Dunstable
Though not very big, Dunstable has nevertheless a rich history. Bronze and Iron Age settlements are evident on the northern borders of the prehistoric Icknield Way which passes through the town. Just beyond the town's boundaries are the famous Dunstable Downs, the largest stretch of chalk downland in the county. To the edge of the Downs are prehistoric burial mounds known as the Five Knells, the finest group of Bronze Age tumuli in the Chilterns.
The Romans established a posting station on the site named Durocobrivis, where travellers could rest and change horses. It was located where the important Roman road of Watling Street crossed the Icknield Way. Later the place marked a Saxon community. Cemetries, however, containing burials from the 3rd, 4th, 5th and a 6th centuries suggest that the settlement was quite small and never managed to develop. In fact, Dunstable failed to develop as a town until Henry I in the early 12th century essentially forced it to.
In 1131 Henry built the Augustinian priory of St Peter, which became the focal point of the new town. A Dominican priory was added to the town in 1259, prospering for almost 300 yrs before by Henry VIII in 1539 during the Dissolution of the monasteries. An Eleanor Cross once stood at the corner of West Street and High North Street, marking the funeral procession of 1290. Henry VIII chose the Augustinian priory as the place of trial for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, during his divorce hearings. The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer pronounced the divorce in the church on 23rd May 1533.The Church of St Peter is all that remains of Henry's priory, dating from 1150.
Other ancient structures include the Sarasen's Head, the oldest surviving public house in Dunstable, being over 400 yrs old. The Cart Almshouses of 1723 and Chew's House built in 1715, originally a school for 40 Church of England boys are also worth a visit. On the north side of West Street are refronted timber-framed buildings, some dating back to the 16th century. Anchor Arch is an early 17th century gateway while the Old Sugar Loaf is a coaching inn dating from 1717. Dating slightly later is Grove House which was also once an inn. In Church Street 18th century Kingsbury Court, the Old Palace Lodge and the Norman King are located on the site of Henry I's lodge.
For further information see http://www.dunstable.gov.uk/priory-house/tourist-information-centre/