Kingsbrook
Encyclopedia
Kingsbrook is an electoral ward and area within the town
of Bedford
, England
.
The boundaries of Kingsbrook are approximately the River Great Ouse
and Priory Country Park
to the north, Cambridge
Road and the A421
to the south and east, with Redwood Grove and Willow Road to the west.
The Fenlake and Silver Jubilee neighbourhoods are both part of the Kingsbrook ward, as is the Priory Business Park and the Cambridge Road Industrial Estate. Kingsbrook is the largest ward (in terms of population) in Bedford.
or early bronze age
settlement and ritual site, located next to the Bunyan Centre in Kingsbrook. Excavations in 1995 uncovered three skeletons and by a complete Beaker
pot .
There was some settlement in the northern part of Kingsbrook (by the river) in the 19th Century. However the area was not properly developed until the 20th Century, with the construction of the Silver Jubilee neighbourhood in the 1930s, which was named after the Silver Jubilee
of King George V
in 1935. The final part of southern Kingsbrook was settled by the 1970s, and named Fenlake.
is the local council for Kingsbrook and the neighbouring ward of Cauldwell, with twelve seats elected every four years (six of which are from Kingsbrook). There are currently four Liberal Democrat
, and two independent councillors representing Kingsbrook on the community council.
Kingsbrook elects two councillors to Bedford Borough Council
, currently, after the 2011 election, one is Labour and the other Liberal Democrat.
, petrol station, post office
, bakery
and a Mecca Bingo hall. There is a large Tesco
superstore sited on Cardington
Road, as well as the Barns Hotel.
There are two large business parks in Kingsbrook. The first is the Cambridge Road Industrial Estate which houses many companies including Fujifilm
. The second is Priory Business Park on Cardington Road, which houses many other firms including the head offices of Autoglass
.
age children in the area attend Harrowden Middle School
situated on Oak Road. For older students, Kingsbrook is served by Bedford Academy sited on Mile Road. The school shares some sports facilities with the nearby Bunyan Centre.
s in the area - The first is Scott Hall Community Centre located on Barford Avenue, and the second is the Jubilation Centre situated on Moulton Avenue. The Oasis Beach Pool (a public swimming pool
) is situated on Cardington Road.
The Bunyan Centre is a leisure centre
situated in Kingsbrook. The site has been selected as an official training site for the London
2012 Olympics. The venue is expected to attract fencers, wrestlers and judo players 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 Bunyan Centre) for their olympic preparations.. However, it has now been announced that the Bunyan Centre is to close in 2012.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The boundaries of Kingsbrook are approximately the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
and Priory Country Park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
to the north, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
Road and the A421
A421 road
The A421 is an important road for east/west journeys across England. Together with the A428, the A43 and A34, it forms the route from Cambridge through Milton Keynes to Oxford...
to the south and east, with Redwood Grove and Willow Road to the west.
The Fenlake and Silver Jubilee neighbourhoods are both part of the Kingsbrook ward, as is the Priory Business Park and the Cambridge Road Industrial Estate. Kingsbrook is the largest ward (in terms of population) in Bedford.
History
There is evidence of a late neolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
or early bronze age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlement and ritual site, located next to the Bunyan Centre in Kingsbrook. Excavations in 1995 uncovered three skeletons and by a complete Beaker
Beaker culture
The Bell-Beaker culture , ca. 2400 – 1800 BC, is the term for a widely scattered cultural phenomenon of prehistoric western Europe starting in the late Neolithic or Chalcolithic running into the early Bronze Age...
pot .
There was some settlement in the northern part of Kingsbrook (by the river) in the 19th Century. However the area was not properly developed until the 20th Century, with the construction of the Silver Jubilee neighbourhood in the 1930s, which was named after the Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in 1935. The final part of southern Kingsbrook was settled by the 1970s, and named Fenlake.
Governance
Cauldwell and Kingsbrook Urban Community CouncilCommunity council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
is the local council for Kingsbrook and the neighbouring ward of Cauldwell, with twelve seats elected every four years (six of which are from Kingsbrook). There are currently four Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, and two independent councillors representing Kingsbrook on the community council.
Kingsbrook elects two councillors to Bedford Borough Council
Bedford (borough)
Bedford is a unitary authority with the status of a borough in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is based at Bedford, which is also the county town of Bedfordshire. The borough contains a single urban area, the 69th largest in the United Kingdom that comprises Bedford and...
, currently, after the 2011 election, one is Labour and the other Liberal Democrat.
Economy
There are many local shops and services located on London Road, including a supermarketSupermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
, petrol station, post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, bakery
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
and a Mecca Bingo hall. There is a large Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
superstore sited on Cardington
Cardington
Cardington may refer to:*Cardington, Bedfordshire, a village and civil parish in England*Cardington, Shropshire, a village and civil parish in England*Cardington, Ohio, a village in the United States...
Road, as well as the Barns Hotel.
There are two large business parks in Kingsbrook. The first is the Cambridge Road Industrial Estate which houses many companies including Fujifilm
Fujifilm
is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
. The second is Priory Business Park on Cardington Road, which houses many other firms including the head offices of Autoglass
Autoglass
Autoglass is a car-windscreen repair company based in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.-History:In 1971, Windshields was formed in Bedford, and operated across southern England doing mobile repairs. In 1973 the Doulton Group launched Autoglass, which operated across northern England...
.
Education
There is one lower school in Kingsbrook - Stephenson Lower School located on Canvin Way. Middle schoolMiddle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
age children in the area attend Harrowden Middle School
Harrowden Middle School
Harrowden Middle School is a Middle school in the Kingsbrook area of Bedford, Bedfordshire.The School normally admits pupils from Stephenson Lower School; most graduating students go on to attend Bedford Academy....
situated on Oak Road. For older students, Kingsbrook is served by Bedford Academy sited on Mile Road. The school shares some sports facilities with the nearby Bunyan Centre.
Religious sites
- Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, located on Harrowden Road
- St Michael's and All Angels Church (Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
), located on Barford Avenue - The Bedford NirankariNirankariThe Sant Nirankari Mission , abbreviated as, SNM, and also known as Universal Brotherhood Mission, is a spiritual organization.The Sant Nirankari Mission is neither a new religion nor a sect of an existing religion, but an all-embracing spiritual movement dedicated to human welfare...
Satsung Bhawan HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Temple, located on Cardington Road - There is a Kingdom HallKingdom HallA Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii...
for Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
on Goodmayes Close
Community facilities
Kingsbrook's open spaces include Jubilee Park on Canvin Way, and Fenlake Meadows on Cardington Road. There are two community centreCommunity centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
s in the area - The first is Scott Hall Community Centre located on Barford Avenue, and the second is the Jubilation Centre situated on Moulton Avenue. The Oasis Beach Pool (a public swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
) is situated on Cardington Road.
The Bunyan Centre is a leisure centre
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
situated in Kingsbrook. The site has been selected as an official training site for the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
2012 Olympics. The venue is expected to attract fencers, wrestlers and judo players 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 Bunyan Centre) for their olympic preparations.. However, it has now been announced that the Bunyan Centre is to close in 2012.