Gazetteer of Bedfordshire Towns & Villages
- Map of Towns and Villages in Bedfordshire
- Map of ALL Towns and Villages in England
- Map of all attractions in Bedfordshire
Eaton Bray lies at the edge of the Dunstable Downs. Once a royal manor, the village owes the 'Bray' part of its name to Reginald Bray, a supporter of Henry VII, who owned the manor and rebuilt the earlier Norman church here.
Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire, England
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Elstow is a small village just outside Bedford. The village is best known for its links with poet John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan was born in Elstow in 1628 and was christened in the Abbey Church here. The poet's parents and his sister are buried in the church graveyard.
Elstow, Bedfordshire, England
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Heritage Highlight: Medieval Moot Hall and a wonderful abbey church.
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Flitwick Moor was inhabited as early as 4000 BC, but the real beginnings of significant habitation here came when the Romans built a road here to link the major routes of Watling Street and Ermine Street. The course of that Roman road loosely follows the current Windmill Road.
Flitwick, Bedfordshire, England
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Harlington is a small village in rural Bedfordshire 10 miles south of Bedford. The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and there is an Iron Age hillfort on a nearby hill. There is also a nearby Roman cemetery. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Harlington, Bedfordshire, England
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The village of Henlow serves nearby Biggleswade as a residential centre for married RAF servicemen. Apart from this Royal Air Force link, the town has several attractive older buildings, notably Henlow Grange, set in almost 30 acres of parkland on the River Ivel.
Henlow, Bedfordshire, England
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Kempston was settled at least as early as the Saxon period. A 6th-century burial was excavated here and revealed the earliest Saxon wool embroidery to be discovered in Britain. The Kempston estate was owned by King Harold's brother Gyrth at the time of the Norman Conquest. After the Norman victory, William the Conqueror gave the manor at Kempston to his niece, Judith de Balliol.
Kempston, Bedfordshire, England
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Home of the Leighton Buzzard Railway, one of the most popular narrow-gauge railways in the country, the traditional market town of Leighton Buzzard is also notable for its 13th-century parish church of All Saints and is traversed by the Grand Union Canal. A footpath leads along the canal, once the busiest waterway in the country.
Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England
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Lidlington is a small village overlooking the Vale of Marston. Local
speculation is that the Greensand Ridge at Lidlington was the model for
the "Delectable Mountains" in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The
steep slope at the edge of the village may also be Bunyan's "Hill of
Difficulty".
Lidlington, Bedfordshire, England
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Luton is one of the largest urban areas in Bedfordshire, yet has a history of doing well in the annual 'Britain in Bloom' competitions. Human settlement at Luton goes back to prehistoric times, and the Romans and Saxons established their own settlements here. The parish church of St Mary's dates to the 10th century, though the current building is largely 12th century. The Stockwood Craft Museum showcases the rural heritage of Bedfordshire, and the Luton Museum and Art Gallery tells the story of Luton's heritage as a centre for hat-making.
Luton, Bedfordshire, England
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Meppershall dates at least the time of the Domesday Book. The manor house was built shortly after, but the current manor dates to the early 17th century. There is one thatched cottage remaining in the village, dating to around 1690.
Meppershall, Bedfordshire, England
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