Biggleswade

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. 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.