Bolnhurst
| Bolnhurst | |
|---|---|
 St Dunstan's parish church |
|
 Bolnhurst
|
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| Bolnhurst shown within Bedfordshire | |
| OS grid reference | TL086597 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bedford |
| Postcode district | MK44 |
| Dialling code | 01234 |
| Police | Bedfordshire |
| Fire | Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Bolnhurst and Keysoe Parish Council |
Bolnhurst is a village in the civil parish of Bolnhurst and Keysoe, in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire. The village is about 7 miles (11 km) north-northeast of Bedford and about 6 miles (10 km) west of St Neots.
The name is derived from the Old English bula-hyrst, meaning "wooded hill where bulls are kept".
Bolnhurst grew up around the main road between Bedford and Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire. the Domesday Book of 1086 lists it as Bulehestre or Bolehestre. At that time the manor was held by the Abbot of Thorney, Cambridgeshire. The Abbey retained Bolnhurst until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century.
After inclosure of the parish in 1778, Arthur Young, despite never having visited the village, described Bolnhurst as:
The Church of England parish church of St Dunstan is about 2⁄5 mile (1 km) southwest of the current village. The earliest part of the present building is the 13th-century chancel. The chancel arch and three of the nave windows are 14th-century, including a three-light Decorated Gothic traceried one on the south side. But most of the nave is now Perpendicular Gothic, including two transomed and traceried windows on the north side.
Inside the nave over the north door is the remains of a large medieval wall painting of St Christopher. In the northeast corner of the nave are monuments to two members of the Francklin family: John (died 1707) and Dame Dorothy (died 1727).
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Wikipedia