The nearest town to Riseley is Rushden in the neighbouring county of Northamptonshire, approximately 8 miles away to the north west.

The domesday survey also states that the village contains twenty five households which is considered large for a settlement of the time.

[4] The survey also states that in 1066 some of Riseley was overlorded by Godric the Sheriff a man who is assumed to have died in the Battle of Hastings.

There is evidence of Riseley being affected by the Black Death back in 1351 when 300 acres of arable land became worthless due to them being uncultivated and no one occupying them.

[2] Riseley has a long tradition of brick and tile making, dating back to at least 1558,[5] due in part to its clay rich soil.

However remnants of deadly mustard agent and its breakdown products still remain in part of Coppice Wood near Riseley in an area which is currently fenced off and surrounded by warning signs about toxic chemicals.

In October 1943 a B17 Flying Fortress aircraft returning from a bombing raid in Germany, crashed in a cottage garden at the north end of the High Street.

Riseley High Street has been the scene of flooding over the years, when sudden downpours of rain have caused the Brook to 'come out' starting at a point opposite the blacksmiths.

The water has been known the rise up to the height of a small car and stretch as far as the Gold Street bridge in the south and Brook House in the north.

Recent regular clearing of reeds by Anglian Water has dramatically reduced the frequency of these events.

Riseley High Street contains a large proportion of the houses in the village and is approximately a mile long.

The school had approximately 400 students and is named after Lady Margaret Beaufort who was born nearby in Bletsoe Castle.

The White Horse situated in the High Street opposite the junction with Lowsden Lane closed in the early 1970s.

The Royal Oak in the High Street near Maple Gardens is a very attractive thatched, old cottage style building and closed as a pub in the 1990s.

The Red Lion, situated on the corner of Church Lane and Gold Street is now, like the rest of the 'old' pubs a family home.

The site the Baptist chapel is now a grass amenity area opposite Riseley's only shop on the Keysoe Road/High Street junction.

[20] The census also found that the most common industry of employment for someone living in the Riseley ward was the Real estate, renting and business activities which accounted for 18%.

[22] However, in regards to barriers to services Riseley is the second most deprived area in Bedford borough no doubt owing to the village's relative isolation.