Homes to Rent and Buy in Houghton Conquest

Houghton Conquest is about five miles south of Bedford, just inside Central Bedfordshire. It takes its name from the Conquest family, who held the manor from the 13th century to the 18th, and the parish includes the small hamlet of How End.

The village church punches well above its weight. All Saints dates from the 14th century, has medieval wall paintings and stained glass, and is often described as the largest parish church in the county.

Up on the Greensand Ridge are the ruins of Houghton House, begun around 1615 for Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke. It’s said to be the “House Beautiful” in Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. English Heritage looks after it, entry is free in daylight, and the views north over the Marston Vale are worth the walk.

For daily life there’s a village shop and post office, a village hall, the Knife and Cleaver, and Houghton Conquest Lower School. This is a three-tier area, so children move on to middle school at nine. It’s a good choice if you want a quiet village with Ampthill and Bedford both close by.