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General
Barton-le-Clay has a parish population of 4,793 (in the 2001 Census) and lies at the foot of the chalk escarpment that makes up much of the landscape of South Bedfordshire and Luton. The village has given its name to the Barton Hills which offer excellent walks and views. The name derives from the Old English bere-tun and means 'barley farm/settlement'. The Domesday Survey of 1086 recorded the name as Bertone. 'Clay' is a later addition referring to the local drift geology (transported rock debris overlying the solid bedrock, the name used to be Barton in the Clay).
Barton-le-Clay is a mainly residential area which has seen a large amount of expansion in recent years especially due to its close proximity to Luton. The quiet nature of the village is largely due to the A6 bypass to the west which now diverts much of the traffic away from the village.
Barton-le-Clay
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Faldo Farm
In the winter the sounds of a coach can be heard pulling up at the door of the ancient, moated Faldo Farm.
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Waterside Mill
The Waterside Mill at Barton-le-Clay appears to be haunted by two ghosts. The first was seen by John Duggan when he was leaving the premises which are now a restaurant. He locked up and was just about to drive away when he saw a figure in the window of the mill beckoning him to return. Thinking he had locked someone in he went back to the mill and searched all over but could find no one. A week later, again as he was leaving, his car headlights lit up the figure of a woman at a window. He described her as “an old woman probably in her eighties”. He particularly noted her long grey hair and bony hands as she beckoned him to return.
The second ghost was heard by a visitor to the restaurant who heard the persistent crying of a child whilst she was visiting the toilet. At that time there were no children in the restaurant.
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Barton-le-Clay, Waterside Mill
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