Harrowden, Bedfordshire

{{Infobox UK place

| official_name = Harrowden

| country = England

| region = East of England

| static_image_name = The Gate, Harrowden - geograph.org.uk - 777335.jpg

| static_image_caption = The Gate public house in 2008 (Now closed and is a house)

| area_total_km2 = 0.093

| population = 32

| os_grid_reference = TL068894

| coordinates = {{coord|52.112605|-0.441836|display=inline,title}}

| post_town = BEDFORD

| postcode_area = MK

| postcode_district = MK42

| dial_code = 01234

| constituency_westminster = North East Bedfordshire

| civil_parish = Eastcotts

| unitary_england = Bedford

| lieutenancy_england = Bedfordshire

}}

Harrowden is a one-street hamlet in the civil parish of Shortstown, Bedfordshire, England.

The street runs from east to west parallel and to the south of the A421 Bedford Southern Bypass, and 200 metres to the north of the village of Shortstown. There is a path at the west side of Harrowden named Bumpy Lane that leads to Abbey Fields. Like Shortstown, Harrowden is in the Eastcotts parish, of the Borough of Bedford.

History

Harrowden is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086, though by the 13th century the area became known as Eastcotes or Cotes. The name derives from the Old English name for a cottage - 'cotum'.

Prior to the creation of Shortstown civil parish in 2019,{{cite web |title=The Borough of Bedford (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2019 |url=https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/Reviews/Eastern/Bedfordshire/CGR/Borough%20of%20Bedford%20CGR%202019.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711110628/https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/Reviews/Eastern/Bedfordshire/CGR/Borough%20of%20Bedford%20CGR%202019.pdf |archive-date=11 July 2020 |accessdate=8 July 2020 |publisher=Local Government Boundary Commission for England |page=2}} Harrowden was within Eastcotts civil parish. From 2023 Harrowden forms part of the Shortstown ward for elections to Bedford Borough Council.{{cite web |title=Map referred to in the Bedford (Electoral Changes) Order 2022 |url=https://www.lgbce.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-04/si_2022-000_-_draft_bedford_electoral_changes_order_map.pdf |access-date=28 February 2024}}

Other

John Bunyan, the noted Christian writer, was born in Harrowden. (See also Slough of Despond).
The name of the hamlet comes from the Old English Hearg-dūn, meaning "Temple Hill".

References

External links

{{oscoor gbx|TL070472}}

{{Geographic Location

|Centre=Harrowden

|North=Bedford

|Northeast=Fenlake

|East=Cardington

|Southeast=Shortstown

|South=Cotton End

|Southwest=Wixams

|West=Elstow

|Northwest=Kempston

}}

Category:Hamlets in Bedfordshire

Category:Borough of Bedford