Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

To the south-west of Bedford in the county of Bedfordshire, England, you will find the 2 historic towns of Dunstable and Houghton Regis and the ancient village of Toddington. Dunstable was originally established by the Romans as a posting station on Watling Street, an important road at this time, though it was probably settled much earlier than this as evidence of Palaeolithic flint implements and an Iron Age Fort have been found in its environs. Dunstable was one of the twelve sites chosen in 1290 for the erection of Eleanor Crosses after the death of the wife of Edward I. Close to Dunstable and possibly even older is the town of Houghton Regis, until recent years just a small village. Getting its name from the Saxon “hoe” (spur on a hill) and “tun” meaning village, Houghton became Houghton Regis during the time of Edward the Confessor, it remained a village until the 1950’s and 1960’s, when London overspill caused it to grow into the town it is today. Near to Dunstable and Houghton Regis, the pretty village of Toddington is gathered around its spacious village green, where you will find its parish church and 4 of its public houses.