Sandy, Bedfordshire

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Sandy
civil_parish= Sandy
latitude= 52.131
longitude= -0.297
population= 11,000 (2004 est.)
shire_district= Mid Bedfordshire
region= East of England
shire_county= Bedfordshire
constituency_westminster= North East Bedfordshire
post_town= SANDY
postcode_district = SG19
postcode_area= SG
static_

static_image_caption= Market Square, Sandy
dial_code= 01767
os_grid_reference= TL1649

Sandy is a small market town in northern Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to St Swithun. Sandy now has an area of housing named Fallowfields which has almost doubled in size in the last 4 years.

Sandy is probably best known today as the headquarters of the RSPB. The Society moved to The Lodge, on the outskirts of the town in 1961. The Shuttleworth Collection is also nearby, around 2 miles south west of Sandy.

History

An archaeological dig in May 2006 revealed that the town's ancestors may date back further than 250 BC. [http://www.thecomet.net/content/comet/news/story.aspx?brand=CMTOnline&category=newsbiggles&tBrand=herts24&tCategory=newscomnew&itemid=WEED01%20Jun%202006%2013%3A32%3A03%3A727]

Sandy was originally a Roman settlement and was probably an important trading centre and staging post in the Roman era. An ancient hill fort, now heavily wooded and known as "Caesar's Camp", still overlooks the town.

Sandy is mentioned in the Domesday Book, where it is referred to as "Sandeia" ("Sandeia: Eudo FitzHubert. 2 mills"). This is a derivation from the Old English "Sandieg", meaning a sand-island.

Government

Sandy is governed by three tiers of local government: the town council, the district council of Mid Bedfordshire and the county council of Bedfordshire. It is within the Parliamentary constituency of North East Bedfordshire.

Transport

Sandy is situated on the A1 which hugs the western edge of the town. The A603 leads west towards Bedford; the B1042 leads east towards Potton and Cambridge. There are a number of bus routes, principally the M3 from Biggleswade to Bedford and the more local East Beds Dart services which serve the Biggleswade and Sandy area.

Sandy has a railway station which is on the East Coast Main Line. Services north to Peterborough and south to London King's Cross are provided by First Capital Connect.

The Varsity Line, which connected Oxford to Cambridge, also ran through Sandy. From Bedford to Cambridge, the line is now converted to the NCR 51 cycle route.

Twinned towns

Sandy has been twinned with the town of Malaunay in France since 1982, as a result of which the Sandy Twinning Association was also established. The Association has recently developed links with the town of Skarszewy in Poland.

External links

* [http://www.sandy-bedfordshire.co.uk Community]
* [http://www.sandytown.com Town council]
* [http://www.sandywx.co.uk Sandy Weather]
* [http://www.towntwinning.org.uk/ Sandy Twinning Association]