| Turvey | |
|---|---|
 All Saints' parish church | |
  Turvey Location withinBedfordshire | |
| Population | 1,225 2011 Census[1] |
| OS grid reference | SP943525 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bedford |
| Postcode district | MK43 |
| Dialling code | 01234 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | The Turvey Website |
| |
Turvey is a village andcivil parish on theRiver Great Ouse in theBorough of Bedford,Bedfordshire, England, about 7 miles (11 km) west ofBedford town centre. The village is on theA428 road between Bedford andNorthampton, close to the border withBuckinghamshire. The2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 1,225.[1]
Turvey is recorded inDomesday Book of 1086 as a parish in theHundred of Willey.[2] There are eight separate entries for Turvey, including a total of 44 households.[3] The Mordaunt family obtained the manor by marriage in 1197 and were ennobled asBarons of Turvey in the 16th century. The Mordaunt family house, Turvey Old Hall, was replaced byTurvey House in 1792, by which time the estate had passed to the Higgins family. It was extended in the 19th century and still stands. There is a second large house in the village calledTurvey Abbey, which was historically a family house, but is now aBenedictine monastery.
TheChurch of England parish church ofAll Saints hasSaxon origins but is almost certainly a post-Norman building. It is the largest church in thedeanery ofSharnbrook and was in theDiocese of Lincoln until it was transferred to theDiocese of Ely in 1837. Since 1914 it has been in theDiocese of St Albans. It has a 13th-century door with its original ironwork, a Normanbaptismal font, a wall painting of thecrucifixion and some notable monuments, includingmonumental brasses.[4] The Norman church was enlarged in the 14th and 15th centuries; sumptuous improvements were made by Sir Gilbert Scott.[5]
Turvey has a strong history oflace-making: there is evidence of a 19th-century lace-making school.
In the 19th century theBedford to Northampton Line of theMidland Railway was built through the parish and opened in 1872. There was aTurvey railway station in Station Road about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the centre of the village.British Railways closed the line in 1962.
Turvey has two village stores (one with a post office), a butcher,village hall and twopublic houses: the Three Fyshes and The Three Cranes. There is a long-established pre-school, Turvey Pre-School Playgroup, that looks after children from 2 years old and also runs a Before and After School Club for children at the local school. Turvey Primary School is a school for children from reception (4 years old) to year six (11 years).
Stagecoach East bus route 41 bus betweenBedford andNorthampton serves the village.[6]
The population of Turvey was 758 in 1801, rising to 1,028 in 1851 and falling to 782 by 1901. In 1951 it had dropped further to 733 but rose to 1,043 by 1991.[7]
Turvey electoral ward includes the villages ofStagsden andKempston Rural. Its borough councillor is Jim Weir (Conservative).
