Whipsnade

Whipsnade is a small village and civil parish in the county of Bedfordshire. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, about 2.5 miles south-south-west of Dunstable on the top of the Dunstable Downs which drop away steeply to the south of the village.[2]

For the nearby zoo, see Whipsnade Zoo.

Whipsnade

Church of St Mary Magdelen
Whipsnade
Location within Bedfordshire
Population457 (2001 census)
420 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTL010179
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDUNSTABLE
Postcode districtLU6
Dialling code01582
PoliceBedfordshire
FireBedfordshire and Luton
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament

Etymology

Whipsnade is a compound of the Anglo-Saxon personal name, Wibba, with the word “snæd” an area of woodland, so the name means “Wibba’s wood”.[2]

History

The village is first mentioned in a coroners roll of 1274 when Whipsnade Wood as described as being within the parish of Houghton Regis.[2] The Old Hunters Lodge at the Crossroads in the village is a Grade II Listed Building and was built in the early 17th Century. It is now a hotel and is the only licensed premises in the village outside of the ZSL grounds.[3]

Edward John Eyre, explorer of Australia, was born in Whipsnade in 1815.[4]

In the census of 2011 the population of Whipsnade was 420, a decline from 458 in 2001.[2]

Landmarks

Whipsnade is home to Whipsnade Tree Cathedral and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. A chalk image of a lion can be found on Bison Hill and is owned by the zoo. During the Second World War, the lion was covered with a black sheet in order not to attract attention from the German bomber planes.[5] Whipsnade Park Golf Club is also in the vicnity, though it is actually in neighbouring Dagnall.[6]

The local Wildlife Trust manages a small nature reserve north of the village called Sallowsprings (51.8559°N 0.5391°W / 51.8559; -0.5391 (Sallowsprings)).[7]

References
  1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  2. "The Parish of Whipsnade in General". Bedford Borough Council. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  3. "Old Hunters Lodge Hotel: The Cross Roads, Whipsnade". Bedford Borough Council. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  4. "Eyre, Edward John (1815–1901)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  5. "Iconic chalk lion restored at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo". Zoological Society of London. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  6. "Whipsande Park Golf Club". Whipsnade Park Golf Club. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  7. "Sallowsprings". Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 17 March 2020.

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