Kensworth is a village and civil parish located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. The parish is located on the edge of Dunstable Downs, and includes the hamlets of California and Kensworth Lynch.
The parish was originally located in Hertfordshire, but was transferred to Bedfordshire in 1897. Today the village contains a primary school, a village hall, 2 churches, 2 shops and 1 pub. Kensworth Chalk Pit is a working quarry and is the biggest employer in the parish. The pit is owned and mined by Cemex, but has also been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Natural England. The site is a large working quarry which exposes fossiliferous chalk rocks of the late Cretaceous, with many rare fossils including ammonites. It is described by Natural England as "an unrivalled locality for stratigraphic studies in the Upper Cretaceous". It is a Geological Conservation Review site, and one succession of layers is the stratotype for the "Kensworth Nodular Chalk Member".
The Church of St Mary is located in the village. Kensworth Parish Council administers some local services and facilities in the parish, including a village recreation ground and a provision of allotments. The council has 9 members who are elected every 4 years.
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