Welcome to Elstow Village
Elstow, Bedford, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
This website contains:
The Elstow Picture Archive
A space for local councillors to consult & inform.
Contact details for local groups and organisations.
Links to other useful and informative Elstow websites.
Elstow - a place of History
Elstow, located on the southern edge of Bedford, has a long history, with settlements dating back at least to the Neolithic era.
For almost 500 years, it was home to a thriving Benadictine Nunnery and is still home to the Abbey Church.
Elstow is an oasis of tranquility, with an attractive village green - a good place for a picnic or for children to play. There are half-timbered 13th and 14th century cottages, and the Moot Hall - a unique medieval building, being a combined market-house and Manor courtroom.
Elstow's royal charter, to hold markets, dates back to the 11th century and it's May festivals may predate that by manycenturies. Images of such events, and other aspects of Elstow - ancient and modern - can be viewed at the Elstow Picture Archive.
Elstow was also the birthplace of the famous 17th century preacher and author, John Bunyan.
The extensive history of this village is well documented and that information is easily accessed: There is some historical information on this website, on our Local History page : and there is more on the Moot Hall website and Bedfordshire Record Office's Elstow Community archive pages.
You can arrange guided tours of Elstow and/or visits to Moot Hall by contacting our local historian (ie me - Clive Arnold, Curator Moot Hall)
For almost 500 years, it was home to a thriving Benadictine Nunnery and is still home to the Abbey Church.
Elstow is an oasis of tranquility, with an attractive village green - a good place for a picnic or for children to play. There are half-timbered 13th and 14th century cottages, and the Moot Hall - a unique medieval building, being a combined market-house and Manor courtroom.
Elstow's royal charter, to hold markets, dates back to the 11th century and it's May festivals may predate that by manycenturies. Images of such events, and other aspects of Elstow - ancient and modern - can be viewed at the Elstow Picture Archive.
Elstow was also the birthplace of the famous 17th century preacher and author, John Bunyan.
The extensive history of this village is well documented and that information is easily accessed: There is some historical information on this website, on our Local History page : and there is more on the Moot Hall website and Bedfordshire Record Office's Elstow Community archive pages.
You can arrange guided tours of Elstow and/or visits to Moot Hall by contacting our local historian (ie me - Clive Arnold, Curator Moot Hall)
Location map
