Putnoe is an

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

on the northern side of Bedford, England. The boundaries of Putnoe are approximately Mowsbury Park and golf course to the north, Church Lane and Haylands Way to the east, Polhill Avenue to the south, with Kimbolton Road to the west. Part of the area is also known as Woodside.

History

Putnoe was listed in the Domesday Book: Putenehou: Hugh de Beauchamp. Mill. The name in its present form has been around since the 16th century, but was formerly known as Puttenhoe and Putenho indicating the spur or "hoh" of land belonging to an unknown Anglo-Saxon settler Putta. The original farmstead may have been on the same site as Putnoe Farm which is now occupied by Puttenhoe Elderly Person's Home, next to Putnoe Street. The area remained undeveloped farmland until after World War II . At this time momentum grew in Bedford to plan the re-development of the town from its population of 58,000 to 75,000. This required the provision of a substantial area of land for housing development. The decision to develop the Putnoe area was taken in 1950, and the first phase of construction of the Putnoe estate occurred between 1953 and 1957.

Governance

Putnoe is an unparished area, with all community services under the direct control of

Bedford Borough Council Bedford Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. The executive of the council is the direct ...

. Putnoe elects two councillors to Bedford Borough Council, both of whom are currently Liberal Democrats.

Economy

Putnoe is almost entirely

residential A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...

, there are no major

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for pr ...

estates in the area. Most shops and services are clustered around a shopping parade called Library Walk as a public library is situated here, located on Putnoe Street. A

One Stop Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...

supermarket, a bakery and cafe, a butcher's, an

optician An optician, or ''dispensing optician'', is a technical practitioner who designs, fits and dispenses lenses for the correction of a person's vision. Opticians determine the specifications of various ophthalmic appliances that will give the nec ...

's, a

newsagent A newsagent's shop or simply newsagent's or paper shop (British English), newsagency (Australian English) or newsstand (American and Canadian English) is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local ...

s and post office, a pub named ''The Bluebell'', and an Elderly Persons Home called 'Puttenhoe' are all located here.

Education

There are five state schools in Putnoe - Hazeldene Primary School and The Hills Academy are both located on the same Stancliffe Road site. Putnoe Primary School is situated over two sites on Overdale and Church Lane, and educates pupils up to the age of 11.

Mark Rutherford School Mark Rutherford School is a mixed secondary school and sixth form in Bedford, England. The school is named in honour of the Bedford-born writer William Hale White (1831-1913), who used Mark Rutherford as a pseudonym. Mark Rutherford school ...

, located on Wentworth Drive is Putnoe's

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

and sixth form.

Religious sites

* Putnoe Heights Church of England and Methodist Church, located on Putnoe Heights * Woodside Church (

Newfrontiers Newfrontiers (previously New Frontiers International) is a neo-charismatic church network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 1950s and 1960s co ...

), located on Dover Crescent

Community facilities

Putnoe's largest open space is Mowsbury

Park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

and

Putnoe Wood Putnoe Wood is a 10.4 hectare Local Nature Reserve located in the Putnoe area of 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) ...

s which are located on Wentworth Drive.

Bedford Tigers Bedford Tigers RLFC is a rugby league club based in Bedford, England. The first team plays in the Southern Conference, with a second team in the East Premier League. The Tigers are a fore running club in the amateur game in the south of England ...

rugby league club play their home matches here, and Bedford Athletic Rugby Union Club also has its ground here. The ground is used by local schools, and the club house is used by Putnoe community groups. Mowsbury Golf Course and

Squash Complex Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

is located directly to the north of the park, and is operated by

. There is a community library situated on Putnoe Street. The area has a regular

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

service into Bedford Town Centre, and there are many post and telephone boxes dotted around the locality.

References

External links

Putnoe Community Website
{{Areas of Bedford Areas of Bedford