Northill

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Map sources for Northill at grid reference TL1484

Northill is a village in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It falls under the Northill and Blunham ward in the Mid Bedfordshire local authority. As of 2001 Northill had a population of approximately 900 people. The village is also the administrative centre of the Parish of Northill, which as of 2001 had a population of 2,284. ^[1]

The village is located approximately 4 miles to the west north west of Biggleswade^[2] and is centred around a T-junction, which sees the Ickwell Road meet the Bedford Road.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Events and Amenities
4 Footnotes
5 External Sources

[edit] Geography

Topographically, Northill is situated on a slightly elevated ridge that run from north to south, and the surrounding terrain is comprised of parkland and woodland.

[edit] History

St. Mary's church in Northill, Bedfordshire.

The village was originally known as North Givell^[3], meaning the northern part of territory of the River Ivel. The core of the village's buildings date back to the 14th century.^[4] To this day many examples of thatched roofing exist around Northill.

Among the buildings stemming from the 14th century is the village's Anglican Church of St. Mary, which is built of ironstone and has been extensively restored over the subsequent centuries. The church itself contains fine examples of 17th century painted glass.

Northill was the baptismal place, and possibly the birthplace, of the famous clockmaker Thomas Tompion, who built the famous Pump Room Clock in 1709 that has since seen active service in the city of Bath.

[edit] Events and Amenities

Aside from residential homes, Northill features an Anglican church, and a public house called The Crown located next door to the church. The village features no stores or shops, and no prominent commercial entities.

The village of Northill is known locally for being the starting place of the popular Ickwell May Day celebration that sees local floats and residents travel the mile or so down the Ickwell Road to the neighbouring village of Ickwell. There the celebrations conclude on the village green. The Northill/Ickwell May Day celebration has been in operation since at least circa 1565.