Woodside Clinic celebrates move to historic Leighton Buzzard premises

Woodside Clinic, formerly of High Street Mews, has now moved into its new premises on 1-5 Market Square, above Lloyds Pharmacy and Allders Opticians.

Hundreds of years ago, the building was once an inn called ‘The Eagle and Child’, and customers have been admiring its beautiful interior, keen to find out more about the building’s past.

A spokeswoman from Woodside Clinic, said: “We have had a really, really great response from the public, as it is Grade 2 listed building, over 400 years old, with so much character.

“We can see the Market Cross from our windows, there are really high ceilings, in one of the rooms there is a stained glass window, and we have an old fireplace.

“We had outgrown our old premises. We are modernising the new interior but still retaining that sense of old.”

The name of the Eagle and Child is said to have been given because the keystone of its gateway had an eagle and child’s head, possibly inspired by the coat of arms of an Earl of Derby, whom is said to have competed in a Dunstable Jousting tournament in 1342.

However, Bedfordshire Archives warns on its website that this may be a “colourful” explanation!

In 1684 the inn also saw a man named John Green “examined by the justices regarding the sale of stolen cattle”, and 3 and 5 High Street has been a chemist’s shop for around 170 years.

Fast forward to modern day, and Woodside Clinic provides the following therapies – osteopathy, physiotherapy, podiatry, sports massage, and acupuncture, as well as small pilates and yoga classes and one to one sessions.

They have late evening appointments available on Mondays and Wednesdays and are open every Saturday morning.

> woodsideclinic.co.uk

> To find out more about the history of the building: http://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityArchives/LeightonBuzzard/TheEagleAndChildLeightonBuzzard.aspx.