD. His remains were kept there and had become
10323-609: The recipient of significant immigration from India (8.1% of Bedford's population; Indians began arriving from the late 1950s onwards from the Punjab area & many worked at the London Brick Company), Eastern Europe (particularly in the 2000s) and Scandinavia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, Malta, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Albania, Turkey, The Middle East, East Asia, South East Asia, Africa (3% of Bedford's population
10434-417: The remainder of the site was to build a new outdoor pool, but these plans were not realised. Discussions are ongoing about the creation of a splash park on the remaining part of the site There are two golf courses: St Neots Golf Club and Wyboston Lakes. St Neots parish church is dedicated to St Mary. The late 12th-century parish church was almost completely rebuilt in the 15th century, making it one of
10545-558: The route into St Neots from Wyboston, and the section north of the roundabout carried local traffic only. When St Neots by-pass opened, the A45 traffic used the A1 to the Wyboston roundabout and then the by-pass, so that the whole Eaton Ford road network was now of local significance only. From 1937 or 1938 there was an army depot alongside Mill Hill Road, on the south side. It extended over most of
10656-425: The site of the present farmhouse to the north-east of Cross Hall crossroads. The word "Hall" is usually associated with manor houses and it would be logical for a manor house situated at a crossroads to be called "Cross Hall". Traces of the strips that once composed the arable fields of Sudbury can still be seen as ridge-and-furrow waves on St Neots Golf Course. The disappearance of Sudbury village may have been due to
10767-515: The south, the A1 road to the west, and the River Kym in the north. The small marshy island in the Great Ouse at the confluence of the Kym is included. Eaton Ford is approximately 81 km (50 mi) north of London. Historically Eaton Ford was in Bedfordshire ; it was transferred to Cambridgeshire in 1974. Eaton Ford is a distinct area of St Neots, lying to the west of the River Great Ouse. It
10878-419: The spur of St Neots Road leading from the roundabout to the river bridge, Crosshall Road, and Mill Hill Road. The Great North Road was a busy and important route, but it was a single carriageway. Crosshall Road was part of the A45 trunk road, leading from Kimbolton to St Neots town centre and on to Cambridge. When the present A1 road was built, forming a by-pass on the western side, the Great North Road served as
10989-469: The surrounding agricultural region from the early Middle Ages . The Anglo-Saxon King Offa of Mercia was buried in the town in 796; this is believed to be in his new minster, now the Church of St Paul, or on the banks of the Great Ouse where his tomb was soon lost to the river. In 886 it became a boundary town separating Wessex and Danelaw . It was the seat of the Barony of Bedford . In 919 Edward
11100-589: The town. There is no longer a synagogue in Bedford, but Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue, based in Luton , meets in Bedford once a month for the town's Jewish community. The nearest Orthodox synagogue is the Luton United Synagogue, a Lubavitch synagogue in Luton. Bedford is the former headquarters of the Panacea Society , founded in 1919, who believed that the town would have an important role in
11211-418: The war some families continued in residence on the site until 1959, when the site was sold out of army usage. The Eastern Electricity Board purchased it and from 1960 used it as a works depot and training facility. The EEB planned to develop the site further, but the local authority planning strategy prevented that. The EEB later ran their activity down, and withdrew completely by 1977. Housebuilding took place on
11322-472: The west side of the River Great Ouse. A village was formed near the water's edge, probably opposite the Coneygeare, and this was called Ea-tun, meaning waterside-village. Another, smaller settlement a little further north was called Forda, and later simply Ford. A further small settlement was on the hilltop near the present Duloe windmill, and was then called Sudbury, meaning the southern fort. At that time
11433-644: The west, and the A1 to the east (near St Neots ) via a bypass, with both being around 10 miles (16 km) away. Other roads that serve or skirt the town include the A422 , which runs westwards into Milton Keynes (also connecting to the M1 at Junction 14 via the A509 ), and the A428 , which runs between Coventry and Cambridge . The new Greyfriars surface car park and the refurbished Allhallows multi-storey car park both implement
11544-506: The whole borough in a coordinated way. At the time, only the Wootton cluster of schools chose not to transition. As of September 2018, all of the borough's schools have converted to two-tier. The secondary schools currently operating in the borough are Bedford Academy , Bedford Free School , Biddenham International School , Castle Newnham School , Goldington Academy , Mark Rutherford School and St Thomas More Catholic School . Bedford
11655-505: Was governed by its vestry , in the same way as most rural areas, until 1819 when the more built-up part of the parish was given improvement commissioners . In 1876 the commissioners' district was reconstituted as a local government district run by an elected local board. The district was enlarged at the same time to also include part of the neighbouring parish of Eynesbury, including the old village itself. Such local government districts were in turn reconstituted as urban districts under
11766-486: Was largely confined to ribbon development along St Neots Road and Mill Hill Road. The new housing infilled practically the whole of Eaton Ford, leaving only the Riverside Park and the golf course undeveloped. The Crosshall Infant and Junior Schools were opened in 1974 to respond to population growth. The Eaton Oak is a hotel and restaurant near Crosshall crossroads; it is a listed building. In common with Eaton Socon, Eaton Ford had historically been part of Bedfordshire. In
11877-529: Was made navigable from St Ives to Bedford, via St Neots, in 1629, increasing river-borne trade in the town. The Second English Civil War began in April 1648. The Parliamentarians under Oliver Cromwell were in control, but King Charles I planned to overthrow them by force of arms. An attempt to seize London by his supporters, the Royalists, failed. A group of them retreated to St Neots and planned to spend
11988-613: Was on the Great North Road and had inns used as a staging post and overnight stop for stagecoaches travelling between London and York ; some of the routes ran via St Neots instead of Eaton Socon, and intersected with traffic on the east–west route from the Eastern Counties and the Midlands. Between 1851 and 1885 George Bower's Vulcan Iron Foundry was a major employer, supplying equipment for gasworks throughout
12099-481: Was part of Huntingdon constituency . St Neots experienced considerable growth in the 1960s and later, when much new housing was built to accommodate families from London, as part of the London overspill plan. Further housebuilding followed and in 2010, the Loves Farm development was built, with 1,400 houses to the east of the railway line; further construction is continuing further east in 2020–2023, followed by
12210-552: Was razed in 1224 and today only a mound remains. From the 16th century Bedford and much of Bedfordshire became one of the main centres of England's lace industry, and lace continued to be an important industry in Bedford until the early 20th century. In 1660 John Bunyan was imprisoned for 12 years in Bedford Gaol . It was here that he wrote The Pilgrim's Progress . The River Great Ouse became navigable as far as Bedford in 1689. Wool declined in importance with brewing becoming
12321-404: Was successful, and the priory became rich and famous, and the area became known as St Neots. St Neots subsequently became a separate parish from Eynesbury sometime between 1113 and 1204, with the boundary between them being a stream called Hen Brook. About this time, the settlement to the west of the River Ouse was known as Ea-tun, meaning "waterside village". In Norman times, a sub-division of
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