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Local Information for Leighton Buzzard

Leighton Buzzard is a town near the Chiltern Hills in Bedfordshire, and is between Luton and Milton Keynes. It has a population of 32,417 (2001 census), and is part of the South Bedfordshire district.

For local government purposes, the town is administered jointly with Linslade as the civil parish of Leighton-Linslade.

There are a number of theories about its curious name but the most likely is that "Leighton" is a Saxon term meaning a clearing in the woods. The "Buzzard" was added by the Dean of Lincoln in whose diocese the town was in the 12th century. He had two communities called "Leighton" and in order to differentiate them he added the name of his local Prebendary or representative to that of the town. At that time it was a Theobald de Busar and so over the years the town became known as Leighton Buzzard. The other Leighton became Leighton Bromswold.

It boasts a fine Early English parish church dedicated to All Saints with a 190ft spire and some outstan...More