Living In Historical Town Of Dunstable

Dunstable is a market town of approximately 34

,000 people and lies 32 miles north of London on the chalk escarpment of the Chiltern Hills in Bedfordshire.

The area on which Dunstable now sits has been inhabited since the earliest recorded times. Evidence of Palaeolithic man have been found in quarry sites just to the north and an Iron Age hill fort in Maidenbower along with Bronze Age remains close by shows continual inhabitation in the area through the ages.

The Romans built a straight road north through the area known as Watling Street (now roughly on the same line as the modern day A5 road) and built a posting station called Durocobrivis which existed until they left Britain in 571 AD.

During the Middle Ages, Henry I cleared lands and encouraged settlement by granting Royal Favours as a means of making passage through the area safer for travellers. In 1123 he built a residence as a base for hunting in what is now Church Street. The building still exists and is called the Royal Palace Lodge Hotel. Dunstable Priory was founded in 1131 and in the same year the town was granted a royal charter.

In 1290 Dunstable was one of twelve sites to see the erection of a cross to commemorate the death of Eleanor of Castile, wife of Edward I. Her body lay nearby for the people to mourn her passing before continuing on to burial at nearby St Albans. The Eleanor Cross was destroyed during the English Civil War by Parliamentarian forces in 1644.

The foundation of the town's wealth and prosperity came during the 17th Century as a resting place for travellers heading north from London. Being just one or two days ride away, the town became a popular overnight stopping place with both the Sugar Loaf pub in High Street North and the Saracens Head in High Street South being former coaching inns.

During the 19th Century the prominence of the town diminished as the railways became a more convenient and faster ways to travel. Although connected to the rail network in 1848 it was never on the mainline and nearby Luton grew in prominence as a result. Passenger services stopped in Dunstable in 1965 although freight transport continued for many years thereafter. The town is now one of the largest in the UK not to have a passenger rail station.

The arrival of straw hat making in Luton during the 19th Century saw the slow demise of Dunstable as a thriving market town. As printing and motor vehicle manufacture took hold in Luton, Dunstable became more of a residential satellite with easy access to the M1 motorway for commuting into London.

Regeneration plans for the town include the development of a guided busway service linking Dunstable with nearby Luton and Luton Airport and the building of two road bypasses to ease traffic congestion in the town.

The town has a modern and popular theatre, The Grove and a heritage centre, Priory House, which is free to the public. There are also beautiful walks and views from the nearby chalk escarpment. Families can enjoy both the views and wildlife at nearby Whipsnade Zoo.

by: Matt Fay

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