Stanford Before 1086

The Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record [HER] details all perhistoric and Romano-British finds and sites in the county. It is now on-line as part of the Heritage Gateway site. The earliest evidence for human activity in Stanford comes from the Bronze Age, though four arrowheads may be earlier, Neolithic, in date.

Cropmarks north of Clifton cricket pitch [HER 1664] show two ring ditches, one with an internal circle and central pit. Ring ditches are usually associated with the Bronze Age and can be either the remains of large circular huts or round barrows. Another ring ditch and linear features may lie south-west of the village [HER 15077].

Two finds from Stanford are prehistoric in date. Workmen digging a trench for pipes in Stanford found a copper alloy spearhead along with a burial [HER 2702]. At "Sharp's Farm", perhaps Hill Farm, four tanged and barbed flint arrowheads dating to the Bronze Age or, perhaps the Neolithic, were found [HER 16196].

Two further sites may be prehistoric: a faint cropmark south-west of Stanford farm with a rounded corner may be a prehistoric enclosure [HER 16789]. Rectilinear earthworks at Stanfordbury Farm [HER 8101] were thought by 19th century antiquarians to be a Roman camp. However, they are, perhaps, more likely to be medieval and associated with Stanfordbury Manor.