Chicksands
Coordinates: 52°02′13″N 0°21′36″W / 52.037°N 0.360°W
Chicksands is a village in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England, and part of the civil parish of Campton and Chicksands (population 2,510[1]). It is on the River Flit. Nearby places are Shefford and Campton.
Chicksands is mentioned in the Domesday Book the entry reads: Chichesana/e: William de Cairon from Bishop of Lincoln; Three freemen and Walter from Azelina, Ralph Tailbois' wife (it is of her dowry). Mill.
Chicksands was the site of RAF Chicksands, an RAF station during World War II. The station was used by the United States Air Force from 1950 to 1995. It was the location for its first huge FLR-9 direction finding antenna from 1963 to 1995. It is now home to the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre and the Headquarters of the British Army's Intelligence Corps.
Chicksands Priory, a monastic house built in 1150, is located within the grounds of the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre. It is opened to the public, by appointment only, on the 1st & 3rd Sunday afternoons, April - October (see the Friends of Chicksands Priory website: chicksandspriory.co.uk).
Mid Bedfordshire District Council moved to a new office building on a part of the former RAF Chicksands sportsfield, adjacent to the A507, having previously been based in offices at Ampthill and Biggleswade. The new office, named Priory House, was officially opened by the Queen on 22 November 2006 accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. The offices are now home to Central Bedfordshire Council.
References
- ↑ Bedfordshire County Council, Population Estimates and Forecasts, estimate for 2007.
External links
Media related to Chicksands at Wikimedia Commons
- Campton & Chicksands
- Chicksands Offices - Mid Beds District Council
- Chicksands History