Kingsbrook
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kingsbrook | |
| Population | 9,134 [1] |
|---|---|
| District | Bedford |
| Shire county | Bedfordshire |
| Region | East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BEDFORD |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| European Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Bedford |
| List of places: UK • England • Bedfordshire | |
Kingsbrook is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.
The boundaries of Kingsbrook are (roughly) the River Great Ouse and Priory Country Park to the north, Cambridge Road and the A421 to the south and east, with London Road and Cauldwell to the west.
The Fenlake and Silver Jubilee neighbourhoods are both part of the Kingsbrook ward, as is the Priory Business Park.
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[edit] History of Kingsbrook
There is evidence of a late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age settlement and ritual site, located next to the Bunyan Centre in Kingsbrook. Excavations in 1995 uncovered three skeletons, one of which was accompanied by a complete Beaker pot [2].
There was some settlement in the northern part of Kingsbrook (by the river) in the 19th Century. However the area was not properly developed until the 20th Century. Dame Alice Harpur School located to Kingsbrook in 1938. [3]
The final part of southern Kingsbrook was settled in the late 1970's. The new estate was named 'Silver Jubilee' in honour of Queen Elizabeth II and her jubilee in 1977.
[edit] Politics
Cauldwell and Kingsbrook Urban Community council is the local council for Kingsbrook and the neighbouring ward of Cauldwell, with 12 seats elected every four years (6 of which are from Kingsbrook). There are currently 4 Liberal Democrat, and 2 independent councillors representing Kingsbrook on the Community Council.
Kingsbrook elects 3 councillors to Bedford Borough Council, all of which are currently Liberal Democrats. The area also elects 1 councillor to Bedfordshire County Council, that councillor is currently from the Labour Party.
[edit] Local Amenities
There are many local shops and services located on London Road, including a supermarket, petrol station, Post Office, bakery and a Gala Bingo Hall. There is a large Tesco superstore sited on Cardington Road, as is the Oasis Beach Pool, a public swimming pool.
Two of Bedford's largest hotels are located in Kingsbrook. The first is The Barns Hotel located on Cardington Road, and the second is the Bedford Park Inn situated on St Mary's Street. Kingsbrook's largest open space is Jubilee Park sited on Canvin Way. There are two Community centres in the area - The first is Scott Hall Community Centre located on Barford Avenue, and the second is the Jubilation Centre situated on Moulton Avenue.
There are two large business parks in Kingsbrook. The first is the Cambridge Road Industrial Estate which houses many companies including Fujifilm. The second is Priory Business Park on Cardington Road, which houses many other firms including the head offices of Autoglass and Chiltern Radio, Bedford's local radio station.
The Bunyan Centre is a leisure centre situated in Kingsbrook. The site has been selected as an official training site for the London 2012 Olympics. The venue is expected to attract fencers, wrestlers and judo players training for the event. [4]
[edit] Schools
There is one lower school in Kingsbrook - Stephenson Lower School located on Canvin Way. Middle school age children in the area attend Harrowden Middle School situated on Oak Road. For older students, Kingsbrook is served by John Bunyan Upper School sited on Mile Road. The school shares some sports facilities with the nearby Bunyan Centre. [5]
Dame Alice Harpur School is an independent school for girls aged 7-18, located on Cardington Road in Kingsbrook. The school is part of the Harpur Trust.
[edit] Places of worship
Christ the King Roman Catholic Church is located on Harrowden Road, The Bedford Nirankari Satsung Bhawan Hindu Temple is situated on Cardington Road.
[edit] References
- ^ Neighbourhood Statistics
- ^ Bedford Timeline: Modern - Digitised Resources - Bedfordshire's Virtual Library
- ^ http://www.localhistories.org/bedford.html 'A brief history of Bedford' by Tim Lambert
- ^ Bedfordshire to host Olympic training camps - Bedford Today
- ^ http://bedfordshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/SchoolAdmissions/SchoolCatchmentAreas.aspx 'Bedfordshire School Catchment Areas'
