Dean or Over Dene is a former

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

, now in the parish of

Dean and Shelton Dean and Shelton is a civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in the county of Bedfordshire, England. The two parishes of Dean and Shelton were combined in 1934. Until 1974 the parish formed part of Bedford rural district Rural districts were a ...

, in the

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

district, in the ceremonial county of

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

, England. It contained

Lower Dean Lower Dean is a village located in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. The village forms part of the Dean and Shelton civil parish (where the 2011 Census population was included), and is close to the county border with Northamptons ...

and

Upper Dean Upper Dean is a village located in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. Description The village forms part of the Dean and Shelton civil parish, and is close to the settlements of Melchbourne Melchbourne is a small village locate ...

. In 1931 the parish had a population of 277.

History

The name "Dean" means 'Valley'. Dean was recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

as ''Dene''. On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished and merged with

Shelton Shelton may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Shelton, North Bedfordshire, in the parish of Dean and Shelton, Bedfordshire *Lower Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire *Upper Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfor ...

to form "Dean and Shelton".

References

Former civil parishes in Bedfordshire Borough of Bedford {{Bedfordshire-geo-stub