Biddenham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, located around 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Bedford town centre near the A428 road. It forms part of the wider Bedford urban area.
| Biddenham | |
|---|---|
 Biddenham Village Sign | |
  Biddenham Location within Bedfordshire | |
| Population | 2,620 [1] 1,634 (2011 Census)[2] |
| OS grid reference | TL024502 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BEDFORD |
| Postcode district | MK40 |
| Dialling code | 01234 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
History
editThe earliest archaeological evidence from Biddenham dates to the Palaeolithic, from the site of Deep Spinney.[3] These were some of the first major Palaeolithic discoveries in England, although they were probably deposited there by glacial flow.[3][4]
Biddenham is the location of the Manor Hospital, a BMI Healthcare private hospital. The village also contains St James Church, The Three Tuns pub, and a sports pavilion with a cricket pitch and football pitch (interchangeable depending on the season).
Sometime before 1920, a short 2 ft (610 mm) gauge railway was operated by S.W. Jarvis & Son at the Biddenham Gravel Pit. The line was removed in the 1930s.[5]
Biddenham International School and Sports College is located on Biddenham Turn. It is a state secondary school for Biddenham and the western part of Bedford. The school was originally named John Howard Upper School, but was renamed after a merger with another school in 1988. St Joseph's and St Gregory's Catholic Primary School is also located on Biddenham Turn. The school was formed following the merger of St Joseph's Lower and St Gregory's Middle in September 2017. St. James' Primary School, located on Main Road, is the village's primary school.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics - Bidenham (CP) Parish". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
- ^ a b Dawson, Michael (2004). Archaeology in the Bedford Region. Oxford: BAR. p. 5.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Oake, Martin; Luke, Mike; Dawson, Michael; Edgeworth, Matthew; Murphy, Peter (2007). "Palaeolithic to early Bronze Age". Bedfordshire Archaeology Research and Archaeology: Resource Assessment, Research Agenda and Strategy. Bedfordshire Archaeological Council.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Warrington, A.J. (February 1968). "Biddenham Gravel Pit, Bedford". Industrial Railway Record. 17. Industrial Railway Society: 192–193.
External links
edit
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