Durocobrivae
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Dunstable ( ) is a
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
and
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 ...
in
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 England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, east of the
Chiltern Hills The Chiltern Hills is a chalk escarpment in England. The area, northwest of London, covers stretching from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast - across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire. ...
, north of
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. There are several steep chalk
escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...
s, most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north. Dunstable is the fourth largest town in
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 ...
and along with Houghton Regis forms the westernmost part of the
Luton/Dunstable Urban Area The Luton/Dunstable Urban Area, according to the Office for National Statistics, is the conurbation (continuous built up area) including the settlements of Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, in Bedfordshire, East of England. Despite straddli ...
.


Etymology

In
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
times there was a minor settlement called Durocobrivis in the area now occupied by modern-day Dunstable. There was a general assumption that the nominative form of the name had been Durocobrivae, so that is what appears on the map of 1944 illustrated
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor *Bottom (disambiguation) Bottom may refer to: Anatomy and sex * Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or ...
. But current thinking is that the form ''Durocobrivis'', which occurs in the
Antonine Itinerary The Antonine Itinerary ( la, Itinerarium Antonini Augusti,  "The Itinerary of the Emperor Antoninus") is a famous ''itinerarium'', a register of the stations and distances along various roads. Seemingly based on official documents, possibly ...
, is a fossilised locative that was used all the time and Ordnance Survey now uses this form. There are several theories concerning its modern name: *Legend tells that the lawlessness of the time was personified in a thief called Dun. Wishing to capture Dun, the King stapled his ring to a post daring the robber to steal it. It was, and was subsequently traced to the house of the widow Dun. Her son, the robber, was taken and hanged to the final satisfaction that the new community bore his name. *It comes from the Anglo-Saxon for "the boundary post of Duna". *Derived from ''Dunum'', or Dun, a hill, and ''Staple'', a marketplace.


History


Ancient history

Relics of Palæolithic humans, including such relics as flint implements and the bones of contemporary wild animals, suggest the settlement is prehistoric. At Maiden Bower in the parish of Houghton Regis to the north, there is an Iron Age hill fort, which is clearly marked on the Ordnance survey maps. Maiden Bower has some of the ramparts showing through the edge of an old chalk quarry at Sewell where remains of an older Bronze Age fort exist. There are many prehistoric sites in the area and details can be found with the Manshead Archaeological Society, which is based in Winfield Street, Dunstable. Dunstable is on the route of the Icknield Way, claimed to be 'the oldest road in Britain'.


Roman settlement

A settlement was established by the AD 40s and 50s, when the Romans arrived and paved the road now known as Watling Street and its crossroad, the Icknield Way. Traces of Neolithic activity are not in doubt but much of their mystery may be lost under the surrounding
Chiltern Hills The Chiltern Hills is a chalk escarpment in England. The area, northwest of London, covers stretching from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast - across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire. ...
. The Romans built a posting station and probably named the settlement Durocobrivae, but over time this may have shifted to Durocobrivis. The area was occupied by Saxons around AD 571.


