Colesden
Bell Farm
Colesden Location within Bedfordshire
OS grid reference	TL124560
Civil parish	Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden
Unitary authority	Bedford
Ceremonial county	Bedfordshire
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BEDFORD
Postcode district	MK44
Dialling code	01480 and 01234
Police	Bedfordshire
Fire	Bedfordshire and Luton
Ambulance	East of England
UK Parliament	North East Bedfordshire
List of places UK England Bedfordshire 52°11′28″N 0°21′25″W / 52.19109°N 0.35705°W / 52.19109; -0.35705

Colesden is a small hamlet located in the English county of Bedfordshire. At the 2011 Census, the population of the hamlet was included in the civil parish of Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden.

History

Colesden as a settlement was first recorded in 1195. The name Colesden is Anglo-Saxon in origin, and translates as Col's Valley.^[1] The Colesden estate was originally entailed to Bushmead Priory.^[2] Colesden Manor was first recorded in 1410, and was attached to nearby Roxton.^[1] There was no road from Colesden through to Wilden until the enclosure act of 1837.^[2]

Today Colesden is almost entirely residential, with no shops or services apart from a community notice board and post box. In earlier years however, Colesden had pubs, a cricket field and church room.^[2]

Colesden today

Colesden forms part of the Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden civil parish, and consists of 24 homes, located between the villages of Chawston and Wilden. The main industries in and around Colesden are still farming and agriculture, though a small number of business and industrial units have been constructed since 2000. Shops and most local services are located in the nearby villages of Wyboston and Roxton.