Biggleswade
Biggleswade photos (28 available)
Biggleswade maps (2 available)
Map of Bedfordshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of Bedfordshire
Personalised maps
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Biggleswade books (5 available)
- 14 photos on Biggleswade appear in 2 Frith books - View photos of Biggleswade
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Biggleswade and Bedfordshire
Biggleswade memories
Read and share memories of Biggleswade and Bedfordshire inspired by Frith photos
Henry Tingey - Ancester
My great grandfather Henry Tingey, was born November 18, 1819, in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. He was the son of James Tingey and Elizabeth Boniss. James and Elizabeth, and family later moved from Bigglewade, Bedfordshire, and moved Lower Caldecut near the 46th milestone from London in the perish of Northhill. The family of father and mother and two boys and four sisters were in the business of raising wholesale vegatable and garden seeds and were very successful.
In 1849 the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (Mormons) told their gospel message to Henry and his wife Ann Young, (daughter of James and Lucy Young). Henry and Ann joined the Latter-Day-Saint church and migrated to America in 1849. They ...read more here
Contributed by Norton Cook
Bedfordshire memories
Henry Tingey - Ancester
My great grandfather Henry Tingey, was born November 18, 1819, in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. He was the son of James Tingey and Elizabeth Boniss. James and Elizabeth, and family later moved from Bigglewade, Bedfordshire, and moved Lower Caldecut near the 46th milestone from London in the perish of Northhill. The family of father and mother and two boys and four sisters were in the business of raising wholesale vegatable and garden seeds and were very successful.
In 1849 the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (Mormons) told their gospel message to Henry and his wife Ann Young, (daughter of James and Lucy Young). Henry and Ann joined the Latter-Day-Saint church and migrated to America in 1849. They ...read more here
A memory of Biggleswade contributed by Norton Cook
Lord Astor
I grew up in Wrestlingworth between 1966 and 1978. In the late sixties and early seventies we often used to see a rather distinguished gent driving a stately car, a Riley I think. He had silver hair and always waved in a benign manner to us youngsters. I got it into my mind that he was Lord Astor who lived at Hatley St George. We were even more impressed at this.
We also used to see the Co-op van in the village. In those days not everybody had cars and the older residents couldn't always get to Biggleswade or wherever. So its arrival was always noticeable if only because of the people who would gather around.
One day I wandered over ...read more here
A memory of Wrestlingworth contributed by First name Last name
39 Mill Lane
The gable end of the house on the left is 39 Mill Lane and Back St starts at the junction over the hill and not visible here. My father built the house about 1935 when he was about 21 years old. I grew up there until 1955 when it was sold and we moved from Clophill for a short time. We returned in 1957 and lived in the Old Police House in The Slade until I married in 1966 and brought my first home in Back St. I have traced my family's time in Clophill from about 1750 until 1980 in a new book which will shortly be available.
A memory of Clophill contributed by paul nichols
Extracts From Biggleswade & Bedfordshire books
An interesting picture revealing the extent of the differences in working practices that have occurred over 75 years. Tucked into the entrance on the left, the trader’s cart that suggests a mobile ice-cream seller would be a motorised parlour and probably banned under a ton of directives nowadays. The Health and Safety Executive would take a very dim view of the decorator’s ladder without any assistance at ground level and not a traffic cone in sight. Bicycles piled against the lamp post on the right constitute a thief’s delight with not a padlock and chain between them. And the piled tins in the shop window? Just imagine what a 21st-century toddler could do with those.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".
Much of the life of the town revolves around the Saturday influx to the weekly market. To cater for both thirst and the sometime necessity to sit down to do business, Market Square is surrounded by pubs and cafes. The roof of the Market House, to the left of the picture, dates back to the 16th century and was preserved when road-widening operations took place in 1937.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".
Café, jeweller, dry cleaners and the regional newspaper office make strange bedfellows under the roof of the old Market House. A baby fashion note is the coach-built pram in the foreground, a pre-requisite when cars were still luxury items.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".
This closer view of Market House also reveals the Crown Hotel (on the other side of the High Street and next to Larkinson’s shop) which was the source of the Great Fire of Biggleswade in 1785.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".
A ‘tidy’ view of Market Square complete with flower beds, mown grass and full benches just before opening time. Many of the buildings surrounding the Square show evidence of ancient origins. In particular, the White Hart on the right and the hipped-roof building next to it have been on the site since the 16th century.
An extract from from"Bedfordshire Photographic Memories".