| Everton | |
|---|---|
 Thevillage sign for Everton-cum-Tetworth | |
  Everton Location withinBedfordshire | |
| Population | 523 (2011 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TL201512 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SANDY |
| Postcode district | SG19 |
| Dialling code | 01767 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Everton is a small rural village of about 200 dwellings (including outlying) andcivil parish in theCentral Bedfordshire district ofBedfordshire, England about 9 miles (14 km) east of the county town ofBedford.[2][3]
Everton is 2 miles (3 km) north-east ofSandy, 16 miles (26 km) west ofCambridge and 43.5 miles (70 km) north ofCentral London.
Parish area and boundaries
The civil parish covers an area of 1,087 hectares (2,686 acres) and is boot-shaped. The White Way, a former Roman road forms part of the parish's north-western boundary. The north and north-eastern boundary is withCambridgeshire.[4]
Landscape
Natural England has categorised the landscape into National Character Areas. The village and higher land of the parish lie within the Bedfordshire Greensand Ridge. The western lower lying area is part of the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands.[5] Central Bedfordshire Council further divides the landscape into more local areas. The west of the parish forms part of the predominantly flat, Biggin Wood Clay Vale. Mixed roadside hedgerows are a feature with grass verges and roadside trees of ash, field maple and oak. The occasional solitary farm dots the landscape. The surrounding area is mostly arable farmland.[6] The village and higher ground are part of the Everton Heath Greensand Ridge, which has a fairly steep northwest facing slope backed by an area of undulating land forming the ridge top. Woodbury Park just to the north of the village is grassland and woodland. White Wood is an ancient woodland of about 60 acres (24 ha). Most of the trees are pine but the lime trees are about 200 years old and some of the oaks date back 300 years.[7]
Elevation
The village centre at 67 metres (220 ft) above sea level overlooks lower lying land to the west that falls to 19 metres (62 ft). Tempsford Road has a 14% gradient. The highest point is 80 metres (262 ft) at White Wood to the northeast of the village.[8]
Geology and soil type
The village itself lies onLower Greensand whilst the western area of the parish is onOxford Clay overlyingKellaways beds. The two areas are separated by a narrow band ofCorallian limestone.[9] Around the village the soil is freely draining, slightly acid and sandy with low fertility. The western lower lying area has highly fertile, lime-richloamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage.[10]
The night sky and light pollution
Light pollution is the level of radiance (night lights) shining up into the night sky. TheCampaign 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. Everton is in band 4.[11][12]
The built environment
The earliest houses are thatched cottages dating from the 18th century. Most houses are 20th century including some council built houses along Potton and Sandy Roads.
TheEast Coast Main Line railway passes through the western part of the parish.
Public footpaths
A public footpath runs west then north toTempsford Station Road. A stretch of theGreensand Ridge Walk runs right through the village; north-east to its start/finish nearTetworth and south-west to Sandy and beyond.
The name Everton comes fromOld English and meansfarmstead where wild boars are seen.[13]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 141 | — |
| 1841 | 233 | +65.2% |
| 1881 | 216 | −7.3% |
| 1921 | 231 | +6.9% |
| 1961 | 215 | −6.9% |
| 2001 | 525 | +144.2% |
| [14] Source: BEDFORDSHIRE POPULATION FIGURES 1801 – 2011 | ||
St Mary's Church is substantially 12th century although the tower, naveclerestory and south porch are 15th century. It is built of coursed ironstone and cobblestones with ashlar dressings. In 1974, the tower was damaged by lightning and reduced to two stages from three. Corner pinnacles topped with weather vanes were added.[15][16]
Everton wasenclosed by Act of Parliament in 1802.[17]
The village is close to theWWII airfieldRAF Tempsford.
Everton Parish Council has seven elected members and meets bi-monthly at the village hall.Everton is part of Potton ward for elections to theCentral Bedfordshire Unitary Authority.
Prior to 1894, Everton was administered as part of theHundred of Biggleswade.From 1894 until 1974 the village was inBiggleswade Rural District and from 1974 to 2009 inMid Bedfordshire District.
Everton no longer has a shop (it having closed c. 1995) but is home to a pub, local church, and a primary school. There is a large recreation ground which contains both full-sized and five-a-side football pitches, a basketball net, and a fenced-in children's play area.
Licensing records for the Thornton Arms public house go back to 1822.[18]
Everton is in the Potton Public Water Supply Zone (RW50). The water supplied byAnglian Water comes from groundwaterboreholes and ischloraminated and classed ashard.[19]
The Eastern Power Area ofUK Power Networks is thedistribution network operator for electricity.[20]Cadent Gas owns and operates the area's gas distribution network.[21][22]
The two nearest general hospitals areBedford (Bedford Hospital NHS Trust) andLister Hospital, Stevenage (East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust). Ambulance services are provided by theEast of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service andBedfordshire Police cover the parish.
There nearest public library is Potton.
Grant Palmer runs bus routes 189/190 south toGamlingay andBiggleswade, and west toSandy.[23] The service is normally two hourly, daytime only, Monday to Saturday. The Ivel Sprinter buses run a weekly service toSt Neots (Thursdays) andCambridge (Wednesdays).[24]
The nearest railway station isSandy.
To the north of Everton, off Everton Road, is Woodbury Park, originally part of theGamlingay parish but now part of Bedfordshire. The grounds of Woodbury Hall were laid out byNathaniel Richmond in the 1760s for the landowner, theEarl of Macclesfield who had married Woodbury heiress Mary Lane.
From the 1860s, it was owned by the Astell family of Everton House. Woodbury Hall is now owned by theCountess of Erroll. an Astell heiress.[25] In World War II the house was requisitioned for military use.[26]
Media related toEverton, Bedfordshire at Wikimedia Commons
