View source for Eyeworth

{{Short description|Village in Bedfordshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country= England
|coordinates = {{coord|52.09459|-0.1787|display=inline,title}}
|official_name= Eyeworth
|population=
|unitary_england= [[Central Bedfordshire]]
|lieutenancy_england= [[Bedfordshire]]
|region= East of England
|constituency_westminster= [[North East Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|North East Bedfordshire]]
|post_town= SANDY
|postcode_district= SG19
|postcode_area= SG
|dial_code= 01767
|os_grid_reference= TL248455
|static_image= EyeworthChurch.10.5.08.jpg
|static_image_width= 240px
|static_image_caption= All Saints‘ Church, Eyeworth
}}
'''Eyeworth''' (also '''Eyworth''') is a small, rural village and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in the [[Central Bedfordshire]] district of the county of [[Bedfordshire]], England; about {{convert|12.5|mi|km|0}} east south-east of the county town of [[Bedford]].
Eyeworth had a population of 86 in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/webingres/bedfordshire/census/parish-profiles/pp-sutton-eyeworth.htm|title=Parish Profile for Sutton / Eyeworth|publisher=Bedfordshire County Council|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010202713/http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/webingres/bedfordshire/census/parish-profiles/pp-sutton-eyeworth.htm|archive-date=10 October 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==Geography==
Eyeworth lies {{convert|4|mi|km|0}} east of [[Biggleswade]] and just under {{convert|15|mi|km|0}} south-west of [[Cambridge]].
The eastern parish boundary borders both [[Hertfordshire]] and [[Cambridgeshire]] at the [[River Rhee]].
'''Landscape'''
[[Natural England]] has designated the area as part of The Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands (NCA 88).
Central Bedfordshire Council has classified the landscape as Dunton Clay Vale (5G). Most of the parish is open, arable farmland with medium to large fields. Eyeworth lies on a ridge of land that forms part of the watershed between the River Ivel to the west and the Rhee to the east. Tributary streams and drainage channels run through the area. Field boundaries are primarily short flailed, gappy hedges. The limited woodland creates a very open landscape. Occasional mature hedgerow trees and roadside oaks on grass verges are a feature.<ref>{{cite web |title=5G Dunton Clay Vale Landscape Character Area |url=https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/migrated_images/type-5_tcm3-12991.pdf |website=Central Bedfordshire |access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref>
'''Elevation'''
The village centre is {{convert|50|m|ft|0}} above sea level and is the highest point in the parish. The land falls away quite sharply to {{convert|30|m|ft|0}} in the east but more gradually to the west and north.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eyeworth: elevation |url=https://routecalculator.co.uk/elevation |website=Route Calculator |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref>
'''Geology and soil type'''
The centre and west of the parish lie on [[boulder clay]]; with [[gault]] to the east.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sheet 204. Geological Survey of England  & Wales |url=http://www.largeimages.bgs.ac.uk/iip/mapsportal.html?id=1003300 |website=British Geological Survey |access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref> The whole parish has lime-rich loamy and clayey soils with slightly impeded drainage.<ref>{{cite web |title=Soilscapes Viewer |url=http://www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes/index.cfm |website=LandIS - Land Information System |publisher=Cranfield University |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref>
{{Adjacent communities
| Centre = Eyeworth
| NE  = [[Wrestlingworth]]
| SE  = [[Guilden Morden]]
| SW  = [[Dunton, Bedfordshire|Dunton]]
| NW  = [[Sutton, Bedfordshire|Sutton]]
}}
==History==
The name is spelt ''Aieuuorde'' and ''Aisseuuorde'' in the [[Domesday Book]]. Eyeworth may mean 'island farm'.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Skeat |first1=Walter W |title=The place-names of Bedfordshire |date=1906 |page=[https://archive.org/details/placenamesofbedf00skea/page/64 64] |url=https://archive.org/details/placenamesofbedf00skea |access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref> The majority of the houses are Victorian, though the seventeenth century Church Farm remains.
