The Sandy Chamber of Trade

Welcome to the website of the Chamber of Trade in Sandy, Bedfordshire.

Sandy has probably been a dwelling place since the iron ages, but really came into it’s own during the occupation of Britain by the Romans, when it became a camp and trading post on a crossroads of the main route between what are now known as Godmanchester and St. Albans.

After the departure of the Romans in the fifth century Sandy became a part of the Kingdom of Mercia and was later named in the Domesday Book as the Manor of Sandye.

About the 17th century Sandy started to grow as a market town due to the Great North Road which made it comparitively easy to transport market garden products to London,  This trade was given a boost in the mid 19th century with the arrival of the railways which enabled the local produce to be in the London markets the same day.

Unfortunately, the market garden business has dwindled with further improvements in transport and the importation of much  produce from abroad.

This led to Sandy becoming a dormitory town for people working in London and the northern Home Counties, in order to address the lack of local employment there has been a move in recent years to publicise Sandy’s community benefits and location at the hub of the regions transport facilities.

The Chamber of Trade exists to help local business, of all descriptions provide a service worthy of a growing town