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596:, killing the entire crew of 10 and 11 persons on the ground. Today Forge Gardens stands on the crash site. In May 2009 a service was held in the village church and a tablet recording the names of those who died in the crash was dedicated. Two children, Keith (aged 14) and Monica (aged 4), were killed during the crash when the aircraft hit the house they were sleeping in. The remainder of those who died consisted of servicemen who were sleeping in a barrack block which the aircraft hit and the crew of the bomber. It is said that at certain times of the year the distant drone of a B-17 can be heard in the early dawn hours, and there are also various sightings of ghostly airmen seen around the church yard and near to the crash site.
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30 considered it to be called 'Yielden'. Different organisations take different positions on the spelling: the Royal Mail uses the spelling "Yielden" in official postal addresses, whilst the parish council calls itself "Melchbourne and Yelden" parish council. The Office for
National Statistics records the official name of the parish to be "Melchbourne and Yielden", whilst the Ordnance Survey labels the village itself "Yelden", but records the parish name as "Melchbourne and Yielden".
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Yelden is famed for its
Strawberry Fayre which is held on the last Sunday in June each year. This generally attracts thousands of visitors to the village to sample oysters and champagne, strawberry teas, live jazz, classic cars, bikes and tractors and traditional summer fete activities to raise funds
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There has been much argument over the correct spelling the village name over recent years and it still remains a matter of confusion for those trying to find their way to the village. A questionnaire on the subject was circulated to villagers in 1998. 44 considered the village to be called 'Yelden' –
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and 6.75 miles (10.86 km) west of
Kimbolton and is in the Hundred of Stodden. The countryside around the village rises to about 90 m (300 ft) above sea level, is generally open and rolling in nature and is predominantly used for agricultural purposes. The centre piece of the village is
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In common with most other place, the village name has evolved over the centuries. The earliest recorded version was 'Giveldene' in 1086 and since then there have been over 20 changes. At one stage (circa 1390) it was recorded as being 'Yelden' before becoming known as
Yeveldene in 1461. Other names
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pioneering the daylight formation and bombing procedures of the time. There were almost 2,000 personnel based at the aerodrome flying a total of 337 missions between
November 1942 and April 1945. During these missions, a total of 22,362 tons of bombs were dropped on enemy targets and 332 enemy
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castle that from
Domesday to the 13th century was the stronghold of the Trailly family. It is an imposing feature with a central conical mound rising to about 40 feet above the bottom of its north moat. It is in 2 levels with 2 extensive baileys and is not surrounded by a moat. There have been
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In June 1943, as
Yielden had a depleted population, an American air-force pilot named Dick Rodgers assisted in the administration and running of the town's noted Strawberry Fayre. During his short stay there, Rodgers became a very popular figure within the community. He encouraged his fellow
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pilots to volunteer and raise funds for the local church during their time at the
Yielden airbase. He died while completing a supply drop during the Battle of the Bulge. Although his body was never recovered, there is a commemorative plaque on a bench outside the Western gate of the Church.
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produced by the Yelden Parish Study Group and first printed in 1972. It has been updated and reprinted in 2001 and is the definitive source of historical information about the village. Much of the information in this article has been made with reference to this publication.
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in 1162. Although Norman in origin its shows no indication of this in its construction. It consists of a Nave and
Chancel dating back to the early 13th Century and had been considerably re-modelled since then, the most notable feature being the tower and broach spire.
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for the
Americans. In more recent times these buildings, known locally as "the camps," fell into rack and ruin and so were demolished to make way for a new housing development. Today Philips Medows, Stanbrook Way and Forge Gardens stand on these sites.
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Chapel built in 1884, the Chequers Public House (closed since December 2016) and the Yelden Village Hall. It has a present population of roughly between 150 and 200 adults and between 50 and 100 children living in about 90 residences.
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of 1086 as 'Giveldene' where an account of its history was recorded. In 1931 the parish had a population of 150. On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished and merged with Melchbourne to form "Melchbourne and Yelden".
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along with other historical works have shown evidence of a near continuous occupation in the village dating back to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age (c.2000 -800 BC). Latterly the village appeared in the
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The Chequers Inn closed in 2016. Whilst there have been attempts to reopen it tied with some development of land behind the pub, at time of writing (June 2021) the business remains closed.
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was a significant time in the history of the village because of its close proximity to Chelveston Aerodrome, which was originally built with three runways in 1941. An
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castle. This is now a complex of grassed-over earthworks dominated by a central mound. Other notable features include the church of St Mary, a
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Depending on which direction you approach from you will find that the name of the village is spelt differently on various sign posts:
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It is a good example of a village church mainly in the Decorated style. Originally the Trailly family received it from the monks at
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This is a significant archaeological site and one of the most interesting of its type in the county. It was the site of a Norman
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Finally it was recorded as being 'Yelden' again in 1830 with the latest variant 'Yielden' having arrived in more recent times.
