624:, were recruited outside jobcentres or at soup kitchens, and were promised paid work, food and lodgings. On arrival at the site, their heads were shaved, and they were forced to work up to 19 hours a day in the family's paving business. They were routinely abused, underfed, and housed in littered, cramped sheds or horseboxes that were unfit for human habitation, with no heating or running water. One victim was paid just £80 during the 15 years he was with the family. Victims who had managed to escape informed police. In September 2011 armed police raided the site with sniffer dogs and helicopter support, removing 23 men. Although some of the released men subsequently returned to the site, eight testified against the family in court. Two of the accused, a husband and wife, were jailed for 11 years and 4 years respectively.
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790:, item 11. "A resident of Little Billington has brought to the Parish Councils attention that all Parish Council documentation is in the name of Great Billington and it was felt that Little Billington was not included. This was discussed and it was agreed that as from now, all Parish Council correspondence would be headed Billington Parish Council."
477:
cottages, in the area around the summit of the hill, and also some old farmhouses and cottages. One of the thatched cottages on top of the hill has the dubious honour of having featured on countless chocolate boxes and biscuit tins. One of the more attractive houses in the village is
Walkers Farm,
615:
sites in Little
Billington, were found to have controlled, exploited, verbally abused and beaten the men for financial gain. The case was the first successful conviction under new slavery laws, following their introduction in 2010. The men, many of them homeless and addicted to
232:
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cultivated their own strips of land; the name 'common' still survives as a field name. It was enclosed at the time of the enclosures, and is today part of a local farm. It is traversed by two public footpaths.
903:
405:, who outnumber the settled community. This community live in privately owned, but permitted, sites in the village, three in Little Billington and one between Billington and the nearby village of
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On 11 July 2012, four members from one family were convicted of keeping workers in a state of servitude and forcing them to perform unpaid work. The family, who lived on one of the three
539:
In the 1990s, there was a campaign by villagers to use the name "Great
Billington", with a claim that it was always used historically. This is not the case in most books on
93:
442:; however, in the late 1860s it was enlarged to a church, and a rectory built next to it to house the first incumbent. This was when Billington was first recorded as a
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in 2006, have consistently written the word "Billington" next to the settlement by the church and the words "Little
Billington" next to the hamlet of that name.
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at entrances to the settlement now use the name. On 1 September 1998 the parish was renamed from "Billington" to "Great
Billington".
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The centre of Great
Billington is Billington Hill, on top of which is the small parish church. The church was originally a small
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appears in a legal record, dated 1440, where Hugh and Thomas
Billyngdon of Billyngdon, Beds, gentlemen, are mentioned.
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is called "Billington". On 1 April 2019 the parish was renamed from "Great
Billington" back to "Billington".
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394:= "hill of a man named Billa". Another theorized original meaning is "hill with a sharp ridge". The spelling
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estate village. The village school, halfway up the hill, was built at this time. It closed in the 1950s.
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Directory (either "Great" or "Little" in the official postal addresses). As a result of the campaign, the
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course was built on the estate, people came from all over
England to attend the race meeting held there.
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a brick and timber house dating from the 16th century. Its once-thatched roof is now tiled.
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Public footpath through
Billington's former common land, adjacent to the Traveller camp
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During the late 1870s and early 1880 large areas of the village were bought by
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705:, Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Service reference ABP/R11/38.
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window in the west wall commemorates Edward Bradshaw, the first rector.
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and not far from the Buckinghamshire border. There are two settlements:
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http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/H6/CP40no717/bCP40no717dorses/IMG_1518.htm
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was a frequent competitor at the races. The races discontinued after
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The District of South Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2001
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850:"Four Face Jail After First Conviction Under New 'Slavery' Laws"
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Plea Roll, Court of Common Pleas; CP 40/717; National Archives;
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Minutes of a meeting held at the Village Hall on 6th July 2006
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The Thomson Directory: Luton, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard area
547:, but there are examples of earlier use in a will dated 1543,
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680:, reprinted by Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, 1983.
35:
Parish church of St Michael and All Angels, Great Billington
621:
380:). At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 359.
577:"Great Billington" has been used as the name of the whole
717:, with the same wording in directories from 1885 to 1940.
876:"Couple Jailed for Forcing Destitute Men into Servitude"
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in the west of the parish) and one that is now called
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View from summit of Billington Hill, looking towards
555:("hamlets of Great and Little Billington"), and the
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Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service
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1598:
551:("comprising Great and Little Billington"), the
383:The name of the parish is recorded in 1196 as
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728:The Victoria history of the county of Bedford
401:The village is known for its high density of
827:"Central Bedfordshire Registration District"
940:
926:
703:Will of Richard Marten of Great Byllington
585:now uses the name "Billington" again. The
667:Leighton Buzzard Observer of 11 June 2013
801:Billington Parish Council - Key Contacts
753:"Leighton Buzzard Registration District"
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491:
473:The village contains some half-timbered
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814:St Michael & All Angels, Billington
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360:about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of
730:, vol. III, Constable, 1912, p. 400.
592:
848:Topping, Alexandra (11 July 2012).
