Willington
Timeline
Places > Willington
1066: Hugh de Beauchamp held Willington Manor.
1529: Sir John Gostwick, Martial of the Horse to Cardinal Wolsey acquired the Manor of Willington and built an impressive manor house. The Manor House has gone but the massive Tudor stone dovecote and stables remain. In 1541 Henry V111 visited the Manor House.
1535: St. Lawrence Church built in the late perpendicular style c. 1535.
1539-40: Stables built.
1543: Dovecote built. It has nest boxes for 1,400 birds
1772: The length of road from Bedford to where it joins the St. Neots Road beyond Great Barford was taken over by a Turnpike Trust. A Turnpike gate was put on the Willington-Cople boundary and Willington people paid toll as they went into Bedford. They paid a different sum according to whether they were in a carriage, on horseback or on foot. Only when they went to vote at elections was the toll not payable.
1779: Willington Manor bought by Duke of Bedford. The Gostwicks had to sell the property as Sir William had squandered his resources in fighting seven parliamentary elections and a fire had destroyed most of the house.
1850: Willington Watermill demolished.
1858: Augustus Orlebar appointed Vicar of Willington. He was at Rugby under Dr. Arnold and has been identified with certain characters in "Tom Brown's Schooldays". He remained Vicar until his death in 1912.
1868: Methodist Church opened for worship. In August the new school building opened.
1877: Church of St. Lawrence restored by the Duke of Bedford
1903: Willington Railway Station opened on the Bedford-Cambridge Line. The line had opened in 1862 and Willington station was the last station to be opened on this line. The Bedfordshire Times reported "at first trains will not stop there except when required. Persons wishing to alight must give notice at the preceding station and when passengers wish to join the train it will be stopped by signal".
1904: In 1898 Isaac Godber started the gardening dynasty now known as Willington Garden Centre with his tiny nursery business located behind Kempston Barracks. In 1904 he moved to the centre's present location in Willington.
1914: Dovecote passed to The National Trust.
1923: Memorial Hall built.
1940: In July between 30-40 children from Rye school with their teachers were evacuated to the village.
1944: Willington WI formed.
1947: Stables given to the National Trust.
1967: 31st December Bedford-Cambridge Railway closed.
2001: Danish Camp Restaurant opened on 26th July.
2006: Bedfordshire County Council gave planning permission for the proposed rowing lake at Willington.
Page last updated: 4th February 2014