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Coordinates: 52°08′49″N 0°19′19″W / 52.147°N 0.322°W
| Blunham | |
.png)  Blunham
 Blunham shown within Bedfordshire |
|
| Population | 926 (2001 census) [1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Unitary authority | Central Bedfordshire |
| Ceremonial county | Bedfordshire |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BEDFORD |
| Postcode district | MK44 |
| Dialling code | 01767 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| List of places: UK • England • Bedfordshire | |
Blunham is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England, about eight miles east of Bedford. The village is just off the A1 road, near Great Barford and Sandy, and is near the confluence of the River Ivel with the River Great Ouse. The village also lies on Route 51 of the National Cycle Network.
At the north of village is an unusual double humpback bridge across the River Ivel and the Mill Stream which must be crossed to enter the village from the A1 road or Tempsford.
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History
The first mention of a post office in the village is in 1839, when the village had a Penny Post service under St Neots. The post office national archives record the issue to Blunham in August 1886 of a type of postmark known as a rubber datestamp.[2] The village post office closed in October 2008. It was one of about 2,500 compulsory compensated closures of UK post office branches announced by the Government in 2007.[3]
Blunham had a railway station on the Oxford to Cambridge railway line. The station shut when this line was closed in the 1960s, although the station buildings still exist and have been converted into two homes. The old railway is now used as part of Route 51 of the National Cycle Network. The route heads east towards Sandy and west towards Willington and Bedford.
In September 2008, Blunham Cricket Club successfully broke the Guinness world record for the longest continuos game of cricket. At the end over 59 hours were played continuosly, going through two consecutive nights.[4]
Famous people from Blunham
In September 1549 George Joye was given the Rectory of Blunham, Bedfordshire by Sir Henry Grey of Flitton. John Donne, poet and preacher, was rector of the church from 1621 until his death in 1631. The parish church is St Edmund or St James.
References
- ^ bedfordshire.gov statistics
- ^ Mackay, James A. (1986) Sub Office Rubber Datestamps of England and Wales, p. 62, p. 64, Dumfries: published by the author, ISBN 0 906440 39 4
- ^ "Proposed branch closure" (2008) Leaflet issued by Post Office Ltd.
- ^ Marathon cricket match aims for new world record
External links
- A Blunham page
- Blunham pages at the Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service
- Another Blunham page
- Blunham Station Disused stations site record
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