Harlington, Bedfordshire


Harlington is a village and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England, near the M1 motorway. The nearest town is Flitwick about to the north.

Transport links

Road

The village is about from junction 12 of the M1, north of Luton, south of Bedford and north northwest of London.

Rail

Harlington has a railway station in the west of the village. It was built by the Midland Railway in 1868 on its extension to St Pancras. The original intention had been to call it "Harlington for Toddington". The station is served by Thameslink route trains. From Harlington station, you can travel north to Flitwick and Bedford, or south to Luton,, Harpenden, St Albans, Central London, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton.

Buses

The X42 service provides a direct link to Toddington, Westoning, Flitwick, Ampthill, Houghton Conquest, Kempston, and Bedford.

Air

The nearest airport is at Luton, about to the south.

Amenities

Harlington has two public houses, the Carpenters Arms and The Old Sun. There are several churches, including the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Harlington Methodist Church and Life Church. There is a small parade of shops consisting of a general store with post office counter, a hairdresser, a cafe and a gunsmiths. Other businesses include an estate agent in Church Road.
There are several buildings surrounding the village green used for community activities. These include the parish hall, village hall and scout hut. A cricket pitch adjoins the village green.

Schools

The village is home to two schools, Harlington Lower and Harlington Upper. The lower school takes children from reception class through to age 9, and received an "Outstanding" rating in its 2010 OFSTED Report. Also on the Lower School site is Harlington Village Pre-School, a volunteer run charity accepting children from the ages of two years and nine months. As Central Bedfordshire operates a three-tier system, children aged between 9 and 13 attend Parkfields Middle School in nearby Toddington.
Harlington Upper School serves a large rural area, and takes children from age 13 up to A-level. Harlington Upper School recently became a specialist science college, thanks to funding raised by its Parent-Teacher Association, HUSA.

History