Hundred of Willey
Encyclopedia
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...
. Its northwestern boundary is the county border with Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and its southwestern boundary the border 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....
. Some of its parishes and settlements lay 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...
which flows through the hundred.
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...
of 1086 and included the Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es:- Carlton
Carlton, Bedfordshire
Carlton is a village in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, part of the Carlton with Chellington parish with the adjacent village of Chellington. The River Great Ouse runs just to the north of the village. Nearby places are Harrold, Pavenham, Turvey, Lavendon and Little Odell.Carlton...
, Chellington
Chellington
Chellington is a hamlet in the English county of Bedfordshire.Chellington was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey. In 1934 the separate parishes of Chellington and Carlton merged to become one parish named Carlton with Chellington...
, Farndish
Farndish
Farndish is a very small and rural village in northwest Bedfordshire, located about 500 metres east of the county border with Northamptonshire which is also the postal county. The village is near the Northamptonshire villages of Irchester and Wollaston and the Bedfordshire village of Wymington...
, Felmersham
Felmersham
Felmersham is a village and civil parish in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, on the River Great Ouse, about north west of Bedford. As a civil parish, it includes the hamlet of Radwell, and is sometimes known as Felmersham and Radwell, and has a population of about 800, and is...
with Radwell
Radwell, Bedfordshire
Radwell is a hamlet in the Hundred of Willey in North Bedfordshire, England, on the River Great Ouse, about north west of Bedford.Administratively, it is often included with the neighbouring village of Felmersham, and the Civil Parish is sometimes known as Felmersham and Radwell.The hamlet has no...
, Harrold
Harrold, Bedfordshire
Harrold is a civil parish and electoral ward in the Borough of Bedford within Bedfordshire, England, around nine miles north-west of Bedford. The village is on the north bank of the River Great Ouse, and is the site of an ancient bridge, linking the village with Carlton with Chellington on the...
, Odell
Odell, Bedfordshire
Odell is a village and civil parish in the north of the county of Bedfordshire in England that lies to the north-west of the county town of Bedford, near the villages of Harrold, Felmersham, Sharnbrook, and Carlton.-Roman and Saxon period:...
, Podington
Podington
Podington is a village and civil parish in northwest Bedfordshire in England, United Kingdom. The village is within the electoral ward of Harrold in the Borough of Bedford. Podington lies around northwest of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire...
with Hinwick
Hinwick
Hinwick is a hamlet in northwest Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom; it is around nine miles north west of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire which is also the postal county. The hamlet is in the parish of Podington, which is sometimes called "Podington and...
, Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey but was probably first developed in Saxon times. The oldest surviving building, St Peter's Church, is...
, Thurleigh
Thurleigh
Thurleigh is a village and civil parish in north Bedfordshire, England, about 6 miles north of Bedford. It is home to the Bedford Autodrome which also houses Thurleigh Museum, the Monster Events site which serves the community with Monster Truck, Four-wheel drive & Quad Bike events, and the...
, Turvey, and Wymington
Wymington
Wymington is a village and civil parish in the Bedfordshire district of Bedford in England. It is in the north of Bedfordshire, near the county border with Northamptonshire, and the nearest town is Rushden in Northants, which it borders to the north...
.
Later the hundred also included the parishes:- Biddenham
Biddenham
Biddenham is a large village and a civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, located to the west of Bedford near the A428 road.The village largely serves as a dormitory settlement for Bedford, and also for commuters to London, being on the same side of the town centre as Bedford railway station...
, Bletsoe
Bletsoe
Bletsoe is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is on the A6, and about eight miles north of Bedford. The village has a small park, the former site of Bletsoe Castle and a church. Nearby places are Sharnbrook, Milton Ernest, Riseley, Thurleigh, Odell, Souldrop, and Swineshead...
, Bromham
Bromham, Bedfordshire
Bromham is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, west of the town of Bedford. It is within commuting distance to London via Bedford railway station.-Notable features:...
, Pavenham
Pavenham
Pavenham is a small village and civil parish on the River Great Ouse in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, about north-west of Bedford. Village amenities consist of a pub, Village hall, tennis Club, and golf club...
, Souldrop, Stagsden
Stagsden
Stagsden is a small but historic village and civil parish located in northwest Bedfordshire, near the Buckinghamshire border. Situated on the main route between nearby Bedford and Milton Keynes, the village was bypassed by the A422 in April 1992, to allow the increasing amount of traffic to avoid...
, and Stevington
Stevington
Stevington is a village in the Borough of Bedford in the northern part of Bedfordshire, England, and forms the civil parish of Stevington. It is on the River Ouse four to five miles north west of Bedford. Nearby villages include Bromham, Oakley, Pavenham and Turvey...
. In 1934 the parishes of Carlton
Carlton, Bedfordshire
Carlton is a village in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, part of the Carlton with Chellington parish with the adjacent village of Chellington. The River Great Ouse runs just to the north of the village. Nearby places are Harrold, Pavenham, Turvey, Lavendon and Little Odell.Carlton...
and Chellington
Chellington
Chellington is a hamlet in the English county of Bedfordshire.Chellington was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey. In 1934 the separate parishes of Chellington and Carlton merged to become one parish named Carlton with Chellington...
merged to become one parish, Carlton with Chellington
Carlton with Chellington
Carlton with Chellington is a civil parish in the historical Hundred of Willey in Bedfordshire, England, and is within the Borough of Bedford. The parish is situated on the South bank of the River Great Ouse, from Harrold, and includes the villages of Carlton and Chellington.The two parishes of...
