Heath and Reach
Encyclopedia
Heath and Reach is a village, civil parish, and political ward near the Chiltern Hills in Bedfordshire
. It is about two miles north of Leighton Buzzard
and three miles south of Woburn
and adjoins the county boundary with Buckinghamshire
.
The parish is bounded in the south-west by the River Ouzel
, in the north-east by the A5 (Watling Street
), and includes the Kings's Wood nature reserve and the famous Stockgrove Country Park
. Heath and Reach is also home to an 18-hole golf course and a heritage narrow gauge railway. Nearby places are Leighton-Linslade
, Great Brickhill
, and the Duke of Bedford's Woburn Abbey
, Woburn Safari Park
, and Woburn Golf Club.
There was a sizeable Roman settlement at Heath and Reach. Fragments of pottery, coins and traces of buildings were found in 1971 near Overend Green Farm, by the Roman Road, Watling Street. The village was originally two small hamlets and records are found for Heath in 1220 and Reach in 1216. St Leonard's Church dates from the late 16th century.
The village lower school St Leonard's was founded by the Church of England in 1846 and used to sit on Bird's Hill until it moved to its current location on Thrift Road in 1992. The school was the first in the area to use renewable energy when it installed solar roof panels. The school's "key stage 1 results remain exceptionally above National and Local averages."
'Heath and Reach' is also included in the postal addresses of properties in nearby Old Linslade. Leighton Buzzard Golf Club
lies just to the southwest of the village.
The village's annual Pancake Race organised by the Heath and Reach Women's Institute is a major feature of village life, raising money for charity.
'Heath and Reach' is also the name of the political ward that sends a Councillor to Central Bedfordshire Council. The ward includes the villages of Heath and Reach, Hockliffe, Eggington, Stanbridge, Tilsworth, Tebworth, and Wingrave. The ward was created in May 2011 and has since been represented by Councillor Mark Versallion
.
World War I
Lieutenant Robert Strong, who was killed in action near Ypres
in 1915, was from Heath and Reach.
The first born son of Robert Strong of Gig Lane, Robert Jr was British Army bandmaster in India prior
to the war and a noted sportsman.
Lieutenant Arthur Pearson was also from Heath and Reach, a pilot of 29 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, who was awarded the Military Cross
in the Battle of the Somme for "conspicuous gallantry", shot down in flames and killed 1917 by von Richthofen
.
(2001) and The Da Vinci Code
(2006).
The world relay gold medalist and TV Presenter Kriss Akabusi
MBE lives in Heath and Reach.
The narrow gauge railway maintains the largest collection of narrow-gauge locomotives in Britain.
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....
. It is about two miles north of Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
and three miles south of Woburn
Woburn
-Canada:* Woburn, Toronto, Ontario, Canada** Woburn Collegiate Institute* Woburn, Quebec, Canada-England:* Woburn, Bedfordshire** Woburn Abbey** Woburn Safari Park* Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire* Woburn Place, London* Woburn Square, London...
and adjoins the county boundary with Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
.
The parish is bounded in the south-west by the River Ouzel
River Ouzel
The River Ouzel , also known as the River Lovat, is a river in England, and a tributary of the River Great Ouse. It rises in the Chiltern Hills and flows 20 miles north to join the Ouse at Newport Pagnell....
, in the north-east by the A5 (Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
), and includes the Kings's Wood nature reserve and the famous Stockgrove Country Park
Stockgrove Country Park
Stockgrove Country Park, £2.00 to park just been introduced' is located on the Bedfordshire/Buckinghamshire border in the village of Heath and Reach between Leighton Buzzard and Milton Keynes, England, with easy access from the A5...
. Heath and Reach is also home to an 18-hole golf course and a heritage narrow gauge railway. Nearby places are Leighton-Linslade
Leighton-Linslade
Leighton-Linslade is a civil parish in the district of Central Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire, England, with a population of 32,417 ....
, Great Brickhill
Great Brickhill
Great Brickhill is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district, Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the very north of the non-metropolitan county, just outside and overlooking, Milton Keynes.-History:...