The widow of [[Francis Bacon]], née [[Alice Barnham]], lived in Eyeworth following his death, and she died there in 1650. There were a number of minor skirmishes in the parish during the [[English Civil War|Civil War]] and it is reputed that [[Oliver Cromwell]] visited the village and damaged some of the church's icons.<ref name=castle>{{cite book|title=Walking in Bedfordshire|author=Alan Castle|publisher=Cicerone Press Ltd|year=2001}}</ref>
==Population==
{{Historical populations
|title    = Population growth in Eyeworth since 1801
|align    = left
|cols     = 1
|shading = off
|footnote =
|source   = [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10172640 A Vision of Britain through Time]
|1801|86
|1841|128
|1881|170
|1921|120
|1961|89
|2001|86
}}
[[File:Manor Farm House, Eyeworth, Beds - geograph.org.uk - 188155.jpg|thumb|Manor Farm House]]
[[File:Cottages, Eyeworth, Beds - geograph.org.uk - 168483.jpg|thumb|centre|Cottages, Eyeworth]]
==Governance==
Eyeworth is part of Potton ward for elections to the [[Central Bedfordshire]] Unitary Authority.
Prior to 1894, Eyeworth was administered as part of the [[Hundred of Biggleswade]].
From 1894 until 1974 the village was in [[Biggleswade Rural District]] and from 1974 to 2009 in [[Mid Bedfordshire District]].
Eyeworth was in the [[Mid Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency]] until 1997. Now in [[North East Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|North East Bedfordshire]], the elected member is [[Richard Fuller (Conservative politician)|Richard Fuller]] of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]].
==All Saints' Church==
The village is home to a medieval church dedicated to All Saints whose building dates back to the fourteenth century, and is partly constructed from [[Totternhoe]] stone. The church's fifteenth-century spire was destroyed by lightning in 1967, and after the subsequent theft of the lead from its roof was replaced by a much smaller modern turret.<ref name=castle/>
The interior houses a number of [[Monumental brass|medieval brasses]] and a monument to [[Edmund Anderson (judge)|Sir Edmund Anderson]] (d.1605), founder of the Anderson line who were lords of the manor, and who was also a judge during the trial of [[Mary, Queen of Scots]].
==Public services==
Eyeworth is in the Potton Public Water Supply Zone (RW50). The water supplied by [[Anglian Water]] comes from groundwater [[borehole]]s and is [[chloramination|chloraminated]] and classed as [[hard water|hard]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Drinking Water Quality Information |url=http://waterquality.anglianwater.com/map.aspx |website=Anglian Water |access-date=22 August 2019}}</ref>
The Eastern Power Area of [[UK Power Networks]] is the [[distribution network operator]] for electricity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Check if you're in our area |url=https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/about-us/areas-we-cover/#itop |website=UK Power Networks |access-date=8 August 2019 |archive-date=2 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102192941/https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/about-us/areas-we-cover/#itop |url-status=dead }}</ref> There is no natural gas supply.<ref>{{cite web |title=The non-gas map |url=https://www.nongasmap.org.uk/ |website=The non-gas map |access-date=23 August 2019}}</ref>
The two nearest general hospitals are [[Bedford Hospital|Bedford]] (Bedford Hospital NHS Trust) and [[Lister Hospital, Stevenage]] (East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust). Ambulance services are provided by the [[East of England Ambulance Service]] NHS Trust. [[Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service]] and [[Bedfordshire Police]] cover the parish.
[[Potton]] is the nearest library.
==Public transport==
Centrebus (South) runs bus route no. 188 south to [[Biggleswade]] and [[Hitchin]] (journey time 45 minutes) and north to [[Wrestlingworth]], [[Potton]], and [[Sandy, Bedfordshire|Sandy]]. The service is normally two hourly, daytime only, Monday to Saturday.<ref>{{cite web |title=188 - Hitchin - Biggleswade - Wrestlingworth - Potton - Sandy |url=https://bustimes.org/services/188-hitchin-biggleswade-wrestlingworth-potton-sand |website=Bus Times |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref>
The nearest railway station is [[Biggleswade railway station|Biggleswade]].
==Notable residents==
Notable residents include Sir [[Peter Kendall (farmer)|Peter Kendall]], ex President of the National Farmers Union, who farms the land around the village with his brother Richard.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Eyeworth}}
{{Places in Bedfordshire}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Villages in Bedfordshire]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Bedfordshire]]
[[Category:Central Bedfordshire District]]