Leighton Buzzard in 50 Buildings

Close to the Chiltern Hills lies the Bedfordshire market town of Leighton Buzzard. Dominating the town is the 190-foot spire of the thirteenth-century All Saints’ Church, which has been described as ‘the cathedral of South Bedfordshire’. The area’s main industry has been sand quarrying, and the coming of the Grand Union Canal and railway in the early 1800s established the town further and led to an increase in its population, industry and commerce. This growth has continued across the decades as Leighton Buzzard’s proximity and direct transport links to London have placed it in prime commuter territory.

Today, Leighton Buzzard is linked to the town of Linslade by a bridge over the River Ouzel. The two communities were unified as a civil parish in 1965 and are commonly referred to as Leighton-Linslade. Looking back through the centuries, there is evidence that people have been living in and around the area since Saxon times. In the Domesday Book Leighton Buzzard was called Lestone and there was reference to its market which still takes place to this day.

In this book author Paul Rabbitts explores fifty of the town’s most interesting, important and intriguing buildings and structures, from inns to churches and schools to houses. The town boasts many old buildings, each with their own story to tell that, together, make up the fascinating history of Leighton Buzzard.