Chawston
Encyclopedia
Chawston is a hamlet
in the English
county of Bedfordshire
.
Chawston is mainly situated on the Western side of the A1 trunk road, although the settlement does have a number of residential properties on the Eastern side of the A1. Chawston is some 8 miles from Bedford
in the West and some 3 miles from St Neots
due North East.
. (it is actually recorded as Chauelestorne and Calnestorne).
The Chawston the manor estate dates to 1186, though the current Chawston Manor House is a 17th Century Grade II listed building. A former M.P. for Bedfordshire, Robert Hunt, owned Chawston Manor in 1414. The manor passed to his son, Roger Hunt
, who was Speaker of the House of Commons
in 1421 and 1433. He was also was created baron of the Exchequer.
During the 1930s, much of Chawston was incorporated into the Land Settlement Association Scheme (LSA). The scheme provided unemployed miners from Kent
and North East England
smallholdings of five acres in Chawston. The new tenants of the land were required to sell any produce they grew through the LSA scheme. Approximately fifty years later, the LSA was abolished, and the properties in Chawston were sold on the open market, though some were secured by existing tenants. Many of the original LSA cottages have been extended and renovated since this time.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
.
Chawston is mainly situated on the Western side of the A1 trunk road, although the settlement does have a number of residential properties on the Eastern side of the A1. Chawston is some 8 miles from Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
in the West and some 3 miles from St Neots
St Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
due North East.
History
Chawston was first recorded as a settlement in 1086 as part of the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. (it is actually recorded as Chauelestorne and Calnestorne).
The Chawston the manor estate dates to 1186, though the current Chawston Manor House is a 17th Century Grade II listed building. A former M.P. for Bedfordshire, Robert Hunt, owned Chawston Manor in 1414. The manor passed to his son, Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt (speaker)
Roger Hunt was an English MP and Speaker of the House of Commons.He was of obscure origins, but acquired the manor of Molesworth in Huntingdonshire and acquired a circle on influential friends such as Sir John Tiptoft and John Mowbray, the future Duke of Norfolk...
, who was Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
in 1421 and 1433. He was also was created baron of the Exchequer.
During the 1930s, much of Chawston was incorporated into the Land Settlement Association Scheme (LSA). The scheme provided unemployed miners from Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
smallholdings of five acres in Chawston. The new tenants of the land were required to sell any produce they grew through the LSA scheme. Approximately fifty years later, the LSA was abolished, and the properties in Chawston were sold on the open market, though some were secured by existing tenants. Many of the original LSA cottages have been extended and renovated since this time.
Chawston today
Chawston forms part of the Wyboston, Chawston and ColesdenWyboston, Chawston and Colesden
Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden is a civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, in England.The parish includes the village of Wyboston, and the smaller settlements of Chawston and Colesden. These villages used to form part of the Roxton parish, but became independent in May...
civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
, and is mainly residential. The nearest shops and local services available to residents of Chawston are mainly located in the neighbouring village of Wyboston
Wyboston
Wyboston is a village in the English county of Bedfordshire.The eastern part of the village is dominated by the A1 Great North Road which at this point also carries the traffic of the A428 east–west road. The northern junction of these roads is grade-separated, while the southern junction is a...
.