Biggleswade

Biggleswade ( BIG-əlz-wayd) is a market town and civil parish in Central Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the River Ivel, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Bedford. Its population was 22,541 at the time of the 2021 census, an increase of 36% compared to the population of 16,551 in the 2011 census. Evidence of settlement in the area goes back to the Neolithic period, but it is likely that the town as such was founded by Anglo-Saxons. A gold Anglo-Saxon coin was found on a footpath beside the River Ivel in 2001 (the British Museum bought the coin in 2006; at the time, it was the most expensive British coin purchased). A charter to hold a market was granted by King John in the 13th century. In 1785 a great fire devastated the town. The Great North Road passed through until a bypass was completed in 1961. Biggleswade railway station opened in 1850. From the 1930s to the late 1990s manufacturing provided a significant amount of employment. The town centre is designated a conservation area.