Medieval times

Dunstable's modern structure dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, as do many of the nearby towns/villages. The etymology of Dunstable, akin to Luton, Houghton Regis, Totternhoe, Kensworth, Caddington, Toddington, Leighton Buzzard, etc. is Anglo-Saxon in origin, and believed to mean "Dun's market", "Downs' market" (i.e. market near the downs or hills), or "Dun's post/pole". There is no firm date as to the founding of Dunstable. However, it's possible that once the early Anglo-Saxon settled in the area, and had subdued local Romano-Britons, Dunstable along with its adjacent communities was founded between the 6th-8th centuries. During the Heptarchy period, what was to become Bedfordshire was part of the Kingdom of Mercia. This area of southern Bedfordshire was near the Danelaw boundary (the
river Lea The River Lea ( ) is in South East England. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Creek. It is one of t ...
running through Luton), though within the territory ruled by King Alfred the Great in his treaty with the Norse Lord Guthrum. There were raids by Norsemen, who had settled in Bedford and further north in Northampton and up to the Leicester/Rutland regions, for cattle, crops, slaves, and other items, which were often repelled by local Anglo-Saxon forces. One such raid occurred in 912, where Norse jarls from the East Midlands arranged raids of what is now southern Bedfordshire, including the Luton and Dunstable areas. However, Norse activity in the area was subdued after the Anglo-Saxon victory at the Battle of Tempsford, believed to have been fought further north in the county. Bedfordshire and by extension the Dunstable area was affected by later Norse raids, under Kings Sweyn Forkbeard and Cnut of Denmark, in response to the St. Bride's Massacre executed by King Athelred the Unready of England. From 1002, (the date of the Massacre) to 1016 (the ascension of Cnut as King of England), the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that Bedfordshire was heavily affected by Norse harrying. At the time of the Norman Conquest, this area of the county is known to have been uncultivated tract covered by woodlands. In 1109, Henry I started a period of activity by responding to this danger to travellers. He instructed areas to be cleared and encouraged settlers with offers of royal favour. In 1123, a royal residence was built at what is now called the Royal Palace Lodge Hotel on Church Street. The king used the residence as a base to hunt on nearby lands. The
Dunstable Priory The Priory Church of Saint Peter, St Peter with its monastery (Dunstable Priory) was founded in 1132 by Henry I of England, Henry I for Augustinians, Augustinian Canons Regular#Canons Regular, Canons in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. St Pete ...
was founded in 1131 by Henry I and was later used for the divorce between
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
and
Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
, which led to the establishment of the Church of England in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church. The same year the town granted a town charter to the power of the priors. In 1290, Dunstable was one of twelve sites to erect an
Eleanor cross The Eleanor crosses were a series of twelve tall and lavishly decorated stone monuments topped with crosses erected in a line down part of the east of England. King Edward I had them built between 1291 and about 1295 in memory of his beloved wi ...
recognising
Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I, whom she married as part of a political deal to affirm English sovereignty over Gascony. The marriage was known to be particularly close, and ...
, wife of
Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...
, whose coffin was laid close to the crossroads for the local people to mourn the dead Queen. The coffin was then guarded inside the priory by the canons overnight before continuing on to
St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman ro ...
. The original wooden cross has long since perished but a modern memorial remains. During the Invasion of England of 1326, Queen Isabella of France and her army, having landed in Suffolk, captured Dunstable on 7 October without a fight.


17th century

Bedfordshire was one of the counties that largely supported the Roundheads during the English Civil War. Nearby
St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...
in Hertfordshire was the headquarters of the Roundheads, and troops were occasionally stationed at Dunstable. The town was plundered by King Charles I's soldiers when passing through in June 1644, and Essex's men destroyed the Eleanor cross. The town's prosperity, and the large number of inns or public houses in the town, is partly because it is only one or two days' ride by horse from London (), and therefore a place to rest overnight. There are two pubs which still have coaching gates to the side: the ''Sugar Loaf'' in High Street North, and the '' Saracen's Head'' in High Street South. The Saracen's Head is a name often given to pubs frequented by knights of the crusades. It is positioned considerably lower than the road to its front, witness to the fact that the road has been resurfaced a number of times during the lifetime of the pub.


19th century

Dunstable's first railway opened in 1848. It was a branch joining the West Coast Main Line at
Leighton Buzzard Leighton Buzzard ( ) is a market town in Bedfordshire, England, in the southwest of the county and close to the Buckinghamshire border. It lies between Aylesbury, Tring, Luton/Dunstable and Milton Keynes, near the Chiltern Hills. It is northwes ...
. A second line linking Dunstable with via opened in 1858. Passenger services to Dunstable were withdrawn in 1965, but the line between Dunstable and Luton remained open for freight traffic for many years. A Local Government District was established to administer the town in 1863, which was incorporated in 1864 to become the Municipal Borough of Dunstable. Dunstable was a significant
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
, but its importance diminished as the neighbouring town of Luton grew.


