Langford, Bedfordshire
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| Langford | |
  Langford shown within Bedfordshire |
|
| Population | 2,882 (2001 census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Mid Bedfordshire |
| Shire county | Bedfordshire |
| Region | East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Biggleswade |
| Postcode district | SG18 |
| Dialling code | 01462 and 01767 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| European Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | North East Bedfordshire |
| List of places: UK • England • Bedfordshire | |
Langford is a village situated alongside the River Ivel in the county of Bedfordshire.
The village is of Saxon origin, first mentioned in 944AD. and at one time it had one or more fording points across the river. The name is based on the words long ford from the length of the settlement. At the time of the Domesday Book 1086,the population was around one and twenty. The parish church is St. Andrews. Before 1066 the lord of Langford was Lewin, a thane of Edward the Confessor. William the Conqueror granted the village to Walter le Fleming. In 1142 Walter's descendent Simon de Wahull gave land to the Knights Templar, who established themselves as Lords of the Manor of Langford Rectory. From: 'The People at the Long Ford' by Michael Rutt – pub. Bedfordshire Countu Council 1975.
Langford is three miles (5 km) south of Biggleswade and has been a settlement on the east bank of the river Ivel since Saxon times. It is a long straggling village which at one time had two or three fording points over the river, hence its name. The village now starts at the Baulk corner and it is nearly three miles to the Running Waters at the north end of the village.
Local bus services run to Hitchin and Bedford Via Biggleswade. The service is currently operated by Stagecoach Group on their Mars 3 line.
On the west side of the river Ivel is part of the Ivel Valley countryside project, namely, Henlow common and Langford meadows local nature reserve. This is a 47 acre reserve and despite its name, Henlow common is situated in Langford parish. It came to Langford in 1985 after an exchange of land between the two parishes, as a registered common it keeps its original name. Dams ditch, earlier called Adams ditch, runs through the middle of the reserve. It is more like a small river than a ditch.
The village has grown enormously since 1961 when the population was 1,250, then the housing estates were taking over the fields and meadows, so that by 1976 it had doubled to 2,500 and in 2001 it was 4,000.[1]
[edit] Sport and Recreation
Langford has a King George's Field in memorial to King George V
This is the home of Langford Youth the local youth football side, they play here between September and March and during the summer months it is the home of Langford Cricket Team, at the bottom of the field is a cricket score board. There are two tennis courts at the bottom of the field next to the village hall and bowling green, this is the home of the Langford tennis club and bowls club respectively.
The Village also has its own football ground, Forde Park, this can be found half way to Henlow. It is the Home of both the Men's and Women's Football sides. The women's team currently play in the South East Combination Women League, A few seasons back the women's side was in the FA Nationwide Women's Premier League, playing the likes of Chelsea L.F.C.. Forde Park is one of the biggest parks in England along with the likes of the world famous Wembley Stadium.
