1955 Aerial View of the Centre of Houghton Regis

An aerial view of the centre of Houghton Regis taken in 1955.

The National School, with a diamond pattern on the roof, can be seen above All Saints Church in the centre of the photograph. The school was built in about 1857 and ceased to be used as a school in 1875.

The Workhouse Row (Alms Houses) is to the right of the church. Above the National School are the Tithe Farm buildings and the Tithe Barn. These were demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Bedford Square Shopping Centre.

On the right hand side are the Red House and Thomas Whitehead School, which is now sited in the field to the left of All Saints Church. The old Thomas Whitehead School was demolished and Red House Court, sheltered accommodation, erected on the site. In 2019 Red House Court was demolished and a new sheltered living accommodation, All Saints View, was erected. The Red House remains and was refurbished by Central Bedfordshire Council.

Towards the top of the photograph are the houses of Park Avenue and Drury Lane. At the top right can be seen the houses of Woodlands Avenue. Vane Cottage and Dene Hollow are in the far distance.

The Tithe Farm Housing Estate was built in the 1960s on the fields to the left of the photograph.

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