Why is biggleswade called biggleswade

Watkin were agents for locally made Vauxhall cars and Bedford lorries for many years and had a large showroom and repair site in Shortmead Street, but the dealership closed in and the site was redeveloped into houses which are in a road named Watkin Walk.

The other dealer was the Mantle's business which originally had a site for Austin cars near the old Swan Hotel in the town. Mantle's moved to a larger site opposite the old work house on London Road where they sold British Leyland and later Austin Rover cars. They also had a caravan dealership. Mantle's still sell cars here, but since the collapse of MG Rover now sells Mitsubishi and Ford cars. The caravan business closed in the early s.

Jack Bygraves ceased to be Ford agents in the early s, although the showroom changed little and they continued to trade as a Ford specialist selling 2nd hand Ford cars. Other car franchises in the town included Saffron Road Motor Co Renault who ceased in the early s, Owen Godfrey established as an Austin agent but latterly a Fiat dealer before the company ceased trading in the s. The sites used by these main agents have all been used by second hand motor dealers.

Dunton Corner Garage at the top end of London Road were a Hyundai dealer and also had a small petrol franchise, the car dealership closed and the site was demolished to make way became a larger petrol station in the late s. The town had two motorcycle dealers, Bryants who were based in Shortmead Street, and Wilderspins, also in Shortmead Street.

The Bryants site was also shared by Sid Skinner who sold caravans and briefly imported Mahindra vehicles before closing down. Biggleswade Swimming Club celebrated its 40th anniversary in It now uses the new indoor Saxon Pool and Leisure Centre, [15] which underwent expansion in to add a new sports hall to the back of the complex. There is also a small skatepark located behind the complex, next to the local park. Biggleswade United has recently been given a boost in awareness by Sky Sports pundit Guillem Balague 's appointment as Director of Football.

Biggleswade Rugby Club plays in the Midlands 3 East South league, and has 3 senior sides alongside active Mini and Youth sides from under 7 to 17 years. They practice the kyokushin style of karate, and provide fitness classes. Biggleswade Cricket Club provides teams for all ages including youth teams. The club's adult teams compete in league cricket on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season. The Swiss Garden in Old Warden Park was created in the early 19th century, and charges a fee for entry.

It is promoted by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. The town is mentioned twice in the diaries of Samuel Pepys. On 22 July , Pepys stopped off in Biggleswade called 'Bigglesworth' by Pepys to buy a pair of warm woollen stockings. There are six churches in Biggleswade, which are represented by the umbrella organisation Churches Together in Biggleswade. Nearby is the Shuttleworth Collection of vintage aeroplanes, sometimes referred to as Biggleswade Airfield. The organisation also operates the Swiss Garden and a large play area on the premises.

The plate consists of a communion cup of , a paten and flagon of , and a second chalice of with a paten of , both presented in The first volume of the registers contains burials and baptisms from to The second contains marriages from to The rectory to which the advowson of the vicarage is attached was formerly annexed to a prebend in Lincoln Cathedral.

In , together with Biggleswade manor q. There appears to have been a chapel in Stratton in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In Thomas de Northfleet, canon of St. Paul's, left money for the repair of the chapel of St. Mary in the chapel of Stratton for the souls of John Enderby and others. The church of St. John the Baptist in the north of the town, designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield, is a building of brick, erected in There are also a council and two non-provided schools.

In the bishop of Lincoln received a licence to found a fraternity or gild to be called the Gild of the Holy Trinity, fn. Andrew, Biggleswade, 'for the good estate of the said King Edward IV and Queen, the soul of the late Duke of York, father of the king, and all the brothers and sisters of the said guild. Charity of Sir John Cotton, bart. In Sir John Cotton, bart. Notes, county of Huntingdon, two-ninths to the rector of Conington in the same county, one-ninth to the vicar of Biggleswade, as augmentations of their respective benefices, twoninths to the schoolmaster in the township of Holme in the ancient parish of Glatton, Huntingdonshire , and two-ninths to the schoolmaster in Biggleswade for the instruction of children in the principles of the Christian religion as practised in the Church of England.

By an order made under the Board of Education Act, , two-ninths of the net yearly income has been assigned for purposes of education under the title of Sir John Cotton's Educational Foundation Holme , and the same proportion under the title of Sir John Cotton's Educational Foundation Biggleswade.

The other proportions are duly applied for their respective objects of trust. Robert Braynforth as appeared from the Table of Benefactions , by his will, date unknown, charged certain land in Distaff Lane, in the parish of St. The income is distributed in money to the poor inhabitants on St. Thomas's Day in sums of 10 d. The property charged now consists of shops and a house in the Market Place, of which Mr.

Brookbanks is the owner. The charity is distributed at the same time and in the same manner as the last-mentioned charity. It also appeared, from the same table, that the Rev. The legacy was, in , laid out in the purchase of two contiguous pieces of land known as the Great Mill Field and the Little Mill Field, in the parish of Stocking Pelham in the county of Hertford, containing together 7 a.

By an order of the Charity Commissioners of 2 April, , the churchwardens were appointed trustees of the charity. Elizabeth Meen, by her will, proved in the P. Thomas's Day in every year for which a collection had usually been made. National and Infant Schools see above, 'Schools'. Skip to main content. Keyword highlight. Or three piles gules. Or a sleeve gules.

Related: Shuttleworth Collection, museums and garden. We've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned. Saxon Time Period -. Heritage Rated from 1- 5 low to exceptional on historic interest. Biggleswade Castle - 0. Lodge Nature Reserve - 2. Shuttleworth Collection - 2. Swiss Garden - 2. Edworth, St George's Church - 3. Moggerhanger Park - 4. Willington Dovecote and Stables - 6 miles Historic Building.

The town was granted a charter to hold a market during the reign of King John — — a market is still held in the market place in the centre of the town every Tuesday and Saturday. The Great Northern Railway opened in , and Biggleswade was for a time the first and only town in Bedfordshire to have a mainline station.

Later it was one of three towns in the county to have one on the East Coast Main Line , along with Bedford and Dunstable. Buses in the town were provided by Eastern National until when the western division of Eastern National was handed over to United Counties.

Other bus operators based in Biggleswade included Charles Cook European Travel who operated in the area between and and Fairway Coaches although both of these operators have ceased to operate. Traditionally, Biggleswade has been a vegetable- and produce-growing area with trains often taking daily loads of vegetables to London's produce markets. Even though much of this has now stopped, Bedfordshire Growers, based on the outskirts of the town, still supplies major supermarkets with UK-grown potatoes and onions.

Biggleswade is also the base of the Jordan's cereals business who produce their own brand of breakfast Muesli, Country Crisp and Crunchy Oats and Frusli cereal bars which are sold across Europe as well as in Canada.

There used to be a Felix cat food factory located on Potton Road. Other goods which have been made in Biggleswade include Berkeley Caravans and Sportscars, who had a factory in the town, which was later used by Kayser Bondor.

A much larger employer in the town was Cincinnati Milacron who had a large site between Dells Lane and the Railway. The town had a large brewery, Wells and Winch, in the town centre for many decades; its last owners were Greene King but it closed down in October and the site is now occupied by an Asda supermarket.