Aspley Heath

Aspley Heath is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. The village is a linear settlement. It adjoins Woburn Sands, which is part of the City of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire; Aspley Guise lies northeast, Woburn is to the south, and Bow Brickhill and Little Brickhill to the west and south west respectively. The Office for National Statistics includes the village in the Milton Keynes Built-up area. Aspley Heath village was designated a conservation area in 1994. In 2009, Mid Bedfordshire District Council published an appraisal of the conservation area, which stated Aspley Heath is "characterised by large detached houses set in extensive grounds". Church Road is described as being bordered by hedgerows of holly. St Michael's Church is the parish church. The ecclesiastical parish is named Woburn Sands and officially came into existence on 4 November 1867, prior to the formation of Aspley Heath civil parish. The land was provided by the Duke of Bedford. The architect was Henry Clutton, who also designed St Mary's Church, Woburn. Consecration of the church and the churchyard took place on 22 September 1868 and was presided over by Harold Browne, the Bishop of Ely. The coursed limestone church building is Grade II* listed and features many windows with "curious" tracery. A National School existed in the village by 1863 and became a board school upon the establishment of the Aspley Heath School Board in 1885. It became a council school following the passing of the Education Act, 1902 and finally closed in 1981. The Knoll Preparatory School operated from 1891 to 1974 in a what was previously a private residence in woodland at the far end of the village. The building reverted to a private dwelling after the school closed and was later converted into apartments. The Heath was used as a pasture for grazing sheep at its inclosure in 1761. In May 1874, Dr Prior, medical officer of the local Board of Health said that Aspley…