Lidlington

Lidlington is a small Mid Bedfordshire village surrounded by farmland, in the Marston Vale situated between the main A421 Bedford to Milton Keynes road and the A507 Ampthill to Woburn road. The village has a lower school for 5–9 year olds named after Thomas Johnson, a Dick Whittington type character.

Lidlington Lake (sometimes mistakenly called Brogborough Lake) at the edge of the village is popular for birdwatching and windsurfing. The village has a Church of England church built by the Duke of Bedford in 1845, a Methodist chapel, two pubs, a hairdressers and a general store, plus a "farm store" on the A421. Lidlington has retained a daily doorstop milk and newspaper delivery service, but has lost its village post office.

Lidlington railway station is on the Marston Vale Line which gives good access for walkers along the Greensand Ridge long distance footpath which passes nearby the village. Local speculation is that the Greensand Ridge at Lidlington was the model for the "Delectable Mountains" in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The steep slope at the edge of the village may also be Bunyan's "Hill of Difficulty".

Lidlington is adjacent to the site of the Millbrook Proving Ground formerly Vauxhall test track, distinguishable from the air by its large circular track. To the north of Lidlington is Cranfield Airport used for small aircraft and training flights.

To the west of the village at the former brick works is a business park and the home to Amazon.com UK. The former brickworks to the east of the village are known as Lidlington Pit and forms part of the regeneration of the Forest of Marston Vale area.

Like many other villages in the area it was formerly part of the Duke of Bedford estate. Hence some London place names e.g. Bedford Square, Russell Square, Eversholt Street, Woburn Place and in Camden, NW1, Lidlington Place can be found near Mornington Crescent underground station.

Lidlington United play in the Bedfordshire Football League; the village also has a cricket team, and all-weather tennis courts at the recreation ground.

The February 2008 Lincolnshire earthquake shook homes in the village.

In April 2008 the area was listed as a site for the Government's 'ECO-town' competition.

In July 2008 the brownfield locations for the 'ECO-town' were dropped in favour of using the prime farmland surrounding Lidlington.

See also

* The London Brick Company

External links

* [http://www.lidlington.info/ Lidlington No 'ECO?' town website]
* [http://www.lidlington.org/ Lidlington website]
* [http://www.lidlingtonchurch.org.uk/ Lidlington Churches]
* [http://www.thomasjohnson.beds.sch.uk/history.htm Thomas Johnson Lower School]
* [http://www.greensandridgewalk.co.uk/ Greensand Ridge Walk]
* [http://www.marstonvale.org/timberlandtrail/try.html Timberland Trail]
* [http://www.smoc.info/GSRR/gsrr.htm Greensand Ridge Relay]
* [http://brogboroughlake.windsurf.me.uk/gallery.htm Brogborough Lake]
* [http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/webingres/bedfordshire/vlib/0.digitised_resources/lidlington_digitisation_timeline.htm Historic Time Line]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/40/a5085740.shtml Lidlington during WW2]
* [http://www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm7840 Triangulation Pillar (trig point)]
* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42435 British History On-line]
* [http://www.bgs.ac.uk Green Sand and Oxford Clay] — British Geological Survey