Bolnhurst
Timeline
Places > Bolnhurst
1086: Five entries for land recorded in The Domesday Book.
13th Century: The present church is a successor to an older building first mentioned in 1162. It consists of a 13th century chancel with a 15th century aisleless nave, south porch and west tower.
1348: Two thirds of the villagers died when the Black Death struck and building stopped on the parish church for a hundred years.
c1740: From about this date there was a church school for boys; girls were admitted at a later date.
1778: The parish was enclosed. With reference to this enclosure it was remarked that, "Bolnhurst is a very wet heavy bad country very disadvantageously circumstanced respecting roads, for every way round they are almost impassable".
1830: First mention of the Old Plough Inn, prior to 1788 the site was referred to as a farmhouse called Brayes.
1855: Vestry added to the church by the Rector Hugh Wade-Gery in memory of his wife Sophia.
1875: The church school was in such a bad state of repair that the Rector, the Rev Frederick Harvey, demolished it and built a new brick building at his own expense.
1884: The chancel was completely restored and the roof covered with oak and lead.
1951: Village School closes.
1958: After a lapse of a quarter of a century The Old Plough Inn re-opens.
1969: Bolnhurst, along with Thurleigh, were among sites suggested for London's Third Airport.
1989: Fire gutted The Old Plough Inn on the 28th January.
1993: The vestry rebuilt because of subsidence, the rebuilding work was carried out so that the vestry would look as it had originally.
1999: In March The Old Plough Inn closed.
2005: The Old Plough Inn re-opened again in June.
Sources:
- The Newspaper Cuttings Collection in the Local Studies Library at Bedford Central Library
- Victoria County History of Bedfordshire 3 Vols. 1912.
Page last updated: 23rd January 2014