‘ Airships, writers, reformers and some simply fantastic countryside .’To the South-east of Bedford lie several historic villages. Most of these villages were once part of the “Wixamtree Hundred” (the administrative unit into which shires were divided in late Anglo-Saxon times). The area is well worth visiting because, as well as containing some picturesque villages,Wixamtree is the birthplace of one of the world’s best-known authors, the home of a prison reformer, two of the most unusual huge buildings in England and several interesting medieval sites. Wixamtree today consists of seven villages and hamlets; Cardington, Cople, Cotton End, Eastcotts, Harrowden, Shortstown and RAF Cardington, Elstow, Willington, Wilstead and Wixams.
Wixamtree's VillagesCardington was the home of John Howard, the prison reformer. The churchyard of the parish church holds the graves of 48 of the officers and men who died in the R101 airship crash and there is a memorial in the church itself. Cardington has a history of being used for filming movies. Some scenes for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" were filmed at the sheds, some flying sequences for "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" were filmed along the old railway line between Cardington and Old Warden and, more recently, since 2005, shed two has become a film studio, housing the set of Gotham City for the "Batman" films. Cardington in film and television. Shortstown was built by the Shorts brothers to house their airship-building workers. It is best known for the two massive airship sheds where the R100 and the ill-fated R101were built. RAF Cardington is just as well known by many as the place where they underwent their basic National Service RAF training. A personal record of one serviceman’s time there can be found here. There are two pubs in Harrowden, one which was used by the RAF officers, one by the enlisted men. The Gate pub has a collection of airship photographs on permanent display. Willington is recorded in the Doomsday Book as Welitone. In addition to some charming cottages and impressive old houses, Willington boasts a wonderful medieval dovecote and stables. The Greensand Ridge walk runs through Willington. Elstow is perhaps best know as the birthplace of the author John Bunyan, but it has several other claims to fame. Elstow was the home of one of England’s largest and richest Abbeys. Many of the timber framed houses built by the Abbey still stand, together with Elstow Moot Hall – a most unusual medieval building, being a combined market house and meeting hall. Two thirds of the old Abbey church still stands and is used as Elstow’s parish church. Now a conservation area, containing medieval and several other listed buildings, Elstow is one of England’s ’must see’ villages. You can pre-book to visit both Moot Hall and the Abbey church. The Grade II listed Red Lion pub in Elstow dates back to at least the 17th Century. Wixams is a new village, currently being built south west of Elstow. It will be one one of the largest new communities built in the UK in recent times. More InformationVisit East of England Website »
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