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Coordinates: 52°07′52″N 0°17′49″W / 52.131°N 0.297°W
| Sandy | |
 Market Square, Sandy |
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.png)  Sandy
Sandy shown within Bedfordshire |
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| Population | 11,000 (2004 est.) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Sandy |
| Unitary authority | Central Bedfordshire |
| Ceremonial county | Bedfordshire |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SANDY |
| Postcode district | SG19 |
| Dialling code | 01767 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | North East Bedfordshire |
| List of places: UK • England • Bedfordshire | |
Sandy is a small market town in Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to St Swithun. The town is also the location of numerous schools the biggest being Sandy Upper School.
Sandy is probably best known today as the headquarters of the RSPB.[1] The Society moved to The Lodge, on the outskirts of the town in 1961. The Shuttleworth Collection is also nearby, around 2 miles south west of Sandy.
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History
An archaeological dig in May 2006 revealed that the town's ancestors may date back further than 250 BC.[2]
Sandy was originally a Roman settlement and was probably an important trading centre and staging post in the Roman era. An ancient hill fort, now heavily wooded and known as "Ceasers camp" although more commonly called "The sand hills" or "The lookout, still overlooks the town.
Sandy is referred to in the Domesday Book, as Sandeia, a derivation from the Old English Sandieg, meaning a sand-island. In 1086 Sandy was listed in the Domesday Book as being held by Eudo Fitzhubert, who is likely to have been the Saxon tenant. He was probably also known as Eudo the Dapifer, who was a High Steward for William the Conqueror, and based in Colchester Castle.[3]
In addition there were also two mills listed, and both of these would have been water-powered. There are still references to one of them in the road name "Mill Lane" which runs along the river Ivel however the mill has since been replaced by housing. Further down the river from the site where the mill once stood is Sandye Place Middle School where it is believed there was a Danish camp which was built to protect Danelaw in 886.[4]
Government
Sandy is governed by two tiers of local government: the town council, and the Unitary Authority of Central Bedfordshire. It is within the Parliamentary constituency of North East Bedfordshire.
Transport
Sandy is situated on the A1 which hugs the western edge of the town. The A603 leads west towards Bedford; the B1042 leads east towards Potton and Cambridge. There are a number of bus routes, principally the M3 from Biggleswade to Bedford. Sandy has a railway station which is on the East Coast Main Line. Services north to Peterborough and south to London King's Cross are provided by First Capital Connect.
The Varsity Line, which connected Oxford to Cambridge, also ran through Sandy. From Bedford to Cambridge, the line is now converted to the NCR 51 cycle route.
Twinned towns
Sandy has been twinned with the town of Malaunay in France since 1982, as a result of which the Sandy Twinning Association was also established.[5] The Association has also recently developed links with the town of Skarszewy in Poland.[6]
Commemoration
Frederick Thomas Bidlake is commemorated by a garden and monument, at Girtford Bridge. It was unveiled on 23 September 1934 as more than 4,000 watched W. P. Cook, president of the Anfield Bicycle Club and the Road Records Association, perform the unveiling ceremony. The rector of Sandy blessed the memorial. The garden is triangular with a wall of local stone on one side. In its centre, a stone reads: “This garden is dedicated to Frederick Thomas Bidlake, a great cyclist, a man of singular charm and character, an untiring worker for cyclists 1867-1933”. A sundial in the centre of the garden is marked “He measured time”. A facsimile milestone is engraved “F. T. B. Few have known this road as he. London 48 - York 148”. [7]
References
- ^ http://www.rspb.org.uk/about/offices/england.asp rspb.org.uk
- ^ Dig unearths clues to town origins. Comet 24. 1 June 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2009
- ^ [1]. Sandy town website, History page.
- ^ [2]. Sandy town website, History page.
- ^ [3]. Sandy Twinning Association.
- ^ [4]. Sandy Twinning Association.
- ^ www.bidlakememorial.org.uk
External links
- Sandy Community Website
- Sandy Weather
- Sandy Town Council
- Sandy Twinning Association
- RSPB Contact Details
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