House surveys in Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire, made up of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton, sits on a mix of Oxford Clay, Gault clay, Greensand and chalk. Bedford and the Marston Vale were once the centre of brick making, and Fletton-style bricks from the London Brick Company are found in homes across the county. Luton and Dunstable sit on the chalk of the Chilterns, while the Greensand Ridge around Ampthill and Woburn has sandy soils and warm-coloured stone. Survey themes include shrink-swell clay subsidence, flood risk along the Great Ouse and Ivel, solution features on the chalk, and a large amount of new-build housing in the growth areas around Bedford, Biggleswade and Leighton Buzzard.