Shefford, Bedfordshire

The name Shefford means "sheep ford", referencing the fords over the River Flit and River Hit. The name was recorded as "Shipford" in 1229, with the modern spelling being recorded from as early as 1262.[3]

Roman remains were discovered in Shefford in the early nineteenth century.[4]

Shefford grew up between a pair of fords on the main road from Bedford to Hitchin where it crosses the River Flit and River Hit. Another road leading west from that main road, heading towards Ampthill, became the town's High Street. Both fords were later replaced by bridges; North Bridge over the Flit and South Bridge over the Hit. A market was being held at Shefford by 1225, with a formal market charter being issued in 1229.[5] By the fifteenth century the church of St Michael and All Angels had been built at the eastern end of the High Street near the junction with Southbridge Street, originally serving as a chapel of ease to Campton.[6][7]

The cottage where the poet Robert Bloomfield died in 1823

The working class poet Robert Bloomfield lived in Shefford from 1812 until his death there in 1823.[8] One of the town's schools is named after him.[9]

The Ivel Navigation was extended to reach the town in 1823, with the extension also being known as the Shefford Canal. It closed to traffic in 1876 following growing competition from the railways.[10] The Midland Railway opened Shefford railway station in 1857 on its original main line to London. The route was downgraded to become the Bedford to Hitchin branch line following the opening of a new main line in 1868. It closed to passengers in 1961 and freight in 1964.[11]

St Francis' Catholic Church and adjoining former orphanage buildings.

Between 1869 and 1974 Shefford was the site of an orphanage called St Francis' Boy's Home run by the Roman Catholic Church. It was situated on High Street next to the Catholic church of St Francis of Assisi. The church remains in use as a place of worship. The orphanage buildings have been converted into flats.[7][12]

During World War II an entire Jewish children's community came into being in Shefford as 500 pupils from Judith Grunfeld's school were billeted in and around the town. The school was moved in 1939 and remained in Shefford until 1945.[13] This was part of "Operation Pied Piper" where schools were moved in anticipation of wartime bombing. A book was written about this time, titled "Shefford: The Story of a Jewish School Community in Evacuation, 1939-1945", telling the story of the evacuated school.[14]

The River Flit and the River Hit run through the town. The Flit runs from Flitwick and joins the River Ivel on the edge of Shefford. The Ivel eventually joins the River Great Ouse just north of Sandy.

Shefford House, 15 High Street: Offices of Shefford Town Council.

There are two tiers of local government covering Shefford, at civil parish (town) and unitary authority level: Shefford Town Council and Central Bedfordshire Council. The town council is based at Shefford House at 15 High Street.[15] Central Bedfordshire Council has its main offices at Priory House in Chicksands, immediately west of Shefford.[16]

Shefford was historically a chapelry and township in the ancient parish of Campton. It became a separate civil parish in 1866.[17] It remained part of the ecclesiastical parish of Campton until 1903.[18]

Shefford Hardwick was an extra-parochial area north-west of Shefford. Such extra-parochial areas were made civil parishes in 1858. The parish of Shefford Hardwick was subsequently abolished in 1933 and absorbed into Shefford, which also gained territory from the neighbouring parishes of Southill, Clifton, Meppershall and Campton at the same time.[19]

Shefford incorporates a fire station, bowls club, sports club, a Memorial Hall, a Community Hall, many pubs and a brewery. As well as this, it has a variety of restaurants, including Chinese takeaways, award-winning Indian takeaways/restaurants, Turkish takeaway/restaurant and a fish and chip shop. Shefford has two petrol stations, two car dealers, and two pharmacies. There are three estate agents, a newsagent, a convenience store, a charity shop, an angling centre, a bakery, a tea room, a wine bar, a Post Office with sorting facilities an ironmonger/building supply centre, and the Banks and Taylor micro brewery (est. 1982).[20]

There are two small supermarkets in town and one on the outskirts, a travel agent and a public library.

There are four Churches - Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and Roman Catholic. Several schools and nurseries, and a large medical practice.

The town has a scout group, Guiding Groups and a local Army Cadet Force hut at Chicksands on the Army Intelligence Corps base, which is part of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire ACF, in 4 Company.

Shefford railway station was on the Bedford–Hitchin line but closed to passengers in 1961 and to freight in 1964; its goods yard is now the site of an industrial estate. Current public transport provision consists of hourly buses 9A and 9B between Bedford and Hitchin, operated by Intalink.[21]

The areas around Shefford are served by the middle school Robert Bloomfield Academy which has a Grade 1 (outstanding) Ofsted report, Samuel Whitbread Academy, Shefford Lower School, Shefford Nursery, BEST nursery and Acorn Pre-School & The Mighty Oaks.

Shefford has a Non-League football club Shefford Town & Campton F.C. who play at STMA (Digswell). It is where Jack Collison (Wales and West Ham Footballer) grew up and went to school. There is also a Shefford Saints (Junior) FC where girls and boys from Shefford and the surrounding villages are able to join from the U5 Development squad up to U16 merging into the Adult team.

A modern, concrete skatepark is currently in the planning stages to be constructed on the new building site located off of Campton road.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shefford, Bedfordshire.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Shefford.

• Shefford Town Council website
• Shefford pages at the Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service