Shortstown
Encyclopedia
Shortstown is a village
on the outskirts of Bedford
, Bedfordshire
, England
.
The village was originally built by Short Brothers for its workers, but evolved into a settlement for people working at the RAF
Cardington
base.
The population of Shortstown is between 2,000 and 3,000. There is a social club, a shop and a school: Shortstown Lower School.
Shortstown started with the establishment of the Airship Works in 1917, when housing for the workforce was built next to the airfield. In 1918 and 1927, sheds (later Grade II* listed buildings) were built for the R100 and R101 airships which then represented the latest passenger flight technology.
The main Shorts Building was built next to what is now the A600 road as an hotel for air passengers, but was never completed, because of the demise of the airship as a mode of passenger transport following the loss of the R101
in October 1930. Later the building was used by RAF Cardington for teaching and administration and as an officers' mess. It was empty and unused for some years and became very dilapidated. In late summer 2010 renovation work started; scaffolding was erected and shortly thereafter an enormous photograph was erected on the outside of the building, depicting a retouched image of how the building was planned to look when the renovation is finished.
The War Department acquired the airfield from Shorts Brothers in the 1920s which marked the end of civilian airship production on the site. Air force personnel occupied the houses. Over the years, more standardised housing was built by the Ministry of Defence, which conflicted with the style of earlier development.
In the late 1930s and 1940s, RAF Cardington was an induction centre and holding station for new recruits. From the mid 1950s it was used by RAF 217 Maintenance Unit which closed in 2000. By then the military presence had dwindled substantially and the military had sold many of the houses, mainly to Bedford Borough Council, who later transferred many of them to a housing association. Other government agencies have been established on various sites. The largest of these is the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), which currently occupies land to the south east of the site.
As the military presence dwindled, the economy of Shortstown declined, leading to social problems. Until quite recently there was not much new investment in the village, and it now has limited services and support facilities: a small shop/post office, a lower school, a social club and some small play spaces. The Borough Council has sought support for regeneration from a number of sources.
The former RAF Cardington Camp occupies an area of approximately 45 hectares (112 acres) and lies directly to the east of the A600, linking Bedford with the A507 and Hitchin. The site rises from the valley floor formed by the Elstow Brook and extends to the south, up to the ridge on which Shortstown now stands.
There are plans for a significant housing development on land to the east of the A600.
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...
on the outskirts 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...
, 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...
.
The village was originally built by Short Brothers for its workers, but evolved into a settlement for people working at the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Cardington
Cardington
Cardington may refer to:*Cardington, Bedfordshire, a village and civil parish in England*Cardington, Shropshire, a village and civil parish in England*Cardington, Ohio, a village in the United States...
base.
The population of Shortstown is between 2,000 and 3,000. There is a social club, a shop and a school: Shortstown Lower School.
Shortstown started with the establishment of the Airship Works in 1917, when housing for the workforce was built next to the airfield. In 1918 and 1927, sheds (later Grade II* listed buildings) were built for the R100 and R101 airships which then represented the latest passenger flight technology.
Shorts Building and Airship Sheds
The main Shorts Building was built next to what is now the A600 road as an hotel for air passengers, but was never completed, because of the demise of the airship as a mode of passenger transport following the loss of the R101
R101
R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airship completed in 1929 as part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was designed and built by an Air Ministry-appointed team and was effectively in competition...
in October 1930. Later the building was used by RAF Cardington for teaching and administration and as an officers' mess. It was empty and unused for some years and became very dilapidated. In late summer 2010 renovation work started; scaffolding was erected and shortly thereafter an enormous photograph was erected on the outside of the building, depicting a retouched image of how the building was planned to look when the renovation is finished.
Village history
Shortstown initially grew quite quickly, with housing laid out in a Garden City style. Examples are to be found on the Crescent, North and South Drives and Central Avenue. This aimed for a green, open residential neighbourhood in a settled suburban environment with formal road geometry, grass verges, hedges and trees. The design was influenced by the arts and crafts movement, based on an 'ideal' English style cottage concept, with steeply pitched and tiled roofs, ornamental brickwork, cottage style windows, and ornate detailing. This design fitted well with the estate cottages found in many local villages, including Cardington and Elstow.The War Department acquired the airfield from Shorts Brothers in the 1920s which marked the end of civilian airship production on the site. Air force personnel occupied the houses. Over the years, more standardised housing was built by the Ministry of Defence, which conflicted with the style of earlier development.
In the late 1930s and 1940s, RAF Cardington was an induction centre and holding station for new recruits. From the mid 1950s it was used by RAF 217 Maintenance Unit which closed in 2000. By then the military presence had dwindled substantially and the military had sold many of the houses, mainly to Bedford Borough Council, who later transferred many of them to a housing association. Other government agencies have been established on various sites. The largest of these is the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), which currently occupies land to the south east of the site.
As the military presence dwindled, the economy of Shortstown declined, leading to social problems. Until quite recently there was not much new investment in the village, and it now has limited services and support facilities: a small shop/post office, a lower school, a social club and some small play spaces. The Borough Council has sought support for regeneration from a number of sources.
The former RAF Cardington Camp occupies an area of approximately 45 hectares (112 acres) and lies directly to the east of the A600, linking Bedford with the A507 and Hitchin. The site rises from the valley floor formed by the Elstow Brook and extends to the south, up to the ridge on which Shortstown now stands.
There are plans for a significant housing development on land to the east of the A600.