Map Showing the Changing Boundaries of Houghton Regis since Saxon Times

A map showing the changing boundaries of Houghton Regis from the Saxon times reprinted from "Old Houghton" by Pat Lovering.

The area that the parish of Houghton Regis occupied was much larger than it is today, and over the centuries, land had been ceded to create and enlarge Dunstable.

The name Houghton comes from the Saxon "hoe"- the brow of a hill and "ton" - a settlement. "Regis" refers to the fact that this was the king's demesne land - for his household's use to provide wheat, honey and so on, as well as a hefty money tax. The tax was usually paid be town, not agricultural villages, so it gives an insight into the importance of Houghton at the time.

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