Stotfold

Stotfold

Stotfold Mill
Stotfold
Stotfold shown within Bedfordshire
Population 6,190 (2001)
9,632 (2011 Census including Astwick and Fairfield Park)[1]
OS grid reference TL2136
Civil parish
  • Stotfold
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town HITCHIN
Postcode district SG5
Dialling code 01462
Police Bedfordshire
Fire Bedfordshire and Luton
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
UK Parliament

Stotfold is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire.

In the 19th century, Stotfold was regarded as a wealthy place. The saying was that to live in Stotfold, one has to have £100 and a pig. The town is divided by a long road, High Street, which separates the north side from the south. There are two parks and a recreational ground, plus a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and a football pitch.

Stotfold is thought to have gained its name from the northern drovers breaking their journey south at this point on the A1 Great North Road and penning their horses (stots) in enclosures (folds) before continuing their journeys southwards.

The River Ivel runs through the town. Stotfold covers 2,207 acres (8.93 km2) and the population, according to the 2001 census, is 6,190.[2]

The church of St Mary dates back to Norman times.

Landmarks

Stotfold Watermill

Stotfold Watermill stands on the River Ivel and is one of four mills in Stotfold that were recorded in the Domesday Book.[3] It is the only working mill left in Stotfold and is a grade II listed watermill.[4] The Mill was fully restored after being burnt down on 15 December 1992.[5] The Mill opened to the public in May 2006 with the formal opening taking place October 2006 followed shortly after by a visit from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on 17 November 2006.[6] It has a 4.4 metre wide overshot corn mill waterwheel which is the widest in the country[7] and is currently open to the public with a tea room on alternate weekends in season (March to October) and on special event weekends.[8] The Mill is a charity run by the Stotfold Mill Preservation Trust. All moneys raised are used for the continual upkeep and restoration of the Mill and of the local area.[9] Its major fundraiser is the annual Stotfold Mill Steam and Country Fair which takes place in May and attracted around 8,500 visitors raising approximately £20,000 in 2010.[10]

St Mary's Church

The parish church of St Mary the Virgin dates to about 1150 but was probably preceded by a series of wooden Saxon churches on the same site. The church is built of flint with Ashwell clunch stone dressings to the buttresses and is mainly in the Early Perpendicular style. In about 1450 the tower was added and the chancel widened and it is believed that the baptismal font also dates from this time and is octagonal and panelled.[11][12]

In about 1824 much work was done at the church which included plastering the roof of the north aisle and replacing both the mediaeval carvings and the 400 year-old pews, the latter being done by local contractor William Seymour of Arlesey. At the same time the old paintings on the walls were either destroyed or whitewashed over.[13]

New estates

Building work continues to expand the town, with new areas such as Mill View and Fairfield Park. Fairfield Park is on the site of the old Fairfield Hospital, covering a very large area, south of Stotfold and to the east of Arlesey. The old hospital has been converted into luxury apartments, with hundreds of new homes being built in the grounds of the former mental health institute. Fairfield Park was formally split from Stotfold on 1 April 2013, when it became a separate civil parish.[14]

Construction has also begun on 850 new homes in the 'Land South of Stotfold' development. This was originally expected to be completed by 2013, with the inclusion of a new lower school, industrial area and shop, but is now expected to have a later completion date due to the current recession.

Sport and leisure

Stotfold has a Non-League football club Stotfold F.C., which plays at Roker Park.

Famous residents

Olympic and world champion track cyclist Victoria Pendleton was brought up in Stotfold. In 2007, the cycle track between Arlesey and Stotfold was renamed in her honour.[15]

Craig Vye, actor, most recently seen in Hollyoaks playing Ethan Scott. Also seen in Aquila, London's Burning, Doctors and Skins.

Nicky Hunt, Commonwealth Games Gold winner/Olympic hopeful (archery)

References

  1. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Office for National Statistics: Census 2001: Parish Headcounts: Mid Bedfordshire Retrieved 31 October 2010
  3. ↑ "Bedfordshire and Domesday", Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Quarto Memoir, 1922 vol. 1, by G. Herbert Fowler, p.72
  4. ↑ "Stotfold Mill — Stotfold Watermill and Nature Reserve". Stotfoldmill.com. 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  5. ↑ http://www.stotfoldmill.com/bert_hyde.php?pg=history.php#Randall's%20Mill
  6. ↑ http://www.stotfoldmill.com/history.php?pg=time_line.php
  7. ↑ "Stotfold Mill — Stotfold Watermill and Nature Reserve". Stotfoldmill.com. 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  8. ↑ http://www.stotfoldmill.com/opening.php?pg=index.php
  9. ↑ "Stotfold Mill — Stotfold Watermill and Nature Reserve". Stotfoldmill.com. 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  10. ↑ "Weather failed to dampen the spirts of steam fair visitors - News". The Comet. 2010-05-10. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  11. ↑ "History of St Mary's church - St Mary's church website". stotfoldchurch.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  12. ↑ "GENUKI: Stotfold, Bedfordshire – The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)". genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  13. ↑ The Gentleman's Magazine Vol 27, November 1827 - Google Books pg 401
  14. ↑ Published on 18/05/2013 10:05 (2013-05-18). "Historic moment for community’s parish council - Local News". Biggleswade Today. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  15. ↑ There is also a golden post box in her honour. Bedfordshire County Council Press Release Archived 14 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.