Hundred of Biggleswade

Biggleswade
Biggleswade
	The Hundreds of Bedfordshire in 1830
	Biggleswade Location within Bedfordshire
OS grid reference	TL195445
Unitary authority	Central Bedfordshire ;
Ceremonial county	Bedfordshire ;
Region	East ;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	Bedfordshire
Fire	Bedfordshire and Luton
Ambulance	East of England
	List of places UK England Bedfordshire 52°05′14″N0°15′55″W / 52.08733°N 0.26521°W

Last updated November 24, 2024

Biggleswade was a historic hundred of English county of Bedfordshire. The hundred consisted of the town of Biggleswade and its surrounding area.^[1] The name Biggleswade comes from a concatenation of the Anglo Saxon words 'Biceil' (being a personal name) and 'Waed' (meaning a ford).

History

Evidence suggests that the area which Biggleswade now occupies was inhabited as early as 10,000 BC. Coins dated to the 1st century BC have also been found, and traced back to the Celtic chief Taseiovanus, who resided in what is now St Albans, Hertfordshire. During the 5th century AD Saxons named the river Ivel and built settlements which evolved into the present day villages of Northill and Southill, to the west of Biggleswade.

The Domesday Survey records the manor of Biggleswade as being governed by Ralph de Insula (Ralph de Lisle), on behalf of the monarch. Later, in the 12th century, Henry I transferred custody of Biggleswade to the Bishop of Lincoln. Successive bishops maintained significant influence until the mid 16th century, when Edward VI obtained direct control over the town and its surrounding area.

In 1785 'the great fire' swept through the town of Biggleswade and destroyed many of its buildings. The subsequent rebuilding effort, along with other factors, encouraged more people to settle in the town, triggering a significant (80%) population growth during the first half of the 19th century. This culminated in 1850, when Biggleswade became the first town in Bedfordshire to gain a mainline train station.

Physical geography

The River Ivel runs along the northern and western boundaries of the town of Biggleswade. The surrounding area is generally flat and open, with the occasional small wooded area. There is some modestly higher ground to the west of the town. The hundred of Biggleswade is located to the south east of Bedford, and to the north of Letchworth. The town is the district of Central Bedfordshire and is the fifth largest town in Bedfordshire after Bedford, Dunstable, Luton and Leighton Buzzard

Social geography

Today, Biggleswade is a largely open area containing both undeveloped and farming land. The town of Biggleswade is steadily growing market town with a strong market gardening presence and a growing light industrial sector. The town is smaller than some other towns and cities in the county (particularly Bedford and Luton), but retains a valuable place in the county's history, and a quiet charm that makes it attractive to visitors. Recent statistics record Biggleswade and the surrounding area as having a population of about 16,100 people (as of 2005). Biggleswade is twinned with the German town of Erlensee.

Transport links

Biggleswade is served by the A1 road, which went right through the heart of the town until a bypass was built in the 1960s.

It is also accessible via rail lines that connect it to London King's Cross, Stevenage and Hitchin to the south and St. Neots, Huntingdon and Peterborough to the north.

Local amenities

Biggleswade Congregation, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire (Jehovah's Witnesses)
Biggleswade Hospital, Elmside Potton Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
Biggleswade Recreation Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
Biggleswade Station, Station Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire

Parishes

The hundred contained the following parishes:^[2]

Astwick, Little Barford, Biggleswade, Cockayne Hatley, Dunton, Edworth, Everton, Eyeworth, Langford, Potton, Sandy, Sutton, Tempsford, Wrestlingworth

Related Research Articles

Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Luton (225,262), and Bedford is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biggleswade</span> Market town in Bedfordshire, England

Biggleswade is a market town and civil parish in Central Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the River Ivel, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Bedford. Its population was 16,551 in the 2011 United Kingdom census, This figure increased by 36% to 22,541 at the time of the 2021 United Kingdom census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy, Bedfordshire</span> Market town and civil parish in Central Bedfordshire, England

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Potton is a town and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England, about 10 miles (16 km) east of the county town Bedford. The parish had a population in 2021 of 5,727. In 1783 the Great Fire of Potton destroyed a large part of the town. The parish church dates from the 13th century, and is dedicated to St Mary. Potton's horse fairs were some of the largest in the country.

Everton is a small rural village of about 200 dwellings and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England about 9 miles (14 km) east of the county town of Bedford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bedfordshire</span> History of Bedfordshire County in England

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Mid Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Blake Stephenson of the Conservative Party since the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North East Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

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Shefford is a town and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. At the 2021 census it had a population of 7,311. It lies 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Bedford.

Astwick is a hamlet and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England. It lies 12+1⁄2 miles (20 km) south-east of the county town of Bedford. Its population is included within Stotfold civil parish.

Langford is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England about 10 miles (16 km) south-east of the county town of Bedford. The 2011 census gives the population as 3,091.

Northill is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England about 6.5 miles (10 km) southeast of the county town of Bedford.

Dunton is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England; about 12 miles (19 km) east south-east of the county town of Bedford. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Newton and Millow.

Edworth is a hamlet and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England about 12 miles (19 km) south-east of the county town of Bedford. It sits just off the Great North Road (A1) between Baldock and Biggleswade. There are fewer than one hundred inhabitants. At the 2011 Census, Edworth's population was amalgamated with the civil parish of Dunton.

Tempsford is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England, about 7 miles (11 km) east north-east of the county town of Bedford.

Wrestlingworth is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Wrestlingworth and Cockayne Hatley, in the Central Bedfordshire district of the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England about 13 miles (21 km) east of the county town of Bedford. The 2011 census gives the population of the village proper as 591. The hamlet of Water End is to the south of the village. The population of Wrestlingworth and Cockayne Hatley civil parish in the 2011 census is shown as 744.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyeworth</span> Village in Bedfordshire, England

Eyeworth is a small, rural village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England; about 12.5 miles (20 km) east south-east of the county town of Bedford.

Sutton is a rural village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It lies 11 miles (18 km) east of Bedford. At the 2001 Census, its population was 299. Main features are the packhorse bridge over the Potton Brook, the adjacent ford, and the Grade I listed All Saints' Parish Church.

The Bedfordshire Senior Challenge Cup, also known as the Beds Senior Cup is the county cup of Bedfordshire. According to the current rules of the competition, it is open to all clubs whose affiliation is with the Bedfordshire County FA (BCFA). The current holders are Biggleswade F.C. who won the competition when it was last contested in the 2023–24 season in a 1–0 victory over A.F.C. Dunstable in the final.

References

↑ Page, William (1908). "Biggleswade hundred – Introduction | A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 2 (pp. 201–202)". british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
↑ "Bedfordshire Hundreds". Bedfordshire County Council. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011.

External links and sources

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[1] Page, William (1908). "Biggleswade hundred – Introduction | A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 2 (pp. 201–202)". british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2012.

[2] "Bedfordshire Hundreds". Bedfordshire County Council. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011.

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