Stotfold's History

The name of Stotfold is thought to have been derived from the practice of northern cattle drovers breaking their journey at this point along the A1 Great North Road and penning their cattle (stots) in enclosures (folds) before continuing their journeys southwards.

The archaeological team of the former Bedfordshire County Council have found traces of long forgotten settlements around the outskirts of today's town. These bear witness to the fact that people settled with their families and animals on land in this area as long ago as the Stone Age, approx. 2700BC.

The River Ivel, which runs through the town, was probably a great factor in the decision to settle and in later years the Great North Road linking the south with the north ensured continuing inhabitation. The Doomsday Book of 1086 records STOTFALT as having a population of 200.