715:1890 Kelly's Directory - Billington
416:The River Ouzel at Great Billington
13:
633:
566:unveiled a new "Great Billington"
53:
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897:
570:on 20 June 1997, and some of the
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1617:Central Bedfordshire District
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504:In the early 20th century a
446:in its own right. The bell
7:
786:Billington Parish Council,
644:Census 2021 Parish Profiles
87:OS grid reference
18:Human settlement in England
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726:William Page (editor),
553:Victoria County History
461:The village once had a
281:South West Bedfordshire
882:. London. 12 July 2012
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250:Bedfordshire and Luton
207:Postcode district
137:Ceremonial county
119:Unitary authority
913:History of Billington
691:OS Landranger Map 165
678:The County of Bedford
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587:ecclesiastical parish
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950:Central Bedfordshire
773:For an example, see
389:Anglo-Saxon language
387:, and may come from
187:Sovereign state
127:Central Bedfordshire
812:Church of England,
693:, edition D1, 2006.
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273:UK Parliament
219:Dialling code
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1541:Upper Gravenhurst
1331:Marston Moreteyne
1241:Houghton Conquest
1201:Haynes Church End
689:Ordnance Survey,
676:Thomas Jefferys,
599:Operation Netwing
593:2012 slavery case
549:Kelly's Directory
366:Little Billington
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1261:Husborne Crawley
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362:Leighton Buzzard
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332:51.896°N 0.635°W
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430:Chiltern Hills
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981:Aspley Guise
884:. Retrieved
880:The Guardian
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858:. Retrieved
854:The Guardian
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831:. Retrieved
821:
808:
795:
787:
782:
769:
757:. Retrieved
747:
739:
735:
727:
722:
710:
702:
698:
690:
685:
677:
672:
663:
650:
610:
579:civil parish
576:
568:village sign
538:
527:
518:World War II
503:
480:
472:
465:, where the
460:
434:
426:Edlesborough
400:
395:
391:
384:
382:
373:
365:
358:Bedfordshire
354:civil parish
349:
348:
309:Bedfordshire
238:Bedfordshire
145:Bedfordshire
103:Civil parish
68:Bedfordshire
15:
1466:Steppingley
1431:Shillington
1381:Pepperstock
1341:Meppershall
1216:Henlow Camp
1176:Gravenhurst
1036:Brogborough
1021:Biggleswade
613:travellers'
545:place-names
510:Edward VIII
335: /
1601:Categories
1531:Totternhoe
1526:Toddington
1456:Stanbridge
1421:Sharpenhoe
1396:Pulloxhill
1371:Old Warden
1296:Lidlington
1186:Harlington
1181:Greenfield
1126:Eaton Bray
1081:Church End
1071:Chicksands
1051:Caddington
1026:Billington
1001:Battlesden
971:Apsley End
961:Aley Green
833:1 February
759:1 February
628:References
581:, but the
572:road signs
557:Royal Mail
407:Stanbridge
403:Travellers
396:Billyngdon
392:Billan dūn
350:Billington
320:51°53′46″N
78:Population
60:Billington
24:Billington
1571:Wingfield
1566:Whipsnade
1561:Westoning
1516:Tilsworth
1501:Tempsford
1481:Streatley
1446:Southcote
1386:Potsgrove
1346:Millbrook
1281:Kensworth
1231:Hockliffe
1156:Fairfield
1141:Eversholt
1136:Eggington
1121:East Hyde
1111:Dunstable
1106:Cranfield
1091:Clipstone
1061:Chalgrave
658:4th entry
620:or other
487:Victorian
437:mediaeval
385:Billendon
323:0°38′06″W
257:Ambulance
197:Post town
81:359
1581:Woodside
1521:Tingrith
1496:Tebworth
1476:Stotfold
1461:Stanford
1451:Southill
1441:Slip End
1426:Shefford
1401:Ridgmont
1366:Northill
1301:Linslade
1286:Langford
1226:Holywell
1171:Flitwick
1151:Eyeworth
1096:Clophill
966:Ampthill
856:. London
560:Postcode
475:thatched
467:peasants
452:Linslade
428:and the
1486:Studham
1471:Stondon
1406:Salford
1376:Pegsdon
1336:Maulden
1276:Ireland
1271:Ickwell
1256:Hulcote
1251:How End
1166:Flitton
1161:Fancott
1146:Everton
1131:Edworth
1086:Clifton
1066:Chalton
1056:Campton
1031:Blunham
1016:Bidwell
1011:Beeston
1006:Beadlow
991:Astwick
976:Arlesey
906:at the
886:12 July
860:12 July
829:. UKBMD
755:. UKBMD
742:, 1992.
618:alcohol
304:England
179:England
173:Country
1576:Woburn
1491:Sutton
1436:Silsoe
1416:Sewell
1391:Potton
1211:Henlow
1196:Haynes
1116:Dunton
463:common
448:turret
444:parish
440:chapel
370:hamlet
233:Police
155:Region
94:SP9422
1506:Thorn
1411:Sandy
1236:Holme
1191:Hatch
1046:Budna
1041:Broom
642:ONS,
622:drugs
512:when
378:A4146
352:is a
223:01525
1266:Hyde
888:2012
862:2012
835:2023
761:2023
543:and
245:Fire
163:East
368:(a
356:in
212:LU7
1603::
878:.
852:.
635:^
520:.
409:.
299:UK
941:e
934:t
927:v
890:.
864:.
837:.
816:.
803:.
777:.
763:.
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