20th century

The 19th century saw the straw hat making industry come to Luton and a subsequent decline in Dunstable, to be replaced in the early 20th century by the printing and
motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on Track (rail transport), rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of pe ...
industries, with companies such as Waterlow's and Vauxhall Motors respectively. The new
Bedford Dunstable plant The Bedford Dunstable plant was a truck and bus vehicle assembly plant, located in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. Developed and opened by Vauxhall Motors in 1942 under instruction from the Ministry of Production as a shadow factory, it ...
came into production in 1942 to support the British Army in the Second World War. It continued manufacturing commercial trucks and buses until 1992. The closure of the main factories and the decline of manufacturing in the area has led to this distinctiveness being lost. Shops were concentrated along High Street North/South (Watling Street) and in 1966 the Quadrant Shopping Centre opened. By the 1980s, Dunstable town centre was a successful shopping centre featuring major retailers including Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose,
Bejam Bejam was a British frozen food retailer founded by John Apthorp in 1968, based in Stanmore. History In 1968, the concept of selling only frozen foods was a novel idea at the time, and Bejam grew out of Apthorp's existing family business of ''E ...
/ Iceland, Boots, Halfords, Co-op department store, Argos,
Woolworths Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...
, Burton, Next and many independent specialist shops including Moore's of Dunstable. These attracted shoppers from outlying villages resulting in a thriving retail town centre larger than would be supportable by Dunstable residents alone, so much so that in 1985 the Eleanor's Cross retail area was developed to cater mainly for smaller shops. The Cottage Garden Flower Shop of Chiltern Road, established in 1898, is believed to be the oldest independent retail business still trading.


21st century

As with many other market towns, the rise of out-of-town retail parks with free parking caused a decline in town centre trade; Sainsbury's, Tesco, Halfords, and Next moved to newer larger premises out-of-town. More recently, major retailers Asda,
Wilko Wilko may refer to: People * Wilko Johnson (1947–2022), English musician * Wilko de Vogt (born 1975), Dutch football goalkeeper, mostly played for Dutch clubs * Wilko Risser (born 1982), Namibian-German football forward, mostly played for German ...
and Aldi have opened stores in the town centre. Whitbread PLC, which manages Premier Inn, Beefeater,
Brewers Fayre Brewers Fayre is a licensed pub restaurant chain, with 161 locations across the UK as of August 2018. Owned by Whitbread, Brewers Fayre restaurants are known for serving traditional British pub food and for their Sunday Carvery. History The f ...
and
Table Table Table Table is a brand of restaurants set up by Whitbread in 2008, the brand actually started in 2006 but was unnamed. The brand was created following a rethink of the former Whitbread brand Out & Out. The majority of Table Tables are converted ...
, is headquartered on the Houghton Regis/Dunstable industrial estate which is also home to the head office of Costa Coffee.


Governance

Before the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
coming into force in 1974, Dunstable was a municipal borough. It is now a
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 ...
in the Central Bedfordshire district. The civil parish is served by Dunstable Town Council which is based at Grove House. For council elections the town is divided into
wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...
. Since 2002, these have been called Chiltern, Dunstable Central, Icknield, Manshead, Northfields and Watling. Dunstable is served by the
Bedfordshire Police Bedfordshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire in England, which includes the unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. Its headquarters are in Kempston, B ...
force where the Police and Crime Commissioner is
Festus Akinbusoye Festus Akinbusoye is a British Conservative politician who was elected as Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner at the 2021 election. Akinbusoye is the first black Briton to be elected to this role. He is also the only PCC from a Black, Asi ...
. He is the first
black Briton Black British people are a multi-ethnic group of British citizens of either African or Afro-Caribbean descent.Gadsby, Meredith (2006), ''Sucking Salt: Caribbean Women Writers, Migration, and Survival'', University of Missouri Press, pp. 76–7 ...
to be elected to this position.


