Stopsley

Stopsley
Bedfordshire
Stopsley War Memorial
Location
Grid reference:	TL103235
Location:	51°53’56"N, 0°23’46"W
Data
Population:	7,760  (2007)
Post town:	Luton
Postcode:	LU2
Dialling code:	01582
Local Government
Council:	Luton
Parliamentary constituency:	Luton South

Stopsley is a suburb in the north-east of Luton, Bedfordshire. The area is roughly bounded by the edge of Luton to the north, Vauxhall Way and Turners Road North to the south, Bradgers Hill to the west, and Cannon Lane, Stapleford Road and Brays Road to the east.

Etymology

Frederick Davis, writing in 1965 believed the name of Stospley to come from Scrobbale, (in Saxon;) Scrapes or Scroppeslie, (in Norman;) Shrubsley, (in English.;) meaning a hill covered with scrobbes (shrubs or underwood.) Most modern etymologists consider the name to be made up of two elements 'Stopp' and 'ley'. dating between AD 750 and AD 950. The ending comes from the Old English 'leah' meaning a wood or clearing in a wood. 'Stopp' was a personal name and indicated ownership of the wood or clearing. It appears as 'Stopeslegh in Soca de Luton' in a (Latin) law record, dated 1440.

Originally a hill-top village settlement, most of the urbanised part of the civil parish of Stopsley became part of Luton when the boundaries were extended in 1933, with the rural areas going to Hyde and Streatley.

Local area

The centre of Stopsley is made up of a variety of shops around a village church. From a distance the skyline is dominated by Jansel House, an office block built in 1961 which houses the Luton VAT office over a parade of shops at street level. One of Luton's two cemeteries, The Vale, is located nearby on the Hitchin Road.

Local attractions

Key
	Cathedral/Abbey/Priory
	Accessible open space
	Amusement/Theme Park
	Castle
	Country Park
	English Heritage
	Forestry Commission
	Heritage railway
	Historic House
	Museum (free/not free)
	National Trust
	Zoo

Dunstable Downs Chiltern Hills Leighton Buzzard Light Railway Luton Museum & Art Gallery The hat Factory Luton Hoo Mossman Collection Someries Castle Stockwood Craft Museum Stockwood Park Wardown Park Waulud's Bank Whipsnade Tree Cathedral Whipsnade Wildlife Park Woodside Farm and Wildfowl Park Wrest Park Gardens

Education

Stopsley includes the specialist Sports College, Stopsley High School. Notable alumni include professional cricketer Monty Panesar. In the 1960s, Stopsley Infant and Junior School pupils included Alec Jeffreys, who went on to discover the DNA genetic fingerprint. He is now Professor of Genetics at Leicester University and was Knighted in 1994. Another pupil, David Renwick, created the television series 'One Foot in the Grave' and 'Jonathan Creek'. Both went on to study at Luton Grammar School and Luton Sixth Form College.

Further reading

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Stopsley)

• James Dyer, The Stopsley Book, Book Castle, 2nd Edn. 2005, ISBN 1-903747-65-1.
• James Dyer, The Stopsley Picture Book, Book Castle. 2002, ISBN 1-871199-94-8.
• Keith T. Norcott, Chalk on my Shoes, Book Castle, 2006, ISBN 1-903747-68-6