17. Biggleswade’s Haunted Tunnels: Show notes and photographs

Posted on by Natalie Doig

As there are a lot of photos to share with you I’ll be adding more to the blog during the week. So keep an eye on social media and do come back to the blog for more photos. You can find the podcast social media links here.

You can listen to the episode here.

A water colour of a pretty red roofed mill with trees and cows in the foreground and the river on the right.
A post card of the mill at Blunhum on the river Ivel just north of Biggleswade

The Cavalier Ghost

For information about Biggleswade Brass band including photographs of George and Fred follow this link: https://www.ibew.org.uk/misc94.html It’s a treasure trove of information about brass bands.

If you want to know more about the English Civil Wars then this webpage from English Heritage has loads of information and links to further reading on it: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/the-english-civil-wars-history-and-stories/

The Biggleswade History Society Time Line has dates relating to the civil war: https://www.biggleswadehistory.org.uk/timeline/

The River Ivel

Green wild shrubs and and two trees with long willow branches in front of a green river. Blue sky and sunlight dapple through the leaves.
The Ivel river glimpsed through willow branches in Biggleswade

You can read more about the river here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Ivel#:~:text=Ouse%20at%20Tempsford.-,Ivel%20Navigation,its%20maintenance%20committee%20in%20debt.

You can find out more about it’s history including about Stotfold Mill on the RevIvel website which is run by a team dedicated to looking after the river: https://www.revivel.org/history/

A sweep of grass down to the river, a single bench is in the centre on the bank. On the left is a weeping willow tree and there are trees around the river in the background. The sky is bright blue.
The picnic spot by Franklins mill in Biggleswade

The Conservative Club

A squre pale brick building of different levels and heights. There are large chimneys and a kind of brick parapet. There are long narrow windows one of which is bricked up and wide white doors. The sky is grey with some late evening sun glinting off the building.
The conservative club looking at it from the north. The doors were once the tradesman’s entrance.

To find out more about the conservative club’s history their website has information: https://biggleswadeconclub.com/home/about-us/history/

The three photos below show my progress down the curved passageway to the old cellar steps.

On the left a curved brick wall. Above a cobwebbed ceiling, on the right a white washed brick wall with wooden frame and beer crate stacked up. At the end of the curved passage are a few steps
A close up of the steps curving around to the right. They have a thick layer of dust on them and the bricks in the wall are small and old looking. There is a wooden frame to the right covered in cobwebs.
A close up of the steps which are made of brick disappearing into the ceiling above.

Here’s an image of the arched bricked up tunnel in the con club cellar.

In the background a bricked up archway which now has a red boiler and pipes going in front of it.
Arched tunnel entrance now bricked up

You can also watch a couple of videos I filmed in the cellar on YouTube here’s a link to the longer of the videos.

https://youtu.be/HyTBAEmiAVY?si=Bh4Wg3fhoV43gY6E

Biggleswade Brewery

This black and white image shows workers at the brewery in the foreground some seated one holding a horse. all but one wearing aprons. Behind them is a square building with a tall chimney and an octagonal viewing turret behind the chimney.
The image above is from Biggleswade History Society and shows the brewery in the 1860s.

You can see many more photographs about the brewery here: http://breweryhistory.com/wiki/index.php?title=Wells_%26_Winch_Ltd

You can also read a detailed description of the Wells family, brewery and bank on this website. It’s a short pamphlet written by Jane Havercroft and Ken Page. http://www.breweryhistory.com/journal/archive/129/Samuel%20Wells.pdf

And finally here is an image of the painting of Samuel Well senior which was found in the spirit and wine cellar of the brewery before it was demolished. It is now kept in the archives of Bedford, Luton and Central Bedfordshire.

A man in 18th century dress and apron with a russet coloured hat and indigo neckerchief. He has blue eyes and white hair. He is standing in front of beer barrels marked SW
Speculated to be Sam Wells senior

Close up of painting of Sam Wells his reddish hat has turned up sides. His hair is collar length and white, his nose is prominent his eyes blue and kindly. He had an indigo neckerchief and black coat on. Underneath his coat and apron is a clean white shirt. The coat may have once been dark green but has faded with age.

Close up of Samuel Wells portrait

Camden House Schoolroom now the Labour Hall

The Labour Hall at sunset, through an open gateway the end of the labour hall is visible with a clear difference in the colours of the brick showing where the old back entrance to the schoolroom was accessed from Camden House. The building is long and low with two high up narrow windows. There is a more modern window next to the old red door. The building beyond it is also a low one story building of a brighter white. The sky above is dappled with orange clouds.
The Labour Hall at sunset

Above is an image of the labour hall at one end through the gateway you can see the different brick colours which denote where an older door has been bricked up. Opposite that door is a back door into Camden House. The gateway leads into a courtyard now used by Dominoes Pizza. The labour hall it’s self has an old heavy red door which I imagine dates back to the early 20th century at least. There is a new window but also further from the door you can see the narrow windows which are high up and impossible to look through or out of unless you were standing on a box or ladder.

The image below shows the end of the Pentecostal church which now has new French windows in it but does have one remaining high up narrow window from when it too was a school room.

I am not sure if the furthest white building with the shuttered windows is part of the church or a separate building entirely.

A low white one story building on the left with one high up narrow shcool window. Beyond it is a whiter building with shuttered arched windows. Along the rest of the street are parked cars. On the right is a wall and grass bank.
A view of the low white school rooms leading up to Camden House it's self. The picture is framed by green leaves. There are cars parked along the road and people walking towards the camera on the left.
Crab Lane
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Published by Natalie Doig

"Science and sorcery." It's a quote from a beekeeper I saw on the TV, about how he sees the work he does keeping bees, a balance between science and sorcery. For me it also sums up my experience of life, my interests and my outlook. I love photography which is a perfect blend of science and sorcery, using light and technology to create magical images. But when I'm not taking photos you'll find me making the podcast Weird in the Wade. I'm also often to be found writing, reading, knitting, riding my mountain bike or drinking coffee watching the world go by. By day I fight for disability rights, equality and inclusion for all.

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