Great Barford
Encyclopedia
Great Barford is a village
and civil parish in Bedfordshire
, England
, a few miles north-east of Bedford
. It lies on the River Great Ouse
at . It is twinned
with Wöllstein
, Germany
. The village is bypassed by the busy A421 road
on the way between Bedford
and St Neots
in Cambridgeshire
, the bypass
opening on 24 August 2006.
The village is known for its All Saints Church, with a 15th-century tower
, and its similarly ancient bridge
. The surroundings and historic buildings make it a favoured destination for angling
and picnic
s. Nearby places include Renhold
and Blunham
.
Great Barford was mentioned in the Domesday Book
as an important site, probably as a means of crossing the river
that skirts the village. Although the area of the original ford
was dug up in 1973, the bridge
has existed since at least the 15th century.
The village itself is large and scattered but the majority of the houses are in the south-east of the parish. Throughout the village there are a large variety of houses some dating to the 17th century.
The village was once home to Great Barford Castle
, a Norman
motte and bailey castle, which stood to the north of the village, but a priory
has since been built on its location.
A very early reference to Barford may perhaps be found in a charter by which Offa, King of Mercia, in 792 confirmed various lands to the monastery of St. Albans. The charter purports to have been granted in the place which is called 'Æt beranforda.' The text of the charter is certainly spurious, but the witnesses and dating clause may well have been taken from a genuine instrument. Even so, however, the identification with the present Barford cannot be considered certain.
and is home to a lower (Great Barford Lower School) and middle school (Alban Church of England Academy
).
For the Upper School, student
s of Great Barford are in the catchment area of the Specialist Sports designated, Sandy Upper School
in the nearby market town
of Sandy
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in 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....
, England
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...
, a few miles north-east of 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...
. It lies on the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
at . It is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Wöllstein
Wöllstein
Wöllstein is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The village is bypassed by the busy A421 road
A421 road
The A421 is an important road for east/west journeys across England. Together with the A428, the A43 and A34, it forms the route from Cambridge through Milton Keynes to Oxford...
on the way between 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...
and 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...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, the bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
opening on 24 August 2006.
The village is known for its All Saints Church, with a 15th-century tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
, and its similarly ancient bridge
Great Barford Bridge
The early fifteenth century Great Barford Bridge, sometimes called simply Barford Bridge, spans the River Great Ouse at Great Barford, Bedfordshire. It is an arch bridge with seventeen arches, originally built from limestone and sandstone...
. The surroundings and historic buildings make it a favoured destination for angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
and picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
s. Nearby places include Renhold
Renhold
Renhold is a village and civil parish located on the river Ouse, in the hundred of Barford, in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It is just to the north of Bedford...
and Blunham
Blunham
Blunham is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England, about eight miles east of Bedford. The village is just off the A1 road, near Great Barford and Sandy, and is near the confluence of the River Ivel with the River Great Ouse...
.
History
Domesday 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...
as an important site, probably as a means of crossing the river
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
that skirts the village. Although the area of the original ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
was dug up in 1973, the bridge
Great Barford Bridge
The early fifteenth century Great Barford Bridge, sometimes called simply Barford Bridge, spans the River Great Ouse at Great Barford, Bedfordshire. It is an arch bridge with seventeen arches, originally built from limestone and sandstone...
has existed since at least the 15th century.
The village itself is large and scattered but the majority of the houses are in the south-east of the parish. Throughout the village there are a large variety of houses some dating to the 17th century.
The village was once home to Great Barford Castle
Great Barford Castle
Great Barford Castle, later known as "Creakers Manor", was a Norman castle located in the village of Great Barford, in the county of Bedfordshire, England ....
, a Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
motte and bailey castle, which stood to the north of the village, but a priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
has since been built on its location.
A very early reference to Barford may perhaps be found in a charter by which Offa, King of Mercia, in 792 confirmed various lands to the monastery of St. Albans. The charter purports to have been granted in the place which is called 'Æt beranforda.' The text of the charter is certainly spurious, but the witnesses and dating clause may well have been taken from a genuine instrument. Even so, however, the identification with the present Barford cannot be considered certain.
Education
As part of Bedfordshire, Great Barford shares a three-tier schooling systemThree-tier education
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....
and is home to a lower (Great Barford Lower School) and middle school (Alban Church of England Academy
Alban Church of England Academy
Alban Church of England Academy is an academy located in Great Barford, Bedfordshire.Pupils first began attending Alban Middle School in the September 1976 after Bedfordshire County Council decided to implement the three-tier education system of lower, middle and upper schools across the county...
).
For the Upper School, student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s of Great Barford are in the catchment area of the Specialist Sports designated, Sandy Upper School
Sandy Upper School
Sandy Upper School and Community Sports College is an upper school located in Sandy, Bedfordshire, England.The school educates 13 - 16 year olds, mainly from the town of Sandy and some surrounding villages. In addition, the school offers further education for 16 - 18 year olds through its Sixth...
in the nearby market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Sandy
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy is a small market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to...
.