Carlton

Carlton is a village in the civil parish of Carlton and Chellington, in the Bedford borough of Bedfordshire, England. The River Great Ouse runs just to the north of the village. Nearby places are Chellington, Harrold, Pavenham, Turvey, Lavendon and Odell. Carlton was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey. The name Carlton has its origins in the English language and is derived from the combination of two elements: carl meaning free man or peasant, and ton meaning town or settlement. Together, Carlton translates to as the town of the free men. This name sheds light on the historical significance of social classes and demographics in medieval England, where names often represented one's occupation or social status. Carlton's church is Saint Mary the Virgin, dating from 950AD with a font from c. 1150 sited outside the current village. In 1934 the parish was merged with the neighbouring parish of Chellington to form a new civil parish called Carlton and Chellington. At the 1931 census (the last before the abolition of the parish), Carlton had a population of 340. The village has historically been laid out in a rectangular road pattern, the main parts of the village being around the roads of Bridgend and the High Street, with The Moor and The Causeway making up the rectangle's other sides. During the twentieth century the areas in between were filled out with housing along the roads of Rectory Close, Carriers Way, Street Close, and Beeby Way. Carlton Park is located in Rectory Close and features three swings, a small basketball court, a football pitch and a 1.5 meter slide. It also features one of the main landmarks of Carlton, its giant oak tree. Carlton has two pubs, The Royal Oak and The Fox. A third pub, The Angel, traded on the High Street until the 1990s. It has since been converted into a private residence. There is a Post Office and village shop located on Carlton's busiest through road, Bridgend. There is also one school,…