Geography

The oldest part of the town is along the Icknield Way and Watling Street where they cross. These roads split the rest of the town into four quadrants which have each been developed in stages. The northwest quadrant started to be developed in the 19th century when the
British Land Company The British Land Company plc is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the United Kingdom. The firm became a real estate investment trust when REITs were introduced in the UK in January 2007. It is headquartered in ...
laid out the roads around Victoria Street. The development of the Beecroft area began with the houses around Worthington Road; after the Second World War the borough council extended the estate up to Westfield Road with its shops, and then up to Aldbanks. The war-time site of the Meteorological Office, was then in Houghton Regis, where Cookfield Close and Weatherby stand. The site was redeveloped by George Wimpey Homes and others. At the north of the town there is an estate originally marketed as ''French's Gate Estate'', and at the west of the town there is an area of houses on Lancot Hill. The southwest quadrant has largely been developed since the Second World War. There are three main estates. In the Lake District Estate all the streets are named after places in the
Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
and Cumbria; the estate includes a parade of shops on Langdale Road. It was originally called the ''Croft Golf Course Estate'' and was built by Laing Homes. Oldhill Down Estate around the Lowther Road shops was developed by William Old Ltd., and the Stipers Hill Estate around Seamons Close was initially created by the
Land Settlement Association The Land Settlement Association was a UK Government scheme set up in 1934, with help from the charities the Plunkett Foundation and the Carnegie Trust, to re-settle unemployed workers from depressed industrial areas,South West Bedfordshire South West Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. As with all constituencies of the UK Parliament, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The ser ...
. Since June 2001
Leighton Buzzard Leighton Buzzard ( ) is a market town in Bedfordshire, England, in the southwest of the county and close to the Buckinghamshire border. It lies between Aylesbury, Tring, Luton/Dunstable and Milton Keynes, near the Chiltern Hills. It is northwes ...
based lawyer
Andrew Selous Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (; born 27 April 1962) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Bedfordshire since the 2001 general election. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Ministe ...
of the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
has represented the constituency. The previous incumbent for several parliaments was Conservative backbencher David Madel.


Transport


Road

The A5 trunk road lies at the heart of Dunstable's transport infrastructure, directing movement north and south. This movement is complemented by the M1 motorway east of the town in Luton. The nearest motorway junction is J11, which is about to the east of the town centre via the
A505 The A505 is an A-class road in England. It follows part of the route of the Icknield Way and the corresponding Icknield Way Path and runs from Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire to the A11 Abington Interchange North in Cambridgeshire. Route ...
. Although congested, the town's roads provide the means to connect to the country's motorways systems.


Bus

Dunstable is served by two main operators, Arriva and
Centrebus Centrebus is a bus company based in Leicester operating services in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. Centrebus have a 51% shareholding in High Peak Buses and since December 2019 through c ...
. Arriva runs the interurban services to Luton (direct and via Houghton Regis),
Leighton Buzzard Leighton Buzzard ( ) is a market town in Bedfordshire, England, in the southwest of the county and close to the Buckinghamshire border. It lies between Aylesbury, Tring, Luton/Dunstable and Milton Keynes, near the Chiltern Hills. It is northwes ...
and
Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wy ...
, but other routes have been steadily taken over from Arriva by Centrebus in recent years, which now provides services to
St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...
,
Harpenden Harpenden () is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,240 in the 2011 census, whilst the population of the civil parish was 29,448. Har ...
, Luton (direct and via Caddington),
Toddington Toddington could be *Toddington, Bedfordshire **Toddington services, M1 motorway *Toddington, Gloucestershire **Toddington railway station Toddington railway station serves the village of Toddington in Gloucestershire, England. Since 1984 it h ...
and
Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...
. Centrebus also operates three local services within Dunstable to Beecroft/Weatherby, Downside and the Langdale Road estate. Many bus services are financially supported by Central Bedfordshire Council.