. Farndish
Farndish
Farndish is a very small and rural village in northwest Bedfordshire, located about 500 metres east of the county border with Northamptonshire which is also the postal county. The village is near the Northamptonshire villages of Irchester and Wollaston and the Bedfordshire village of Wymington...
also ceased to be its own parish and was absorbed into the Podington
Podington
Podington is a village and civil parish in northwest Bedfordshire in England, United Kingdom. The village is within the electoral ward of Harrold in the Borough of Bedford. Podington lies around northwest of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire...
with Hinwick parish.
What was later the northeast corner or the Hundred of Willey was previously the Half Hundred of Bucklow, it had long been associated with the Hundred of Willey and became absorbed into it in 1831, causing it to gain some of the extra parishes. In the 13th century the two were royal hundreds recorded as The bailiwick of Wilie and half bailiwick of Bukkelowe. A man named Hugh de Willey was recorded as The keeper of the bailiwick of Wilie and half bailiwick of Bukkelowe, at his death in 1278 his son Roger succeeded him; making the title appear hereditary.
Although there are many small settlements the majority of land in the hundred remains rural and is still used for farming. There is a railway line running close to the northeast border, however some stations on this line are now closed such as Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook railway station
Sharnbrook railway station was opened in 1857 by the Midland Railway to serve the village of Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire, England. It was on the Midland's extension from Leicester to Bedford and Hitchin....
closed in 1960. Today the area of the Hundred of Willey is within the Borough of Bedford.
Parishes
The hundred contained the following parishes:Biddenham
Biddenham
Biddenham is a large village and a civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, located to the west of Bedford near the A428 road.The village largely serves as a dormitory settlement for Bedford, and also for commuters to London, being on the same side of the town centre as Bedford railway station...
, Bletsoe
Bletsoe
Bletsoe is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is on the A6, and about eight miles north of Bedford. The village has a small park, the former site of Bletsoe Castle and a church. Nearby places are Sharnbrook, Milton Ernest, Riseley, Thurleigh, Odell, Souldrop, and Swineshead...
, Bromham
Bromham, Bedfordshire
Bromham is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, west of the town of Bedford. It is within commuting distance to London via Bedford railway station.-Notable features:...
, Carlton
Carlton, Bedfordshire
Carlton is a village in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, part of the Carlton with Chellington parish with the adjacent village of Chellington. The River Great Ouse runs just to the north of the village. Nearby places are Harrold, Pavenham, Turvey, Lavendon and Little Odell.Carlton...
, Chellington
Chellington
Chellington is a hamlet in the English county of Bedfordshire.Chellington was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey. In 1934 the separate parishes of Chellington and Carlton merged to become one parish named Carlton with Chellington...
, Farndish
Farndish
Farndish is a very small and rural village in northwest Bedfordshire, located about 500 metres east of the county border with Northamptonshire which is also the postal county. The village is near the Northamptonshire villages of Irchester and Wollaston and the Bedfordshire village of Wymington...
, Felmersham
Felmersham
Felmersham is a village and civil parish in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, on the River Great Ouse, about north west of Bedford. As a civil parish, it includes the hamlet of Radwell, and is sometimes known as Felmersham and Radwell, and has a population of about 800, and is...
, Harrold
Harrold, Bedfordshire
Harrold is a civil parish and electoral ward in the Borough of Bedford within Bedfordshire, England, around nine miles north-west of Bedford. The village is on the north bank of the River Great Ouse, and is the site of an ancient bridge, linking the village with Carlton with Chellington on the...
, Odell
Odell, Bedfordshire
Odell is a village and civil parish in the north of the county of Bedfordshire in England that lies to the north-west of the county town of Bedford, near the villages of Harrold, Felmersham, Sharnbrook, and Carlton.-Roman and Saxon period:...
, Pavenham
Pavenham
Pavenham is a small village and civil parish on the River Great Ouse in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, about north-west of Bedford. Village amenities consist of a pub, Village hall, tennis Club, and golf club...
, Podington
Podington
Podington is a village and civil parish in northwest Bedfordshire in England, United Kingdom. The village is within the electoral ward of Harrold in the Borough of Bedford. Podington lies around northwest of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire...
, Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey but was probably first developed in Saxon times. The oldest surviving building, St Peter's Church, is...
, Souldrop, Stagsden
Stagsden
Stagsden is a small but historic village and civil parish located in northwest Bedfordshire, near the Buckinghamshire border. Situated on the main route between nearby Bedford and Milton Keynes, the village was bypassed by the A422 in April 1992, to allow the increasing amount of traffic to avoid...
, Stevington
Stevington
Stevington is a village in the Borough of Bedford in the northern part of Bedfordshire, England, and forms the civil parish of Stevington. It is on the River Ouse four to five miles north west of Bedford. Nearby villages include Bromham, Oakley, Pavenham and Turvey...
, Thurleigh
Thurleigh
Thurleigh is a village and civil parish in north Bedfordshire, England, about 6 miles north of Bedford. It is home to the Bedford Autodrome which also houses Thurleigh Museum, the Monster Events site which serves the community with Monster Truck, Four-wheel drive & Quad Bike events, and the...
, Turvey