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aircraft. Later in 1942, following the entry of the United States into the war, it eventually became the home of the
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Home Guard troops 'fighting' Valentine tanks of 6th Armoured Division during large-scale manoeuvres, 27 July 1941.
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John Burn One Zero Five: The Story of Chelveston Airfield and the 305th Bomb Group in Pictures. 2005. (
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s construction, a series of buildings were erected in the village near the church as quarters for the
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suggestions that prior to Norman times it was occupied by the
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detachment began flying from the aerodrome in 1942 with
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aircraft were claimed shot down at the expense of 154
723:"Relationships and changes Yelden AP/CP through time"
592:, 305th Bomb Group (Heavy), crashed on takeoff from
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The "Yelden" spelling used on a signpost in Rushden
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519:Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment
442:Archaeological excavations carried out by
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799:"Melchbourne and Yelden Parish Council"
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485:Church of St Mary the Virgin, Yielden
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743:Pages 136 – 138. Donald, William. '
843:Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Map, 2021
725:. A Vision of Britain through Time
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702:A Vision of Britain through Time
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824:Office for National Statistics
556:(WAAF) but instead became the
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418:Neighbouring villages include
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538:Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses
531:United States Army Air Forces
582:Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
554:Women's Auxiliary Air Force
444:Bedfordshire County Council
90:OS grid reference
29:Human settlement in England
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570:366th Bombardment Squadron
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1284:Villages in Bedfordshire
361:is a village and former
820:"Open Geography Portal"
620:, was born in Yielden.
534:305th Bombardment Group
456:Motte and Bailey Castle
412:Yelden Past and Present
398:, the site of a Norman
367:Melchbourne and Yielden
365:, now in the parish of
286:North East Bedfordshire
114:Melchbourne and Yielden
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255:Bedfordshire and Luton
212:Postcode district
142:Ceremonial county
124:Unitary authority
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548:During the aerodrome
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192:Sovereign state
590:422nd Bomb Squadron
580:On 24 March 1944 a
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495:Pope Alexander III
337:52.2833°N 0.5166°W
278:UK Parliament
224:Dialling code
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1043:Kempston Hardwick
774:"Postcode Finder"
672:for the Church.
502:War (1939 – 1945)
479:Church of St Mary
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1003:Great Denham
973:Duck's Cross
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827:. Retrieved
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667:Social scene
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363:civil parish
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314:Bedfordshire
243:Bedfordshire
150:Bedfordshire
106:Civil parish
79:Bedfordshire
26:
1088:Melchbourne
943:Chellington
676:Village pub
420:Melchbourne
340: /
1278:Categories
1228:Willington
1208:Upper Dean
1193:Swineshead
1183:Stevington
1163:Shortstown
1153:Sharnbrook
1113:Pertenhall
1083:Lower Dean
1058:Keysoe Row
993:Felmersham
968:Cotton End
928:Cardington
778:Royal Mail
729:31 January
707:31 January
684:References
662:Modern day
428:Upper Dean
325:52°17′00″N
1258:Wymington
1198:Thurleigh
1188:Stewartby
1148:Salph End
1128:Ravensden
1118:Podington
1013:Harrowden
958:Colmworth
913:Bolnhurst
903:Biddenham
614:Joe Ekins
574:Stuttgart
525:towed by
369:, in the
328:0°31′00″W
262:Ambulance
202:Post town
1253:Wyboston
1243:Wood End
1233:Wilstead
1218:West End
1173:Stagsden
1168:Souldrop
1108:Pavenham
1063:Knotting
1038:Kempston
1028:Honeydon
988:Farndish
953:Colesden
938:Chawston
404:Wesleyan
97:TL011746
1248:Wootton
1178:Staploe
1158:Shelton
1138:Riseley
1133:Renhold
1123:Radwell
1023:Hinwick
1008:Harrold
948:Clapham
933:Carlton
923:Bromham
918:Box End
908:Bletsoe
898:Begwary
893:Bedford
829:9 March
804:9 March
783:9 March
650:Yielden
438:History
432:Shelton
387:Bedford
371:Bedford
359:Yielden
309:England
206:BEDFORD
184:England
178:Country
132:Bedford
18:Yielden
1263:Yelden
1238:Wixams
1223:Wilden
1203:Turvey
1143:Roxton
1098:Oakley
1053:Keysoe
983:Elstow
749:
653:Yeldon
647:Yelden
543:Allied
355:Yelden
238:Police
160:Region
71:Yelden
35:Yelden
1103:Odell
978:Duloe
963:Cople
607:USAAF
586:'
550:'
473:Iceni
228:01933
831:2022
806:2022
785:2022
747:ISBN
731:2023
709:2023
430:and
381:and
250:Fire
217:MK44
168:East
357:or
1280::
822:.
776:.
700:.
588:s
434:.
426:,
422:,
304:UK
873:e
866:t
859:v
833:.
808:.
787:.
753:)
733:.
711:.
20:)
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