, and the Duke of Bedford's Woburn Abbey
Woburn Abbey
Woburn Abbey , near Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the seat of the Duke of Bedford and the location of the Woburn Safari Park.- Pre-20th century :...
, Woburn Safari Park
Woburn Safari Park
Woburn Safari Park is a safari park located in Woburn, Bedfordshire in the UK. Visitors to the park can drive through the large animal exhibits, which contain species such as White Rhino, Elephants, Tigers and Black Bears...
, and Woburn Golf Club.
There was a sizeable Roman settlement at Heath and Reach. Fragments of pottery, coins and traces of buildings were found in 1971 near Overend Green Farm, by the Roman Road, Watling Street. The village was originally two small hamlets and records are found for Heath in 1220 and Reach in 1216. St Leonard's Church dates from the late 16th century.
The village lower school St Leonard's was founded by the Church of England in 1846 and used to sit on Bird's Hill until it moved to its current location on Thrift Road in 1992. The school was the first in the area to use renewable energy when it installed solar roof panels. The school's "key stage 1 results remain exceptionally above National and Local averages."
'Heath and Reach' is also included in the postal addresses of properties in nearby Old Linslade. Leighton Buzzard Golf Club
Leighton Buzzard Golf Club
Leighton Buzzard Golf Club is a golf club near Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, England, not far from Mentmore Golf and Country Club. It lies north of Leighton Buzzard, just to the southwest of the village of Heath and Reach. It was established in September 1905.In 1942, petrol restrictions...
lies just to the southwest of the village.
The village's annual Pancake Race organised by the Heath and Reach Women's Institute is a major feature of village life, raising money for charity.
'Heath and Reach' is also the name of the political ward that sends a Councillor to Central Bedfordshire Council. The ward includes the villages of Heath and Reach, Hockliffe, Eggington, Stanbridge, Tilsworth, Tebworth, and Wingrave. The ward was created in May 2011 and has since been represented by Councillor Mark Versallion
Mark Versallion
Cllr Mark Anthony Gaius Versallion is a British politician, businessman, and officer in the Royal Naval Reserve. He was Prospective Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston from 2007-09 and from 2009-11 was Chairman of the of the Conservative Party....
.
World War I
Lieutenant Robert Strong, who was killed in action near Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
in 1915, was from Heath and Reach.
The first born son of Robert Strong of Gig Lane, Robert Jr was British Army bandmaster in India prior
to the war and a noted sportsman.
Lieutenant Arthur Pearson was also from Heath and Reach, a pilot of 29 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, who was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in the Battle of the Somme for "conspicuous gallantry", shot down in flames and killed 1917 by von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
.
Trivia
The disused quarry on the outskirts of Heath and Reach has been used for film purposes, most notably The Mummy ReturnsThe Mummy Returns
The Mummy Returns is a 2001 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez and Freddie Boath. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film The Mummy...
(2001) and The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
(2006).
The world relay gold medalist and TV Presenter Kriss Akabusi
Kriss Akabusi
Kriss Kezie Uche Chukwu Duru Akabusi MBE is a former sprint and hurdling athlete from the United Kingdom. During his career, he won the gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 1990 European Championships, a gold in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1991 World Championships, and a silver medal in...
MBE lives in Heath and Reach.
The narrow gauge railway maintains the largest collection of narrow-gauge locomotives in Britain.
External links
- St Leonard's School, http://www.stleonards.beds.sch.uk.
- Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway website, http://www.buzzrail.co.uk.
- Heath and Reach Parish Council, Heath and Reach Official Website
- Heath and Reach pages at the Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records ServiceBedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records ServiceThe Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service is a county record office, holding archival material associated with Bedfordshire and Luton. Established in 1913 by George Herbert Fowler as the Bedfordshire Record Office, it was the first county record office in England. It is located in...
- Chris Valentine, Heath and Reach Website
- Kevin Quick, Leighton-Linslade Past Times including Heath and Reach