Taxi in Northill and Ickwell Bedfordshire
07778 26 32 15or 01767 65 14 14
Northill Bedfordshire
Northill is a village in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It falls under the Northill and Blunham ward in the Mid Bedfordshire local authority. As of 2001 Northill had a population of approximately 900 people. The village is also the administrative centre of the Parish of Northill, which as of 2001 had a population of 2,284.
The village is located approximately 4 miles to the west north west of Biggleswade and is centred around a T-junction, which sees the Ickwell Road meet the Bedford Road.
History of Northill
The village was originally known as North Givell, meaning the northern part of territory of the River Ivel. The core of the village's buildings date back to the 14th century. To this day many examples of thatched roofing exist around Northill.
Among the buildings stemming from the 14th century is the village's Anglican Church of St. Mary, which is built of ironstone and has been extensively restored over the subsequent centuries. The church itself contains fine examples of 17th century painted glass.
Northill was the baptismal place, and possibly the birthplace, of the famous clockmaker Thomas Tompion, who built the famous Pump Room Clock in 1709 that has since seen active service in the city of Bath.
St Marys church Northill
Ickwell Bedfordshire
Ickwell May Day is a celebration of spring held in the towns of Northill and Ickwell. The earliest documented Ickwell May Day festivities were in 1565. By then it had become a Christian festival, though its origins likely pre-date Christianity to the paganBeltane festivals. In 1872 the squire of the town erected a permanent Maypole and left a bequest in his will to fund the annual celebration.
Like many English festivals, the Ickwell May Day is usually accompanied by Morris dancing -- in this case, the Ickwell Mayers, with their Lord and Lady, and the dirty-faced Moggies. Many other customs associated with the day have been recorded over the years. One, unique to Ickwell, is that of the Old Scholars, a group of alumni of the village school. The Old Scholars dance around the maypole, some with two or even three generations of their offspring.
In 1945, the Ickwell and District May Day Committee was formed. The Committee organizes the games, refreshments, contests, dances, music and other activities, including the crowning of the May Queen. Due to its documented age and long history, the Ickwell May Day has become something of an attraction, and is listed on the East of England Tourist Board's publicity sheet for "May Day Bank Holiday in the East of England."