Luton Dunstable Busway

Construction of the Luton Dunstable Busway between Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Luton and
Luton Airport London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated east of the town centre, and north of Central London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by L ...
was completed in September 2013 at the cost of £91m. Much of the busway runs along the lines of the old railway which has been converted into a guided busway and dedicated roadway. Buses travel on ordinary roads around Dunstable, Houghton Regis and at the airport, but benefit from fast transit (up to 50 mph) with few stops on the busway itself between these centres. Multiple companies operate different routes which run on the busway.


Rail

Dunstable was once served by the Dunstable Branch Lines to Leighton Buzzard and to Luton from
Dunstable Town railway station Dunstable Town, also known as Dunstable Church Street, was a railway station on the Great Northern Railway's branch line from Welwyn which served Dunstable in Bedfordshire from 1858 to 1965. Against a background of falling passenger numbers an ...
. There have been a number of campaigns for the re-establishment of a passenger railway, but these have been superseded by the Luton to Dunstable Busway, which uses the former rail route (see Bus Transport above). Dunstable is one of the largest towns south of the Midlands conurbations without its own rail service. But as part of the large Luton
conurbation A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...
it is from north Luton's Leagrave station, from the central Luton station, and 8 miles from south Luton's Airport Parkway station, which all provide fast rail links to central London.


New developments


A5-M1 Link (Dunstable Northern Bypass)

The A5-M1 Link (Dunstable Northern Bypass), which opened in May 2017, is a two-lane dual carriageway running east from the A5 north of Dunstable to join the M1 at a new Junction 11a south of
Chalton Chalton may refer to: *Chalton, Bedfordshire, England *Chalton, Hampshire, England See also

*Charlton (disambiguation) {{place name disambiguation ...
. Here, it is intended to join with a proposed Luton Northern Bypass to form a northern bypass for the wider conurbation. The A5-M1 Link aims to alleviate traffic congestion in Houghton Regis and Dunstable, reduce journey times for long-distance traffic travelling through Dunstable and improve the regional economy. Highways England detrunked the A5 through Dunstable, renumbering it A5183, when the A5-M1 Link opened to the public in May 2017. As a direct result of the detrunking, Central Bedfordshire Council introduced a 7.5 tonne weight limit on most roads in Dunstable town centre in 2017 with the aim of easing congestion.


Woodside Link

The A5505 Woodside Link connects the industrial areas of Dunstable and Houghton Regis to the new junction 11a of the M1 motorway. This road takes traffic out of the town centres, reduces congestion and improves air quality. Forming part of Central Bedfordshire Council's Dunstable Town Centre Masterplan, the Woodside Link improves job opportunities and quality of life for people living and working in Dunstable and neighbouring towns and villages. It will also provide access to a new development area north of Houghton Regis, where 5,150 new homes are to be built and 30 hectares of employment land are to be developed by 2031. Central Bedfordshire Council delivered the £38.3m scheme with contributions of £20m from SEMLEP's Local Growth Deal, £5m from the UK government's Local Pinch Point Fund and £1m of developer contributions.


Amenities


Culture

Since opening in April 2007 the 780 seat Grove Theatre has replaced the Queensway Hall as the town's premier arts centre. The Little Theatre, home of the Dunstable Rep Theatre Group also hosts dramatic performances throughout the year. The auditorium, once part of the Chews Trust was fully opened in 1964 by
Bernard Bresslaw Bernard Bresslaw (25 February 193411 June 1993) was a British actor. He is best known as a member of the ''Carry On'' film franchise. Bresslaw also worked on television and stage, did recordings and wrote a series of poetry. Biography Bernard B ...
. It sits next to the historic Chews House on High Street South. The town also has numerous amateur dramatics societies that perform several shows a year. These include 'The Square Drama Circle' and 'Dunstable Amateur Operatics Society'. Currently a Wetherspoons entitled ''The Gary Cooper'' (named after the famous actor who once resided in the town for his education), and a nightclub called ''BOX3'' each occupy a unit in the Grove Park complex. A unit is also currently occupied by Central Bedfordshire College. The other units are occupied by ''The Performing Arts Depot'' (PAD), and BBC 3 Counties Radio.


