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Situated close to the Cambridgeehire border, 2 miles north of Sandy, Tempsford comprises two seperate groups of houses; Church End and Langford End, with the A1 dividing them.
There is a ford, from which the name derives, and opposite is a row of cottages which were formerly the Anchor Hotel. The present Anchor Hotel, standing alongside the
A1, dates from 1830.
Tempsford Hall, now occupied by French Kier Construction was built in 1888 to replace an older house destroyed by fire.
The Parish Church
of St Peter combines three distinct architectural periods. It is basically 14th century, but extensive repair work was undertaken in 1621, especially to the tower and
south west part of the butlding, and a thorough restoration took place in 1874. A tablet by the altar commemorates the village's historical significance - the Danes and Saxons
fought there in 921. Interesting features in the Church include a 8'8" chest carved from a tree trunk, wall Paintings showing the martyrdom of St Katherine, and the
octagonal pulpit with traceried panels dating from the 15th century.
Near the Church is the Rectory, of mainly Victorian construction, but with an east wing dating from
the 15th century. The roof, now covered by a plaster ceiling is said to have carved or moulded timbers.
Whilst the area is mainly agricultural, many residents
commute to nearby towns for employment. There is a Post Office and limited shopping facilities but bus services link it with sandy, St Neots and Biggleswade.
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