Harlington, Bedfordshire
| Harlington | |
| Bedfordshire | |
|---|---|
 Harlington | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TL035305 |
| Location: | 51°57’48"N, 0°29’42"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 2,260 (2004 est) |
| Post town: | Dunstable |
| Postcode: | LU5 |
| Dialling code: | 01582 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Central Bedfordshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Mid Bedfordshire |
Harlington is a village located in Bedfordshire, near the M1 motorway. The nearest town is Flitwick about three miles to the north.
Churches
- Church of England:
- Church of St Mary the Virgin
- Independent: Life Church (Pioneer network)
- Methodist: Harlington Methodist Church
St Mary the Virgin contains a window and standing exhibition on the life of John Bunyan, who was arrested after leading an unauthorised religious meeting at a farmhouse near Harlington. There is also a stained glass memorial to Ivor Clemitson MP.
Transport links
The village is about 1.5 miles from junction 12 of the M1, 7 miles north of Luton and 10 miles south of Bedford.
Harlington has a railway station, in the west of the village.. It was built by the Midland Railway in 1868 on its extension to St Pancras. The original intention had been to call it "Harlington for Toddington".The station is served by First Capital Connect's Thameslink route trains.
About the village
Harlington has two pubs, the Carpenters Arms and The Old Sun.
There is a small parade of shops, consisting of a newsagent, an off licence, a post office, a hairdresser, a beauty salon and a gunsmith's.
There are several buildings surrounding the village green used for community activities. These include the parish hall, village hall and scout hut. A cricket pitch adjoins the village green.
History
- 1086: The Domesday Book calls the village Herlingdone[1] and lists Nigel D'Albini as Lord of the Manor; he took over from four Saxon thegns who lost their lands at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.[2]
- 1300–1350: The Church of St Mary the Virgin was built, replacing what was probably a wooden church with a thatched roof.[1] The church tower was not added until the fifteenth century.[2]
- 1349: Over a quarter of the village died of the Black Death.[2]
- 1660: John Bunyan led an unauthorised religious meeting at a farmhouse near Harlington, for which he was arrested and taken to Harlington House (now known as Harlington Manor-the only currently occupied residential house connected with Bunyan). After being questioned he was imprisoned for twelve years in Bedford county gaol. While serving his sentence he began writing his most famous work, The Pilgrim's Progress.[3]
- 1830: the first English National Steeplechase on record was run from Bury Orchard to Wrest Park Obelisk.[2]
- 1859: the first village school was built.[2]
- 1868: Harlington railway station opened.[2]
- 1920: Harlington War Memorial dedicated to the memory of 27 Harlington men killed in the First World War.[2]
- 1937: Sir Albert Richardson designed a new North range of Harlington Manor
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Harlington, Bedfordshire) |
- The Carpenters Arms
- Harlington Heritage Trust
- Information on Harlington, Bedfordshire from GENUKI
- Harlington Church
- The Old Sun
- Harlington.net (village diary)
- Harlington Cricket Club
- Harlington Manor
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harlington Church (2006). "A brief history of St Mary's". http://www.harlingtonchurch.org.uk/history.htm. Retrieved 19 August 2006.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Harlington Timeline". Besfordshire Libraries. 2005. http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/webingres/bedfordshire/vlib/0.digitised_resources/harlington_digitisation_timeline.htm. Retrieved 19 August 2006.
- ↑ "Harlington Tourist Information". AboutBritain.com. 2006. http://www.aboutbritain.com/towns/harlington.asp. Retrieved 19 August 2006.