From 1849, the seventh Duke of Bedford initiated the rebuilding of the village according to high aesthetic and practical standards as a 'model village' which would be good for tenants and trades people as well as for the estate.

Samuel Sanders Teulon was the architect chosen.  The buildings included many cottage, whose rows form a major architectural feature of modern Thorney.  Fresh water and sewage systems, a gas supply and engineering workshops supported the village, together with schools, a post office, shops and a relieving office for the poor and infirm.

The project was built in a picturesque style, borrowing from medieval and Tudor designs in the surrounding local environment.  The 19th Century industrial centre in the Tank Yard is now a focus for village life, which includes the Village Hall, museum, fire station, a day nursery and drainage board offices.