Dunstable
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- For the town in Massachusetts, see Dunstable, Massachusetts.
Dunstable is a town in the county of Bedfordshire, with a population of 33,805 (2001 census). It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills. These form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.
Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 coming into force in 1974 Dunstable was a municipal borough. It is now a civil parish in the South Bedfordshire district.
History
Dunstable lies on a crossroads of the ancient Roman road of Watling Street, which is the modern A5 trunk road, and the even older Icknield Way. In Roman times its name was Durocobrivis. There are two theories concerning its modern name. Firstly there was a famous robber, Dunn, who gave his name to the town, Dunns stable. The Second is that it comes Ifrom Anglo-Saxon Dunstaple, meaning "Hill Market".One of the reasons for the town's prosperity, and the large number of Inns or public houses in the town, is the fact that it was one day's ride (approx 35 miles) from London, and therefore a place to rest and spend the night. It was in fact for this very reason that King Henry VIII ordered the town to be built. There are two Pubs which still have coaching gates to the side that show this. The Sugar Loaf, in High Street north, and The Saracens Head, High Street south. The Saracens Head, normally a name given to pubs frequented by Knights of the crusades, can be seen to be considerably lower than the road to its front, witness to the fact that the road has been resurfaced a number of times during the lifetime of the pub. There are also rumours of a series of tunnels running from the cellar of the pub to the crypt of the priory to its rear.
Dunstable was the site of an Eleanor cross. The Dunstable Priory Church of Saint Peter was founded in 1132 by Henry I and was later the setting for the divorce between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, which led to the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. The first battles or skirmishes of the English Civil War occurred in Dunstable.
Dunstable's first railway opened in 1848. It was a branch of the London and North Western Railway, joining the West Coast Main Line at Leighton Buzzard. A second railway linking Dunstable with Hatfield on the Great Northern Railway via Luton opened in 1858. Dunstable Town station was closed when passenger services to Dunstable were withdrawn in 1965 and the track between Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard was removed. Dunstable is now one of the largest towns in south-east England without a railway connection [link]. The line between Dunstable and Luton on the Midland Main Line remained open for freight traffic for many years and the track is still in place.
Dunstable was a significant market town, but its importance diminished as the neighbouring town of Luton grew. Latterly, much Dunstable's industry has been light engineering providing vehicle parts for the Vauxhall plant in Luton, but with the closure of this plant Dunstable is following Luton into decline regarding the manufacturing sector.
Places of interest in and around Dunstable
- Dunstable Downs, a chalky escarpment to the west of the town, with stunning views to the north, and a popular site for kite flying, paragliding, and, located at the bottom of the Downs, the London Gliding Club which provides conventional gliding
- Whipsnade Wildlife Park, an open range zoo.
- Priory Church, where Henry VIII had his first divorce from Katherine of Aragon formalised.
Famous people who have lived in Dunstable
- The comedian Spike Breakwell
- Faye Tozer, member of the pop group Steps
- Una Stubbs, actress
- Gary Cooper, actor, who lived in the town as a boy, attended Dunstable Grammar School.
See also
- Dunstable Town F.C.
- Dunstablians
- Queensbury School, Langdale Road
Further reading
- Dunstable in Detail (1986), The Book Castle, written and illustrated by Nigel Benson.
External links
- [Dunstable Town Council's Official Website]
- [Dunstablians Rugby Union Football Club]
- [Dunstable and district business directory & news site]
- [Dunstable links] on [Chainki wiki]
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