Harrold-Odell Country Park

The Hundred of Willey is a historical land division, a hundred in the northwest corner of Bedfordshire, England. Its northwestern boundary is the county border with Northamptonshire, and its southwestern boundary the border with Buckinghamshire. Some of its parishes and settlements lay on the River Great Ouse which flows through the hundred. The hundred of Willey was formed after King Edward the Elder subdued the Vikings of Bedford in 915 and constructed two burhs on each side of the River Ouse in Bedford. Willey, Barford, Stodden and the half-hundreds of Buckelow and Bedford were created to support the north Bedford burh. Willey consisted of 105 hides, which were situated in the following vills: Carlton, Chellington, Farndish, Felmersham with Radwell, Harrold, Odell, Podington with Hinwick, Sharnbrook, Thurleigh, Turvey, and Wymington. The name of the hundred is derived from Old English wēoh ‘an idol, a shrine’ and lēah ‘clearing, clearing in a wood’, denoting a clearing or grove with a pre-Christian shrine or temple.The areas of these hundreds were intermingled - so Thurleigh was separated from the rest of the hundred by Bletsoe in the Buckelow half-hundred and Milton, Clapham and Milton Ernest (three vills within Stodden hundred) were separated from the rest of their hundred by Thurleigh and Bletsoe. This is taken as supporting the formation of these hundreds together as a unit of support for the same burh.It appears that the hundred of Willey and half-hundred of Buckelow were administered together, with Hugh de Willey recorded as the keeper of the bailiwick of Wilie and half bailiwick of Bukkelowe. At his death in 1278 his son Roger succeeded him; making the title appear hereditary. In the 17th century, the half-hundred of Buckelowe, comprising the vills of Biddenham, Bletsoe, Bromham, Pavenham, Stagsden, and Stevington, was formally merged with the hundred of Willey. Other parish combinations have included the parishes of Carlton and Chellington merging in 1934, and Farndish being absorbed into Podington with Hinwick parish. Although there are many small settlements the majority of land in the hundred remains rural and is still used for farming. There is a railway line running close to the northeast border, however some stations on this line are now closed such as Sharnbrook closed in 1960. Today the area of the Hundred of Willey is within the Borough of Bedford.

Odell is a small village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford, north Bedfordshire, England, approximately 7 miles (11 km) north-west of Bedford town centre, near the villages of Harrold, Felmersham, Sharnbrook and Carlton.

Harrold Hall was a country house in Harrold, Bedfordshire, England. Dated to 1210, the house was demolished in 1961.

Church of St Peter is a Grade I listed church in Harrold, Bedfordshire, England.

Chellington is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Carlton and Chellington, in the Bedford district, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England, situated approximately 7 miles (11 km) north-west of Bedford town centre. In 1931 the parish had a population of 78.Chellington was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey. On 1 April 1934 the separate parishes of Chellington and Carlton merged to become one parish named "Carlton and Chellington".

Odell Castle was an 11th-century castle in the village of Odell, in the county of Bedfordshire, England. The land where Odell Castle stood was originally owned by Levenot, a thegn of King Edward the Confessor. At the time, the land and village were called Wahull. After the Norman invasion, William the Conqueror gave the lands, manor, and title, to Walter de Flandrensis (circa 1068). Walter was titled the Baron of Wahull, and was thus recorded as Walter de Wahul. De Wahul built a motte-and-bailey castle, with a stone keep, on the land. The family lived here for some 400 years. In 1542, the title died out with the absence of a male heir and came into the possession of 17-year-old Agnes Woodhall, a descendant of de Wahul's. Upon her death in 1575 it passed to her son Richard Chetwood, who sold it to William Alston in 1633. The family were later created Alston baronets of Odell. By the time of the sale, the castle was already in ruins. Alston built a new residence, incorporating the remains of the keep, the oval motte of the old castle still held up by a retaining wall. Alterations were made by his descendants in the 18th century. It stayed as thus until 24 February 1931, when the manor burnt down. A new manor house was built on the site in 1962; it is currently owned by Lord Luke. The old stones were used in the construction of the new manor, but otherwise there is little left of the original castle. Only cropmarks and earthworks remain.

Harrold Priory was a priory in Harrold, Bedfordshire, England. It was established in 1138 and disestablished in 1536.

Church of All Saints is a Grade I listed church in Odell, Bedfordshire, England. It became a listed building on 13 July 1964.The church is a fine example of a 15th-century church built all at the same time. The west tower of Northamptonshire type is massive; it has a gentle batter which relieves what would otherwise be overpowering bulk. The interior has tall arcades, an original rood screen and a diamond-patterned floor in the nave and aisles.According to local legend, five strange marks on the church porch were left by the Devil as he tried to claim the soul of Sir Rowland Alston, who is buried in the church. It is said that Sir Rowland's ghost appears on a black horse every 100 years (those which end in the numbers -44).

Carlton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Carlton and Chellington, in the Bedford district, in the ceremonial county 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. In 1931 the parish had a population of 340.Carlton was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey. It was for some time spelt Carleton. On 1 April 1934, the separate parishes of Carlton and Chellington merged to become one the parish named "Carlton and Chellington".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's church is Saint Mary the Virgin, dating from 950AD with a font from c. 1150 sited outside the current village. Carlton has two pubs, The Royal Oak and The Fox. There is a Post Office and village shop located on Carlton's busiest through road, Bridgend. There is also one school, Carlton C of E Primary School and a village hall which is also used as the school's assembly and sports hall. The village has an Emmaus community which includes a busy cafe / restaurant, furniture repair workshop and secondhand shop with furniture, books, china, clothes, and bric-a-brac. Also situated on the Emmaus site is Carlton Squash Club, a community run club that offers two courts for both squash and racketball. The courts were opened in 1980 by the football manager Brian Clough, who himself was a keen squash player. The village was struck by an F1/T2 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day.

Harrold is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in Bedfordshire, England, nine miles north-west of Bedford on the north bank of the River Great Ouse, close to the county boundaries of Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. An ancient bridge links the village with Carlton with Chellington on the south bank. Immediately to the east of the village is Odell.The Church of St Peter is in the village.

Carlton with Chellington is a civil parish in the historical Hundred of Willey in Bedfordshire, England, and is within the Borough of Bedford. The parish is situated on the South bank of the River Great Ouse, from Harrold, and includes the villages of Carlton and Chellington. The two parishes of Carlton and Chellington were combined in 1934 and until 1974 the parish formed part of Bedford Rural District. Other nearby places are Pavenham, Turvey, Felmersham, and Stevington.

Church of St Mary is a Grade I listed church in Carlton, Bedfordshire, England.