Ridgmont News and information

Ridgmont is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It has a population of around 450.

The village’s original name was Segenhoe and it was mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086. Although this settlement was around 500m from where the village is now. The name Rugemund (from the French ‘rouge mont’ or ‘red hill’) was first recorded in 1227.

The brickworks have now disappeared to be replaced by large warehouses, such as the one for Amazon.

Ridgmont is in Central Bedfordshire Council’s Cranfield and Marston Moretaine Ward.

MP: Ms.Nadine Dorries MP

Ward Councillors: Cllrs Mrs Sue Clark, Ken Matthews and Robert Morris

From A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 3

Segenehon (xi cent.); Segenho cum Rugemound, Ridgmont (xiv–xviii cent.); Rydgemounde-cumSegenow (xvi cent.); Brakebergh (xiii cent.); Brockeborowe (xiv–xvi cent.); Brogborough (xvi–xvii cent.); Bekeryng (xiv cent.).

The village of Ridgmont lies on high ground 400 ft. above the ordnance datum in the south of the parish, near the north gate of Woburn Park. With the exception of its castle, Ridgmont has only come to the fore in comparatively recent years: the parish was generally known as Segenhoe or Ridgmondcum-Segenhoe (usually the former) before the 18th century.

The ancient church of Segenhoe stands apart in the south of the village, and is reached by a path which skirts the park surrounding Segenhoe Manor. The church is now used only as a mortuary chapel, as the modern church of Ridgmont has no graveyard.