Turvey, Bedfordshire

Turvey
Turvey  Turvey shown within Bedfordshire
Population	1,192
OS grid reference	SP943525
Unitary authority	Bedford
Ceremonial county	Bedfordshire
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BEDFORD
Postcode district	MK43 7
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

Turvey is a small village and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It is about six miles west of Bedford on the River Great Ouse. It lies on the A428 between Bedford and Northampton, close to the border with Buckinghamshire.

History

Turvey was recorded in Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey.^[1] There are eight separate entries for Turvey, including a total of 44 households.^[2] The Mordaunt family obtained the manor by marriage in 1197 and were elevated to Barons of Turvey in the 16th century. The Mordaunt family house, Turvey Old Hall, was replaced by Turvey House in 1792, by which time the estate had passed to the Higgins family. It was extended in the 19th century, and is still standing. There is a second large house in the village called Turvey Abbey, which was historically a family house, but now has a use that matches its name, as it is occupied by Benedictines.

Turvey has a strong history of lace-making: there is evidence of a 19th-century lace-making school.

Turvey's Parish Church is called All Saints and though it has Saxon origins it is almost certainly a post Norman building. It is the largest church in the deanery of Sharnbrook and was in the Diocese of Lincoln until it was transferred to the Diocese of Ely in 1837. Since 1914 it has been in the Diocese of St Albans. Features of interest include a 13th-century door with its original ironwork, the Norman font, a wall painting of the crucifixion and some notable monuments, including monumental brasses.^[3]

Modern Turvey

The village has a village store and post office, village hall and two public houses, the Three Fyshes and The Three Cranes. There is long-established pre-school, Turvey Pre-School Playgroup, which looks after children from 2 years old and also runs a Before and After School Club for children at the local scool. There is a lower school for children from reception (4 years old) through to year 4 (9 years) called Turvey Lower School. There is a nursery for children from 6 weeks to 5 years called The Warren Nursery.

Transport

Turvey used to have a railway station, in Station Road, which was located about a mile to the east of the centre of the village. The Midland Railway line ran from Bedford to Northampton via Turvey, Olney and Horton and was closed in 1962. It is now served by the 41 bus route which runs between Bedford and Northampton.

Population

The population of Turvey was 758 in 1801, rising to 1,028 in 1851 and falling back to 782 by 1901. In 1951 it had dropped further to 733 but rose to 1,043 by 1991.^[4]

For electoral purposes Turvey ward also includes the villages of Stagsden and Kempston Rural. The area is represented on the Borough Council by Mark Smith (Conservative).

Pubs in Turvey

• The Three Fyshes – Built in 1487, the pub is almost unchanged from when it first sold beer in 1624.
• The Three Cranes – Stands to the left of the church, and is also situated in a lovely old building.
• The Laws Hotel – Built 1836–1840 the Laws Hotel is no longer a pub.
• The Tinker of Turvey – This ancient public house is now the village stores, situated on the high street. It remained an inn until the early 19th century.
• The Kings Arms – Situated down Jacks Lane, now a private residence, closed around mid-late 1990s.

Gallery

Map of Turvey village	Turvey Church	All Saints Church, Turvey	The Three Fyshes	The Three Cranes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turvey.

• The Turvey Website – Dedicated website on the history and families of the village
• Photos of Turvey – geograph.org.uk