Upper Caldecote is a village in the
Central Bedfordshire district of
Bedfordshire, England about south-east of
Bedford.
Its population at the 2011 census was 1,218.
It is part of
Northill civil parish.
Most of Upper Caldecote is situated directly to the west of the
A1 road
A list of roads designated A1, sorted by alphabetical order of country.
* A01 highway (Afghanistan), a long ring road or beltway connecting Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar
* A1 motorway (Albania), connecting Durrës and Kukës
* A001 highwa ...
, with facilities including Caldecote CE Academy (a
lower school
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types as they progress through the education system.
Terminology
In a three-tier local educa ...
), a
post office,
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
church,
Methodist chapel, antiques shop, garage, G&M Growers, cricket club, football pitches and changing rooms, tennis courts, netball court, children's park and two newsagents.
The Anglican church of All Saints was built in 1867–8, in yellow brick with red brick banding and dressings, to designs of
Arthur Blomfield
Sir Arthur William Blomfield (6 March 182930 October 1899) was an English architect. He became president of the Architectural Association in 1861; a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1867 and vice-president of the RIBA in ...
.
Geography
Upper Caldecote is north-west of
Biggleswade, west south-west of
Cambridge and north of
London.
Landscape
The village lies within the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands (NCA 88) as designated by
Natural England. Central Bedfordshire Council has locally classified the landscape as Lower Ivel Clay Valley (type 4B) where flat, open arable fields predominate.
Elevation
Upper Caldecote is above sea level.
Geology, soil type and land use
The village lies on glacial gravel. The soil has low fertility, is freely draining and slightly acid with a
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
y texture.
Roads and footpaths
Upper Caldecote is set along two main roads: north-south along Hitchin Road and east–west along Biggleswade Road.
A public footpath runs from the thatched weatherboarded cottage on the Biggleswade Road to
Beeston. Another begins from opposite no. 49 Hitchin Road and joins a bridleway to
Ickwell
Ickwell is a small, rural village in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England about south-east of the county town of Bedford.
The 2011 census shows its population as 298.
Ickwell is part of the civil parish of No ...
.
The night sky and light pollution
Light pollution is the level of radiance (night lights) shining up into the night sky. The
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) divides the level of night sky brightness into 9 bands with band 1 being the darkest i.e. with the lowest level of light pollution and band 9 the brightest and most polluted. Upper Caldecote with an index of 1-2 nanoWatts (nW) is in band 4. The night sky brightens towards Biggleswade.
Governance
Councillors are elected to Northill Parish Council and to represent Northill ward on the
Central Bedfordshire Unitary Authority Council. Upper Caldecote is in the
North East Bedfordshire
North East Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2019 by Richard Fuller, of the Conservative Party.
Constituency profile
This is a mainly rural, professional area, ...
parliamentary constituency.
Prior to 1894, Upper Caldecote was administered as part of the hundred of
Wixamtree.
From 1894 until 1974 it was in
Biggleswade Rural District and from 1974 to 2009 in
Mid Bedfordshire District.
Public transport
Bus route no. 74 to Biggleswade and Bedford is operated by
Grant Palmer and runs most hours, morning to early evening, Monday to Saturday. Community bus operator Ivel Sprinter provides a service to Cambridge each Wednesday and Wanderbus a monthly service to
St. Neots.
The nearest railway station is
Biggleswade.
Community and amenities
A post office branch is within the Londis store on Hitchin Road. A farm shop is also on Hitchin Road just before the B658 roundabout and a small convenience store is on Biggleswade Road.
All Saints Parish Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Ely in 1868. The Methodist Church was built in 1909. An antique shop occupies the former Wesleyan Chapel on Hitchin Road.
Caldecote Church of England
Academy educates children from age 3 to 9. The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust is the governing body.
Bedfordshire Archives and Record Service list five former beerhouses/public houses in the village. The last to close was the Rose & Crown in 2001.
Sport
There is a playing field and sports pavilion maintained by the Caldecote Playing Fields Association charity.
Caldecote Football Club competes in the
Bedfordshire County Football League Premier Division. The team have finished champions of the Premier Division a record nine times in all: in 1996–7, four times in a row from 1998–9 to 2001–2, 2004–5, 2005–6, 2008-9 and 2012–13. The Britannia Cup was won a record seven times between 1996-7 and 2009–10.
Caldecote Cricket Club finished top of the second division of the Bedfordshire County Cricket League in 2019.
See also
*
Lower Caldecote
References
External links
*
Upper Caldecote history pagesCaldecote Playing Fields AssociationCaldecote Cricket ClubCaldecote Netball Club
{{authority control
Villages in Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire District