| Thurleigh | |
|---|---|
 Thurleigh High Street | |
  Thurleigh Location withinBedfordshire | |
| Population | 696 [1] 694 (2011 Census)[2] |
| OS grid reference | TL053585 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bedford |
| Postcode district | MK44 |
| Dialling code | 01234 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Thurleigh is a village andcivil parish in theBorough of Bedford, northBedfordshire, England, situated around 5 miles (8.0 km) north ofBedford town centre.
Excavations have shown evidence the locality was occupied in theIron-Age,Roman andSaxon periods.[3]
InDomesday of 1086 theMiddle English orthography as to both modern 'th'digraph sounds was often in different forms particularly as to this county — the place isLaLega. By 1372 it isThyrleye.[4] In 1813,Thurleigh, orThurley, is recorded as being in theHundred of Willey and theDeanery of Eaton.[5] The scribes were particularly ecclesiastical for the county asLega is a very Latin-esque form ofleigh.[6] The latter is a very common word, rarely used today for meadow or clearing (lea) almost certainly anAnglo-Saxon word perhaps preceded by thedefinite article, as early written in unrelated proseþǣre lēa. Being in theDanelaw however a link toThor cannot be ruled out.
There was a church here in Saxon times. The current church has some parts still dating from around 1150, and at about that same time a castle was built here.[7]
The deanery of Eaton contains therectories ofBolnhurst,Colmworth,Shelton,Staughton Parva,Tilbrook,Wilden andYelden; the vicarages ofEaton Socon,Keysoe,Melchburn,Pertenhall,Renhold,Ravensden,Riseley,Roxton,Great Barford and Thurleigh; and theperpetual curacy ofDean.[8]
In 1941, during World War II, an airfield known asRAF Thurleigh was constructed on a plateau just north of the village forRAF Bomber Command. It was used initially for training both RAF andPolish personnel, but in 1942 was turned over to theUSAAF and four squadrons ofB-17 Flying Fortresses moved in, and over the next three years flew 341 bombing missions. A memorial to these men stands in the village.[9] Events and characters from the USAAF's time at Thurleigh were used as the basis of the novel and filmTwelve O'Clock High.[10]
After the war the airfield was used by theRoyal Aeronautical Establishment for research and development work. The runway was extended, necessitating the closure of the road between Thurleigh andKeysoe, and the demolition of the hamlet of Backnoe End.[7]
In 1968–71 the Commission for the Third London Airport (the "Roskill Commission") considered Thurleigh as one of its four short-listed sites, along withCublington,Foulness (later known asMaplin Sands) andNuthampstead.[11]
The RAE was largely closed down in the 1990s and the site is now used by various commercial enterprises.
Thurleigh is about 6 miles (10 km) north of the county town ofBedford. As well as the village centre, the parish is spread across five "Ends", local parlance for ahamlet – Church End, Cross End, Scald End, Backnoe End and Park End, covering an area of about six square miles.[12] The land is undulatingboulder clay, ranging in height from 200 ft. to 275 ft. above sea level. A stream runs through the Parish to the south forming a valley which cuts through to the underlyingOxford Clay. The countryside around is in the main used forarable farming.[13] A former airfield to the north of the village is now a business park and motor sports track. There are onlyminor roads in the parish, though theA6 and B660 are just a few miles away. These roads however are used as arat run and a 2007 survey recorded 600 vehicles per hour on Mill Road during the morning and eveningrush hours, and 121HGVs throughout the day.[7]
The population of the civil parish, recorded in the2001 census, is 696, and their mean age is 38.6 years with 88 of the people being over the age of 65 years.[14] 372 of the population are considered to be economically active.[15] There were 272 dwellings, of which 9 were unoccupied.[16]
Part of the site of the former airfield now accommodates Thurleigh Business Park, and the runway is currently used for storage of cars. Another part of the site is used byBedford Autodrome, a corporate hospitality centre. This includes Thurleigh Museum which is dedicated primarily to the airfield and life in the area during World War 2. Other major employers include Jackson Demolition, Monster Events, Star Hire and a number of agricultural businesses.[7]
Regular events are held at the Village Hall, the Church, the Playing Field Club and the parish's only pub, the Jackal. There has been a hall in the village since 1927, and the current building dates from the 1980s. A youth club meets there bi-monthly. The playing field is used for cricket and football, and has a small children's play area. It is a registered charity. The Playing Field Club, built in the 1970s, provides changing rooms for the cricket team, which is the only organised sports team in the village. There are about 30 miles (48 km) of footpaths and bridleways within the parish.[7] There are a few bus services that stop in the village.[17]
Thurleigh Primary School and Pre-School takes children aged between 2½ and 11 years old, and Breakfast Club and After-School extends the hours of care for the children of working parents.[7] Older children are served bySharnbrook Academy.[18]
The Parish Church of Saint Peter is a grade II*listed building dating from approximately 1130, with 14th- and 15th-century additions and restored in the 1880s.[19] The former vicarage was finished in 1750 for vicar Robert Lerogne.[20] Other listed buildings include a windmill tower, built c.1890,[21] and dwellings dating mainly from the 17th,18th and 19th centuries.[22] The Baptist Chapel was built in 1888 on the same site as an earlier building.[23]Thurleigh Castle was a medieval timber, motte-and-bailey, castle, but only earthworks survive today. In addition to the USAAF memorial previously mentioned, there is a War Memorial near the church to the men of the village who gave their lives in two world wars.[7] Part of the village is aconservation area.[24]
