- Newnham, Bedford
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Coordinates: 52°08′16″N 0°25′45″W / 52.1379°N 0.42904°W
Newnham 
Bedford Fire Station, located in Newnham
Newnham
Newnham shown within BedfordshirePopulation 5,510 [1] OS grid reference TL076500 Unitary authority Bedford Ceremonial county Bedfordshire Region East Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town BEDFORD Postcode district MK41 Dialling code 01234 Police Bedfordshire Fire Bedfordshire and Luton Ambulance East of England EU Parliament East of England UK Parliament Bedford List of places: UK • England • Bedfordshire Newnham is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.
The boundaries of Newnham are approximately Goldington Road to the north, the River Great Ouse to the south and east, with Denmark Street and George Street to the west.
The Riverfield housing estate, and Bedford's Priory Country Park and Marina are within the boundaries of Newnham ward as well as a number of other key facilities for Bedford town. After boundary changes in 2011, the Newnham area also includes the western section of the Castle Road neighbourhood.
Contents
History
A Neolithic henge was erected on the site of the current Tesco Supermarket on Riverfield Drive dating between 4000 and 2000 BC.[2] Despite this there is very little evidence of any major settlement in Newnham in pre-historic times.
Risinghoe Castle was built in the area sometime after the Norman Invasion of 1066. Newnham derives its name from Newnham Priory which was established on the banks of the River Great Ouse by Simon de Beauchamp, Baron of Bedford in 1165. The de Beauchamp family were the owners of Bedford Castle as well as Risinghoe Castle, and were an important family in medieval Bedford and England. The priory was dissolved by King Henry VIII in 1541.
Much of the western section of the Castle Road neighbourhood was developed in the 19th Century. The rest of Newnham remained as undeveloped farmland and a site for gravel extraction until the 20th Century. By then the expansion of Bedford required more housing and land either side of Newnham Avenue was developed in the interwar period.[3] Bedford's old power station was built in the area in 1955 and was subsequently demolished in 1987.[4] The final stage of Newnham's development happened during the early 1990s. With the demolition of the old power station, the land was redeveloped into the Priory Marina and country park and the Riverfield housing estate.
Governance
Newnham is an unparished area, with all community services under the direct control of Bedford Borough Council. Newnham elects two councillors to Bedford Borough Council, both of which are currently from the Conservative Party.
Economy
There are a number of shops and services located on Newnham Avenue, including a Post Office, a Supermarket, a pub called The White Horse, and a 24-hour BP Petrol Station and a Marks & Spencer 'Simply Food' store. There are a few more shops located on Wendover Drive, including a hairdressers, and a cafe. There are also some smaller independent shops and businesses located in the western section Castle Road neighbourhood. [5]
The Aspects Leisure Park is situated in Newnham. This entertainment complex (located on Newnham Avenue and Barkers Lane) houses Bedford's Cineworld Cinema,[6] a Bingo Hall, a Fitness First Gym,[7] plus a Pizza Hut and a McDonald's restaurant. It is also the site of Bedford's main fire station and a car dealership. Further along Barkers Lane is a small industrial estate, Bedford's Marina,[8] a Beefeater restaurant and a Premier Inn.
There are a number of businesses located on Riverfield Drive, including a large Tesco superstore, a Homebase DIY store, and a Harvester family pub and restaurant called The Orchard.
Education
Unusually there are no state schools or independent schools in Newnham. Newnham Middle School is not even in Newnham, it is located in De Parys.
Most lower school age children in the area attend a school in nearby Goldington or Castle. For older children the area is served by either Goldington Academy or Newnham Middle School. Newnham's upper school students generally are in the catchment areas for Bedford Academy and Biddenham Upper School. [9]
Religious sites
- Priory Methodist Church, located on Newnham Avenue[10]
- Bedford Christ Church (Church of England), located on Denmark Street[11]
- Russell Park Baptist Church, also on Denmark Street[12]
Community facilities
The Bedford International Athletics Stadium is located in the Newnham area, on Barkers Lane.[13] The stadium has played host to many important athletics meetings in the past and Paula Radcliffe has trained there. It is also home to Bedford Tigers RLFC and the Bedfordshire Blue Raiders American Football team.
The stadium has been selected as an official training site for the London 2012 Olympics. The venue hopes to attract athletes training for the event, and complements other training sites in the Bedford area. In June 2009 it was reported that over 13 national teams have expressed an interest in using the Bedford area (including the stadium) for their olympic preparations.[14][15]
Priory Country Park is located on Barkers Lane,[16] and is Newnhams main open space. There is also a provision of allotments further along Barkers Lane.
References
- ^ Neighbourhood Statistics
- ^ Bedford Timeline: Modern - Digitised Resources - Bedfordshire's Virtual Library
- ^ A History of Priory Methodist Church
- ^ http://www.bedford.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/local_history_and_heritage/brief_history_of_bedford.aspx
- ^ http://comearoundtobedford.moonfruit.com/ 'Featured Business'
- ^ http://www.cineworld.co.uk/cinemas/34?flash=true Cineworld Cinema, Bedford
- ^ http://www.fitnessfirst.co.uk/UK-Gym-Health-Clubs/Club-Details.aspx?fdClubId=30 Newnham & Bedford Fitness First Gym
- ^ http://www.bwml.co.uk/marina/14/priory+marina/ Priory Marina, Bedford
- ^ http://bedfordshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/SchoolAdmissions/SchoolCatchmentAreas.aspx 'Bedfordshire School Catchment Areas'
- ^ http://www.priorychurch.org.uk/ Priory Methodist Church
- ^ http://www.christchurchbedford.org.uk/ Bedford Christ Church
- ^ http://www.russellpark.org/ Russell Park Baptist Church
- ^ http://www.athleticstadium.bedford.gov.uk/ Bedford International Athletics Stadium
- ^ Bedfordshire to host Olympic training camps - Bedford Today
- ^ http://www.bedsonsunday.com/bedsonsunday/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=423332
- ^ http://www.priorycountrypark.co.uk/ Priory Country Park, Bedford
External links
Areas and wards of Bedford Brickhill · Castle · Cauldwell · De Parys · Goldington · Harpur · Kingsbrook · Newnham · Putnoe · Queens ParkCategories:- Areas of Bedford
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