Totternhoe

Totternhoe is a village in the Manshead hundred of the county of Bedfordshire, England.

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Totternhoe
latitude= 51.8844
longitude= -0.5714
population = 1180 (Census 2001 [ [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=792003&c=Totternhoe&d=16&e=15&g=423797&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1194191364321&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 Census data] ] )
shire_district= South Bedfordshire
shire_county = Bedfordshire
region= East of England
constituency_westminster= South West Bedfordshire
post_town= DUNSTABLE
postcode_area= LU
postcode_district= LU6
dial_code= 01582 (Church End), 01525 (Middle and Lower Ends)
os_grid_reference= SP985215

Overview

Totternhoe is an ancient village in the south of the county of Bedfordshire, near Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard. It is noted for its Knoll, which has been a fort for many races including Romans and Normans. Behind the Knoll is a large chalk quarry producing Totternhoe Stone and modern lime kilns.

The 13th century church is dedicated to St Giles, the patron saint of cripples, due to the large number of people crippled while working in the quarryFacts|date=November 2007.

The village is home to around 1000 people through around 300 homes.

There are several farms and a small lower school, Totternhoe Lower School.

The village contains two public houses, The Old Farm Inn in Church End and The Cross Keys in Middle End. Another pub in Church End, The Bell, was converted into a private residence in around 1992.

Geography

The village is long and thin and is separated into three parts:

* Church End, closest to Dunstable, is where the school and a pub are located. This area of the village centres around the junction of three of the four main roads into the village: Church Road (leading to Eaton Bray), Dunstable Road and Castle Hill Road (leading to Leighton Buzzard). Dunstable Road becomes Castle Hill Road as one heads West.

* Middle End has a recreation ground and a Scout Hut (where the First Totternhoe Scouts and Guides meet) adjacent to where the old school used to be. One entrance to the Knolls is up past the Scout Hut.

* Lower End, towards Leighton Buzzard. This is where the quarry is located and is overlooked by the old fort on the Knoll.

The village boundaries are much wider than the housed area and actually stretches up to the foot of Dunstable Downs, therefore containing the London Gliding Club.

History

The name Totternhoe has been around since 1086 when it was known as "Totene Hou", meaning "look out house" and "spur", no doubt describing forts on the Knoll.

The 1881 census said the population was ~700, of which 54% were female.

Notable Buildings and sites

As one travels West from Dunstable one will encounter the following buildings of note.

* Lancot Park, the Dunstable Cricket Club ground, built on farmland in the 1990s.
* Totternhoe Football Club's building in the corner of the Church End recreation ground
* The Old Farm Inn, a very old pub
* Lockington Farm
* The current school
* The former Bell pub
* St Giles Church
* Glebelands, St Giles Church house, a former Retirement Home and now a private residence
* The site of the old school in Middle End
* The Scout Hut
* The old village shop, now a private residence
* The first village Post Office, now a private residence
* Totternhoe Memorial Hall, the village's war memorial
* Poplar Farm
* The old Methodist Chappel, now a private residence
* The second village shop and later Post Office, now a private residence
* Totternhoe Lime & Stone Co and the old quarry

Adjacent towns and villages

The village shares boundaries with the following parishes:
* Dunstable
* Sewell
* Eaton Bray
* Tilsworth

References

Further reading

* C. L. Matthews, J. Schneider and B. Horne, "A Roman villa at Totternhoe", "Bedfordshire Archaeology", 20, 41-96, 1992.
* J. Curran, "The Story of Totternhoe Quarries", Church End Publishing, 2005.

External links

* [http://totternhoe.com/ Totternhoe.com website]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/BDF/Totternhoe/index.html Genealogy UK website mentioning Totternhoe]
* [http://www.dtcc.org.uk/ Dunstable Town Cricket Club Website]