Elstow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Elstow | |
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  Elstow shown within Bedfordshire |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| District | Bedford |
| Shire county | Bedfordshire |
| Region | East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BEDFORD |
| Postcode district | MK42 |
| Dialling code | 01234 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| European Parliament | East of England |
| List of places: UK • England • Bedfordshire | |
Elstow is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire. Elstow is often credited as the birthplace of John Bunyan, though he was actually born in the nearby hamlet of Harrowden.
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[edit] History
William the Conqueror granted Elstow to his niece, Countess Judith, who founded a nunnery in 1075. In the Middle Ages Elstow Abbey was one of the richest Benedictine nunneries in England. The abbess and nuns held Elstow until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII. The abbey survives in part as the parish church of St Mary and St Helena.
[edit] Elstow today
The village and the northern part of the parish are inside Bedford's southern bypass, and Elstow has increasing been absorbed into Bedford since the late 20th century. The largest population centre in the parish nowadays is not Elstow village itself, but a large housing development dating from the first few years of the 21st century called Abbeyfields, which is effectively a suburb of Bedford.
[edit] Elstow Moot Hall
Elstow Moot Hall (or the Green House as it was formerly known) was built in the last 15th Century as a market-house and used for storing the stalls and other equipment in connection with the village fairs. The Tudor timber-framed building was also used as a place for hearing and settling disputes arising from the fair. In the 19th Century the upper room was used both as a school and a place of worship.
The hall was restored by Bedfordshire County Council in the 1970's and is now a museum illustrating 17th century English life and tradition with particular reference to John Bunyan. The Moot Hall is a main feature of the village that stands in isolation on the village green.
[edit] External links
- [1] – Official Moot Hall Elstow site
- Elstow Parish council
- genuki.org – historical information about Elstow
- Elstow Village page from Bedford Borough Council
- Elstow Moot Hall page from Bedford Borough Council
- Elstow Abbey
- Flickr images tagged Elstow
- Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service: Elstow pages
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