Sport and leisure

Several parks and open spaces are kept by Central Bedfordshire Council along with Dunstable Leisure Centre. The centre was closed on 4 June 2017 to undergo a £20.1 million redevelopment incorporating a brand new town library. 'The Dunstable Centre', which opened in June 2019 (albeit without its swimming pool) includes state-of-the-art leisure facilities, gym, swimming pools and a flexible community space for other public and community services, such as the Citizens Advice and adult day care / disabled sports. Stevenage Leisure Limited will manage and operate the leisure centre on behalf on Central Bedfordshire Council. It neighbours the Grove Theatre (also managed by SLL), a modern 32-lane ten-pin bowling centre, and the main campus of
Central Bedfordshire College Central Bedfordshire College (formerly Dunstable College, also known as CBC) is a British further education college located in Bedfordshire, England. The college was established in 1961 in Dunstable. On 14 January 2010, the college was renamed ...
. The town is home to two senior football clubs,
Dunstable Town F.C. Dunstable Town Football Club is a football club based in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. Affiliated with the Bedfordshire County Football Association, they are currently members of the and play at Creasey Park. History The club was estab ...
and AFC Dunstable who both play at the Creasey Park Stadium.
Dunstable Town F.C. Dunstable Town Football Club is a football club based in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. Affiliated with the Bedfordshire County Football Association, they are currently members of the and play at Creasey Park. History The club was estab ...
play in the Southern League Premier and AFC Dunstable play in the Spartan South Mildlands League. Dunstable Town famously recruited George Best to ply his trade in the town and defeated Manchester United 3–2 in the process. A Rugby Union team that plays in RFU Midlands 2 (level 6) called
Dunstablians Dunstablians Rugby Union Football Club are an amateur rugby union club based in Bedfordshire, who play their rugby in Midlands 3 East (South), an eight tier league in the English rugby union system. Their ground is located just outside nearby H ...
play their matches in nearby Houghton Regis at Bidwell Hill. Lancot Meadow () is a small nature reserve managed by the local Wildlife Trust. Dunstable Downs Golf Club, founded in 1906 and designed by James Braid, is on the top of the Downs.


Landmarks

Within the town centre is the Grove Theatre, Priory House Heritage Centre and the
Priory Church A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...
where
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
formalised his divorce from
Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
. At the heart of the town sits the Quadrant Shopping Centre, while across High Street North a secondary shopping community named the Eleanor's Cross Shopping Precinct hosts a modern statue commemorating the original cross. Nearby Luton has the
Waulud's Bank Waulud's Bank is a possible Neolithic henge in Leagrave, Luton dating from 3,000BC. The Waulud's Bank earthworks are in the North of Luton and are situated on the edge of Leagrave common, with Central Leagrave to the south east and Marsh Farm ...
prehistoric henge and
Luton Museum & Art Gallery Wardown House Museum and Gallery formerly Wardown Park Museum and, before that, the Luton Museum & Art Gallery in Luton, is housed in a large Victorian mansion in Wardown Park on the outskirts of the town centre. The museum collection focuses ...
. Dunstable Downs, a chalky escarpment outside the town, is a popular site for
kite flying A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the face ...
, paragliding and hang gliding, while the London Gliding Club provides a base for conventional
gliding Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...
and other air activities at the bottom of the Downs. Further into the countryside are the open-range Whipsnade Zoo, a garden laid out in the form of a cathedral at Whipsnade Tree Cathedral and the Totternhoe Knolls motte-and-bailey castle. The Icknield Way Path passes through the town on its 110-mile journey from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Suffolk. Th
Icknield Way Trail
a multi-user route for walkers, horse riders and off-road cyclists also passes through the town. The route of these now leisure routes now go to the west and north of the main conurbation rather than following the road which still bears its name.


