Northill
Encyclopedia
Northill is a village and civil parish
in the county of Bedfordshire
, England
. It falls under the Northill and Blunham ward in the Central Bedfordshire
local authority. As of 2001 Northill had a population of about 900 people. The village is also the administrative centre of the civil parish
of Northill, which as of 2001 had a population of 2,288. The parish includes the hamlet
s of Budna
, Lower
and Upper Caldecote
, Hatch
, Ickwell
and Thorncote Green
.
The village is located about 4 miles to the west north west of Biggleswade
and is centred around a T-junction, which sees the Ickwell Road meet the Bedford Road.
Part of the ancient hundred of Wixamtree
, the village was originally known as North Givell, meaning the northern part of territory of the River Ivel
. The place-name is first evidenced in the Domesday Book
of 1086. The core of the village's buildings date back to the 14th century. To this day many examples of thatched roofing exist around Northill.
Among the buildings stemming from the 14th century is the village's Anglican
Church of St Mary, which is built of ironstone
and has been extensively restored over the subsequent centuries. The church itself contains fine examples of 17th-century painted glass.
Northill was the baptismal place, and possibly the birthplace, of the famous clockmaker Thomas Tompion
, who built the famous Pump Room Clock in 1709 that has since seen active service in the city of Bath.
called The Crown located next door to the church. The village features no stores or shops, and no prominent commercial entities.
The village of Northill is known locally for being the starting place of the popular Ickwell May Day
celebration that sees local floats and residents travel the mile or so down the Ickwell Road to the neighbouring village of Ickwell
. There the celebrations conclude on the village green. The Northill/Ickwell May Day celebration has been in operation since at least circa 1565.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the county of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, 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...
. It falls under the Northill and Blunham ward in the Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created from the merger of Bedfordshire County Council, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire on 1 April 2009...
local authority. As of 2001 Northill had a population of about 900 people. The village is also the administrative centre of the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Northill, which as of 2001 had a population of 2,288. The parish includes the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
s of Budna
Budna
Budna is a hamlet located in Bedfordshire, England.Budna is located to the north of the village of Northill, and near to Thorncote Green and Hatch. Budna lies on the border between Central Bedfordshire and the Borough of Bedford....
, Lower
Lower Caldecote
Lower Caldecote is a hamlet located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It also forms part of the Northill civil parish...
and Upper Caldecote
Upper Caldecote
Upper Caldecote is a village located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It also forms part of the Northill civil parish. The nearest town to Upper Caldecote is Biggleswade....
, Hatch
Hatch, Bedfordshire
Hatch is a hamlet in Bedfordshire, England.The settlement forms part of the Northill parish in Central Bedfordshire. Budna and Thorncote Green are located near to Hatch....
, Ickwell
Ickwell
Ickwell is a hamlet in Bedfordshire, England.With the settlements of Upper and Lower Caldecote, Thorncote, Hatch, Brook End, Cow Pastures, Vinegar Hill and Budna, the hamlet of Ickwell makes up the civil parish of Northill.-History:...
and Thorncote Green
Thorncote Green
Thorncote Green is a hamlet located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement is located to the north of the village of Northill, and practically next to Budna...
.
The village is located about 4 miles to the west north west of Biggleswade
Biggleswade
Biggleswade is a market town and civil parish located on the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, England. It is well served by transport routes, being close to the A1 road between London and the North, as well as having a railway station on the main rail link North from London .-Geography:Located about 40...
and is centred around a T-junction, which sees the Ickwell Road meet the Bedford Road.
Geography
Topographically, Northill is situated on a slightly elevated ridge that run from north to south, and the surrounding terrain comprises parkland and woodland.It has a school, pub and church.History
Wixamtree
Wixamtree is the name of an ancient hundred located in Bedfordshire, England.Wixamtree was one of the hundreds of Bedfordshire, with its council being the primary form of local government in its area from the Anglo-Saxon times to the nineteenth century....
, the village was originally known as North Givell, meaning the northern part of territory of the River Ivel
River Ivel
The River Ivel is a river in the east of England. It is a tributary of the River Great Ouse.-Course of the Ivel:The river Ivel rises just north of Baldock in Hertfordshire, but most of its course lies within Bedfordshire. It flows through Stotfold, Arlesey, Henlow, Langford, Biggleswade, Sandy and...
. The place-name is first evidenced in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086. The core of the village's buildings date back to the 14th century. To this day many examples of thatched roofing exist around Northill.
Among the buildings stemming from the 14th century is the village's Anglican
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
Church of St Mary, which is built of ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
and has been extensively restored over the subsequent centuries. The church itself contains fine examples of 17th-century painted glass.
Northill was the baptismal place, and possibly the birthplace, of the famous clockmaker Thomas Tompion
Thomas Tompion
Thomas Tompion was an English clock maker, watchmaker and mechanician who is still regarded to this day as the Father of English Clockmaking. Tompion's work includes some of the most historic and important clocks and watches in the world and can command very high prices whenever outstanding...
, who built the famous Pump Room Clock in 1709 that has since seen active service in the city of Bath.
Events and Amenities
Aside from residential homes, Northill features an Anglican church, and a public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
called The Crown located next door to the church. The village features no stores or shops, and no prominent commercial entities.
The village of Northill is known locally for being the starting place of the popular Ickwell May Day
Ickwell May Day
Ickwell May Day is a celebration of spring held at Ickwell in the parish of Northill. The earliest documented Ickwell May Day festivities were in 1565. By then it had become a Christian festival, though its origins likely pre-date Christianity to the pagan Beltane festivals...
celebration that sees local floats and residents travel the mile or so down the Ickwell Road to the neighbouring village of Ickwell
Ickwell
Ickwell is a hamlet in Bedfordshire, England.With the settlements of Upper and Lower Caldecote, Thorncote, Hatch, Brook End, Cow Pastures, Vinegar Hill and Budna, the hamlet of Ickwell makes up the civil parish of Northill.-History:...
. There the celebrations conclude on the village green. The Northill/Ickwell May Day celebration has been in operation since at least circa 1565.