Stotfold
| Stotfold | |
| Bedfordshire | |
|---|---|
 Stotfold Mill | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TL2136 |
| Location: | 52°1’5"N, 0°13’41"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 6,190 (2001) |
| Post town: | Hitchin |
| Postcode: | SG5 |
| Dialling code: | 01462 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Central Bedfordshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North East Bedfordshire |
Stotfold is a village in 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 Great North Road and penning their horses (stots) in enclosures (folds) before continuing their journeys southwards.
The River Ivel runs through the town.
Parish church
The parish church is St Mary's. It dates back to Norman times.
Stotfold Watermill
Stotfold Watermill stands on the River Ivel and is one of four mills in Stotfold that were recorded in the Domesday Book.[1] It is the only working mill left in Stotfold and is a grade II listed watermill.[2]
The Mill was fully restored after being burnt down on 15 December 1992.[3] 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.[4] It has an overshot waterwheel which at 173 inches is the widest in the country[5] and is currently open to the public with a tea room on set days in the year.
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.[6] 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.[7]
Sport and leisure
- Football: Stotfold FC, who play at Roker Park
Outside links
- Stotfold Photos Flickr Group
- An unusual telephone mast in the town
- Town Council
- Stotfold Scouts
- Stotfold Watermill
References
- ↑ “Bedfordshire and Domesday”, Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Quarto Memoir, 1922 vol. 1, by G. Herbert Fowler, p.72
- ↑ "Stotfold Mill — Stotfold Watermill and Nature Reserve". Stotfoldmill.com. 2013-01-18. http://www.stotfoldmill.com/index.php?pg=bert_hyde.php. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
- ↑ http://www.stotfoldmill.com/bert_hyde.php?pg=history.php#Randall's%20Mill
- ↑ http://www.stotfoldmill.com/history.php?pg=time_line.php
- ↑ "Stotfold Mill — Stotfold Watermill and Nature Reserve". Stotfoldmill.com. 2013-01-18. http://www.stotfoldmill.com/index.php?pg=history.php. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
- ↑ "Stotfold Mill — Stotfold Watermill and Nature Reserve". Stotfoldmill.com. 2013-01-18. http://www.stotfoldmill.com/index.php?pg=opening.php. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
- ↑ "Weather failed to dampen the spirts of steam fair visitors - News". The Comet. 2010-05-10. http://www.thecomet.net/news/weather_failed_to_dampen_the_spirts_of_steam_fair_visitors_1_296064. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