Education

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) ...
s in the town include: *
All Saints Academy, Dunstable All Saints Academy (formerly The Northfields Technology College) is a co-ed secondary school located in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. All Saints educates 11- to 16-year-olds, as well as mainly from the town of Dunstable and some surrounding ...
, formerly Northfields Technology College * Queensbury Academy, formerly Queensbury Upper School *
Manshead CE Academy Manshead CE Academy is a Mixed-sex education, mixed Church of England Academy, secondary academy and sixth form located on the outskirts of both Caddington and Dunstable in Bedfordshire, England. The academy (surrounded by countryside and hills ...
, formerly Manshead Upper School The Priory Academy is a combined Middle and Upper School serving children from the ages of 9 to 16. The former Dunstable Grammar School (later
Ashton Middle School Ashton (Church of England) Middle School was a Middle Schools in England, middle school in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England, under the Central Bedfordshire Local Education Authority. Intake came from lower schools in the town and surrounding vi ...
) closed in 2016, and its historic buildings have been converted to private residences. All secondary schools apart from the Priory Academy the town have attached sixth forms.
The Chiltern School The Chiltern School is a coeducational special school located in Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, England. The school accepts pupils from all over the Central Bedfordshire area. Special education The Chiltern School is for pupils between the ...
and
Weatherfield Academy Weatherfield Academy (formerly Weatherfield School) is a mixed special school located in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. The school accepts pupils from all over the Central Bedfordshire area. The school is for pupils whose special education ...
are coeducational
special school Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
s in Dunstable. These schools educate pupils from the wider Central Bedfordshire area.
Central Bedfordshire College Central Bedfordshire College (formerly Dunstable College, also known as CBC) is a British further education college located in Bedfordshire, England. The college was established in 1961 in Dunstable. On 14 January 2010, the college was renamed ...
is a
further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. I ...
site which serves students from Dunstable and the surrounding rural area.


