Harrowden | |
---|---|
The Gate public house in 2008 (Now closed and is a house) | |
Location within Bedfordshire | |
Area | 0.093 km2 (0.036 sq mi) |
Population | 32 |
• Density | 344/km2 (890/sq mi) |
OS grid reference | TL068894 |
Civil parish | |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | BEDFORD |
Postcode district | MK42 |
Dialling code | 01234 |
Police | Bedfordshire |
Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
Ambulance | East of England |
UK Parliament | |
Harrowden is a one-street hamlet in the civil parish of Shortstown, Bedfordshire, England.
Harrowden has only 18 houses and 32 people on the electoral roll. Elstow Brook runs through it. There is just one road - Old Harrowden Lane - which leads to a footpath known as Bumpy Lane, from where you can access the birthplace of John Bunyan, now simply marked by a stone. [1]
The street runs from east to west parallel and to the south of the A421 Bedford Southern Bypass, and 200 metres to the north of the village of Shortstown. There is a path at the west side of Harrowden named Bumpy Lane that leads to Abbey Fields. Like Shortstown, Harrowden is in the Eastcotts parish, of the Borough of Bedford.
Harrowden is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086, though by the 13th century the area became known as Eastcotes or Cotes. The name derives from the Old English name for a cottage - 'cotum'.
Prior to the creation of Shortstown civil parish in 2019, [2] Harrowden was within Eastcotts civil parish. From 2023 Harrowden forms part of the Shortstown ward for elections to Bedford Borough Council. [3]
John Bunyan was an English writer and Puritan preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress, which also became an influential literary model. In addition to The Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan wrote nearly sixty titles, many of them expanded sermons.
Kempston is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, situated around 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west of Bedford town centre. It had a population of 19,330 in the 2011 census, and forms part of the wider Bedford built-up area. The River Great Ouse separates it from the Queen's Park area of Bedford.
Gamlingay is a village and civil parish in the South Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire, England about 14 miles (23 km) west southwest of Cambridge.
Little Barford is a hamlet and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of the county town of Bedford.
Bedford, or the Borough of Bedford, is a local government district with borough status in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The council is based in Bedford, the borough's namesake and principal settlement, which is the county town of Bedfordshire.
Cardington is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England.
North East Bedfordshire was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2024.
Bedford Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Bedford, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. The town of Bedford was a borough from at least the 12th century until 1974, when the modern district was created. It covers a largely rural surrounding area as well as the town itself. The modern council was initially called Bedford District Council from 1974 to 1975, then North Bedfordshire Borough Council from 1975 until 1992, when the current name was adopted. Until 2009 it was a lower-tier district council, with county-level services provided by Bedfordshire County Council. The county council was abolished in 2009, since when Bedford Borough Council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.
Kempston Rural is a civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England.
Wymington is a small village and civil parish in the borough of Bedford in northwestern Bedfordshire, England. It is located about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) south of Rushden, in the neighbouring county of Northamptonshire, and about 10 miles (16 km) north-northwest of Bedford. As of 2021, the parish of Wymington had a population of 1000. The village is home to a 14th century parish church, a Wesleyan chapel, a school, and a pub. Wymington is home to numerous listed buildings, including the Grade 1 listed parish church. The village dates from at least 1086, when it was registered in the Domesday Book, though evidence has been discovered of paleolithic, Roman, and Saxon settlement in the area.
Colmworth is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in the county of Bedfordshire, England about 6.5 miles (10 km) north-east of Bedford.
North Bedfordshire is a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.
Eastcotts is an electoral ward within the Borough of Bedford, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was formerly also a civil parish until its abolition on 1 April 2019, when Cotton End and Shortstown parishes were established.
Elstow is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Bedford town centre.
Renhold is a village and civil parish located on the River Ouse, in the Borough of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The parish church is situated some 4 miles (6.5 km) east-north-east of Bedford town centre. The former Bedfordshire County Council estimated the population of Renhold to be 1,800 in 2005, and forecast an increase to 2,320 by 2010.
Shortstown is a village and civil parish on the outskirts of Bedford, on a ridge above the River Great Ouse, originally called Tinkers Hill. The ridge overlooks Harrowden to the north and Cotton End to the south. The village name is taken from Short Brothers. The Admiralty established an airship works for the company in 1916. The company pulled out of airship work just three years later, but the name Shortstown stuck.
Kingsbrook is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.
Cotton End is a small village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It became a parish as of 1 April 2019, having previously been part of the parish of Eastcotts. It is within the Borough of Bedford. Ordnance Survey maps from the 1880s show its name as 'Cardington Cotton End'.
Herrings Green is a hamlet in the civil parish of Cotton End, 4 miles (6.4 km) south-east of Bedford in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. The settlement is close to Cotton End and Wilstead. Until 2019 Herrings Green formed part of Eastcotts civil parish.