Houghton Conquest

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Coordinates: 52°03′47″N 0°28′26″W / 52.06315°N 0.47396°W / 52.06315; -0.47396
Houghton Conquest
Houghton Conquest

 Houghton Conquest shown within Bedfordshire
OS grid reference TL047416
Unitary authority Central Bedfordshire
Ceremonial county Bedfordshire
Region East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BEDFORD
Postcode district MK45
Dialling code 01234
Police Bedfordshire
Fire Bedfordshire and Luton
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
UK Parliament Mid Bedfordshire
List of places
UK
England
Bedfordshire

Houghton Conquest is a village and civil parish located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. The parish also includes the hamlet of How End.

History

Historically in the hundred of Redbornestoke,[1] the name of the village originated from the Conquest family who held a manor and lands in the area from the 13th century to the 18th century. [2]

The Church of All Saints was constructed in the village during the 14th century, and is today the largest parish church in Bedfordshire.[3] Features of interest include the wall paintings, sculpture, stained glass, benches and stalls.[4]

Manors

The Conquest family owned Conquestbury, a large manor which was left to ruin when the family left the area. The Conquestbury manor house stood near the southeast end of the village on the ground now known as Bury Farm, adjacent to London Lane. Parts of the original house were used to build a house in the 1850s, which today serves as a village shop.[5]

Houghton House was also built in the area in approximately 1615. In 1794, Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford stripped Houghton House of its furnishings and removed the roof. Today, the remains of Houghton House stand as ruins.

Geography

The village is located in the northern part of Central Bedfordshire, on the border with the Borough of Bedford. Local amenities include a village shop, post office, Houghton Conquest Lower School, a village hall, and three pubs named "The Knife and Cleaver",[6] "The Royal Oak" [7] and "The Chequers".[8]

References

  1. "Houghton Conquest". GENUKI. Retrieved 2007-06-12. 
  2. Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; National Archives; CP 40 / 677; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/H6/CP40no677/bCP40no677dorses/IMG_1331.htm; 7th entry; "John Conquest, of Houghton, Beds, gent"
  3. "The knife and cleaver bedford pub and guest house". Theknifeandcleaver.co.uk. 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2012-10-13. 
  4. Jones, Lawrence E. (1965) A Guide to Some Interesting Old English Churches. London: Historic Churches Preservation Trust; p. 9
  5. "Parishes - Houghton Conquest | A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 3 (pp. 288-296)". British-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-13. 
  6. "The knife and cleaver bedford pub and guest house". Theknifeandcleaver.co.uk. 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2012-10-13. 
  7. "Royal Oak, Houghton Conquest - Charles Wells Brewery and Pub Company Bedford". www.charleswells.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-13. 
  8. "The Chequers - Emery Inns". 

Additional reading

  • Eric Meadows (1975). Pictorial Guide to Bedfordshire. Luton, Bedfordshire: White Crescent Press Ltd. ISBN 0-900804-10-6. 

External links

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