Houghton Regis is a small town with a population of approximately 17,000 people.It lies within the county of Bedfordshire and is governed by the Town Council and the new Unitary Authority of Central Bedfordshire.

The beginnings of Houghton Regis date back to Roman times and this ancient past is illustrated by its name, taken from the Saxon ‘Hoe’, the spur of a hill, and ‘Tun’, a village (Lovering, 1998, p5) with Regis being added in the time of Edward the Confessor when it became a royal manor.

The town lies on the edge of the large conurbations of Luton and Dunstable. There is direct access onto the A5 trunk road and the M1 motorway. The nearest railway station is in Leagrave.

The town consists of three main areas, the Parkside Estate, the Tithe Farm Estate and Houghton Hall. There is a small town centre comprising approximately 20 retail outlets along with two industrial areas.