Notable people

*
Mick Abrahams Michael Timothy Abrahams (born 7 April 1943) is an English guitarist and band leader, best known for being the original guitarist for Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1968 and the frontman for Blodwyn Pig. Jethro Tull Abrahams was born in Luton, B ...
, founder member of Jethro Tull *
Thomas Aynscombe Thomas Aynscombe was an early-18th-century Dunstable and Smithfield, London landlord and minor benefactor. Thomas Aynscombe (died October 1740) of Charterhouse yard, and Northall in Buckinghamshire, was the son of Henry Aynscombe (died 1697), of ...
, (died 1740), son of Elizabeth (died 1711), daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Chew, Dunstable haberdasher *
Nigel Benson Nigel C. Benson (born January 15, 1955) is a British author and illustrator. Benson was born in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, son of Ralph H. Benson, a fine artist specializing in oils and pastels, and Heather M. Benson. He grew up in Duns ...
, author and illustrator *
Spike Breakwell Spike Breakwell (born Colin James Breakwell on 13 June 1968) is a British comedian. When he was four months old he became disabled through taking oral polio vaccine which caused a two-week coma. He was brought up in Dunstable, and "treated and ra ...
, comedian *
Clark Brothers Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
, African-American tap dancers who settled in Dunstable after World War II * Paul Clayton, footballer * Gary Cooper, Hollywood film actor, went to
Dunstable Grammar School Dunstable Grammar School was a grammar school in the market town of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. Opened in 1888, it was closed in 1971. The site is now home to residential flats and apartments. Foundation Dunstable Grammar School was esta ...
from 1910 to 1913 * Kerry Dixon, footballer * John Dunstaple (or Dunstable), 15th-century composer who was probably born in the town * Chris Gauthier, actor, grew up here before moving to Canada when he was 5. * Don Gilet, actor, best known for playing Lucas in
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
* Geoffrey de Gorham, born circa 1100 in Maine, France, became master of a school in Dunstable and later
Abbot of St Albans {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 This is a list of abbots of St Albans Abbey up to its Dissolution in 1539. # Willegod (793–796) # Eadric # Wulsig # Wulnoth (Walworth) (c. 930) # Eadfrith # Wulsin (d. c. 968) # Aelfric # Ealdred # Eadmer # Leo ...
* Damon Gough, musician known as Badly Drawn Boy *
Nikki Iles Nikki Anne Iles (née Burnham; born 16 May 1963) is a British jazz composer, pianist and educator. Early life Iles was born in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, on 16 May 1963. She started her musical education at primary school, where she learnt to ...
, musician * Rob Keogh, cricketer *
Michael Kilby Michael Leopold Kilby (3 September 1924 – 9 September 2008) was a British Conservative politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament for Nottingham between 1984 and 1989. Prior to his election as a Member of the European Parlia ...
, Conservative politician *
Rhodri Marsden Rhodri Marsden (born 1 October 1971) is a London-based writer and musician. Journalism Prior to the demise of the print edition of ''The Independent'', Marsden wrote a technology column for nearly ten years, along with other columns on a range o ...
, musician and writer *
Kevin McCloud Kevin McCloud, (born 8 May 1959) is a British designer, writer, and television presenter. He has presented the Channel 4 series ''Grand Designs'' since its debut in April 1999. Early life Born in Bedfordshire, McCloud and his two brothers, T ...
, designer, writer and television presenter. Attended Dunstable Grammar School and Manshead Upper School *
Alfred Morcom Alfred Farr Morcom (16 February 1885 – 12 February 1952) was an English first-class cricketer and medical doctor. He played first-class cricket on 23 occasions between 1905 and 1911, twenty of which came for Cambridge University, in addition ...
, cricketer and medical doctor *
Joe Church John Edward Church (10 August 1899 29 September 1989), commonly referred to as Joe Church, was a British missionary who served with Church Mission Society (CMS). Dr. Joe Church served primarily in Rwanda and Uganda. He left England in 1927 and ser ...
* Khawaja Nazimuddin, former prime minister of Pakistan * Alexander Neckam, scientist and teacher *
Bernard O'Mahoney Bernard O'Mahoney (born 15 March 1960, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England) is an English author, security detail, and former soldier. After taking control of security at a nightclub he became associated with Tony Tucker, a drug dealer who was shot ...
, crime author (was born there in 1960 but moved to Wolverhampton as a child) * Elkanah Settle, poet and playwright * Andrew Tate, Kickboxer, social media personality and TopG * Tristan Tate, Kickboxer, social media personality and brother of Andrew Tate * Faye Tozer, member of the pop group
Steps Step(s) or STEP may refer to: Common meanings * Steps, making a staircase * Walking * Dance move * Military step, or march ** Marching Arts Films and television * ''Steps'' (TV series), Hong Kong * ''Step'' (film), US, 2017 Literature * ...


Twin towns

Dunstable is twinned with: *
Bourgoin-Jallieu Bourgoin-Jallieu (; frp, Brégon) is a commune in the Isère department in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France. The city had 28,834 inhabitants in 2019 and lies 35 kilometres east-southeast of Lyon. It was formed by the merger of the ...
, France * Porz (Cologne), Germany Dunstable is also unofficially twinned with
Dunstable, Massachusetts Dunstable ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,358 at the 2020 census. Etymology Dunstable was named after its sister town Dunstable, England. There are several theories concerning its modern name ...
.


Local destinations


References


Bibliography

* ''Prehistory:'' * ''Historical town-centre locations:'' * ''Street names:'' * ''Second World War:''


External links


Dunstable Town Council

Focus On: Dunstable
1966 Anglia Television programme looking at life in Dunstable, East Anglian Film Archive. {{Authority control Towns in Bedfordshire Civil parishes in Bedfordshire Central Bedfordshire District