Houghton Regis
| Houghton Regis | |
|---|---|
 High Street |
|
 Houghton Regis
|
|
| Houghton Regis shown within Bedfordshire | |
| Population | 17,280 (est.) 17,283 (2011 Census) |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUNSTABLE |
| Postcode district | LU5 |
| Dialling code | 01582 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
The route of the Dunstable Northern Bypass proposal and route options for the connecting Luton Northern Bypass.
|
|
| Location | Central Bedfordshire |
|---|---|
| Proposer | Highways Agency |
| Status | Approved |
| Type | Road |
| Cost estimate | £171 million to £217 million |
| Start date | 2014–2015 |
| Completion date | 2016–2017 |
| Geometry | KML |
Houghton Regis /ˈhaʊtən ˈriːdʒᵻz/ is a town and civil (administrative) parish contiguous to the larger town of Dunstable to the south. Its parish council provides certain sports and open space amenities and includes the ancient hamlets of Bidwell, Thorn, and Sewell. Houghton Regis, along with its near neighbours of Dunstable and Luton form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area, with a population over 255,000.
Relics of Palæolithic man, such as flint implements and the bones of contemporary wild animals, suggest prehistoric settlement. At Maiden Bower within Houghton Regis CP, near Sewell, there is an Iron Age hill fort. This is clearly marked on the Ordnance Survey maps.
Maiden Bower has some of the ramparts showing through the edge of an old chalk quarry where there are Bronze Age remains of an older Fort. According to W.H. Matthews (Mazes and Labyrinths, 1922), a turf maze once existed at "Maiden Bower".
The Icknield Way Path passes through the parish on its 110 mile journey from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Suffolk. The Icknield Way Trail, a multi-user route for walkers, horse riders and off-road cyclists also passes through the parish.
Houghton Regis is considerably older than Dunstable, and it is mentioned in the Domesday Book when it was called Houstone. At the time of the Domesday Survey a great part of what is now Dunstable was included in Houghton parish. When Henry I founded Dunstable he gave in compensation to the men of Houghton a wood called Buckwood. At that time it paid in tax the large amount of three pounds by weight and twenty shillings of blanch silver (to the King) and one ounce of gold for the Sheriff. Timeline for Houghton Regis.
...
Wikipedia