Decay, Change and Renewal

5 Water End, Cople after the fire; view looking west from the drive, 2 March 2020

Ian Whiting, Z1749/3/1/5

The house was divided into two properties and one was under renovation when it caught fire on 1st March 2020. Ian also sent the archives service photographs of the cottage he had taken in 2005 and 2009.

Gate to the Eversholt Millennium Pond, 9 March 2021

Vaughan Dean, Z1749/7/3/2

The pond was built in a field by residents in 2000; it is now surrounded by an area of woodland and plants donated by village organisations. It was officially opened by the Marquess and Marchioness of Tavistock in 2002. While a symbol of collaboration in a village community such areas need long term maintenance as the condition of the gate in 2021 shows.

Tingrith, 9 March 2021

Vaughan Dean, Z1749/7/5

A hub of village communications - notice board, wooden seat, post box and a disused phone box which has been repurposed as a library for the exchange of books – an indication of the rise of the mobile phone but that reading printed books is still popular.

Derelict greenhouses at Upper Caldecote, 13 March 2020.

Linda Swain, Z1749/4/2/1

The decay of a once common feature of the horticultural businesses of this part of Bedfordshire indicates a move away from production under glass.

Woodlands Plant Centre, formerly Paul Chessum Garden Outlet Upper Caldecote, 13 March 2020

Linda Swain, Z1749/4/2/2

The garden centre is located in one of the greenhouses on Biggleswade Road, Upper Caldecote, which has been renovated. The company also has a nursery site behind the garden centre.

New housing at Upper Caldecote, 13 March 2020

Linda Swain, Z1749/4/2/3

The archives service receives many enquiries about when houses were built, which makes dated photographs such as this important, it is also useful in showing how the houses were constructed.

The Woolpack public house, Hitchin Road, Shefford, 26 March 2020.

Nicky King, Z1749/1/7

At the time the photograph was taken the pub had recently undergone a change of management and been repainted blue (it was previously green). It retains the pub sign for 'The Woolpack, Flowers Ales' but note also the signs for the entertainment it is able to provide. It was closed at the time of photograph, due to Covid 19 lockdown.

The Firs Guest House, 85 High Street, Ridgmont. 9 March 2021

Vaughan Dean, Z1749/7/1/1

The Firs Guest House was once the village shop (The Firs Stores). At that time the High Street in Ridgmont was the A507 – a major road providing access to the M1 motorway at junction 13. The through traffic provided a significant proportion of the income for the village shop but that stopped in 2008 when a by-pass was opened. With fewer customers, the village shop was unable to survive and it had to close. The property became The Firs Guest House and cafe. To the left of the building can be seen the Ridgmont Methodist Chapel which closed in 1947 and now forms part of the guest house.

The Old Rectory, Millbrook, 23 January 2021

Chas Leslie, Z1749/1/3/1

Highlighting trends in car ownership the front garden has been largely tarmacked over to provide a parking and turning area. Note also the double garage created by converting what would originally have been a reception or dining room into a garage and building a second one to the side of the house.

View from Ampthill Park across Marston Vale, 9 March 2020

Martin Nellist, Z1749/5/1/47

In the middle ground the new Energy Recovery facility is being constructed by Covanta at Rookery South Pit. Behind that is the wind turbine installed at The Forest of Marston Vale. The Covanta incinerator was designed to generate electricity by burning household and commercial waste. The construction of this facility was highly contested by the local community. The legal battle was eventually heard in the Court of Appeal which handed down a judgement in November 2019.

Tree felling at Rushmere Country Park to allow creation of new heathland, 22 January 2021

Kathryn Faulkner Z1749/8

Change and renewal is a feature of the countryside as well as of the built environment. Here non-native tree species have been felled in order to recreate a native heathland habitat.