A small village situated near to Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, Stoke Mandeville is mostly well known for it’s hospital which specialises in spinal injuries, and although the hospital carries the name of the village it is in fact located in the town of Aylesbury, on its parish border with Stoke Mandeville. An ancient village, which would have existed in Anglo-Saxon times, Stoke Mandeville featured in the Domesday Book, where it was recorded as ‘Stoches’. Having several other names throughout the years it took the name of Mandeville after the local manor came under the control of the powerful Norman de Mandeville. These days it remains a typical English village, with a small population of just over 6,000 and an area taken up mostly by arable land, much as it as for centuries. Although virtually connected to Aylesbury due to the expansion of both communities, it retains it’s village identity. The weather in Stoke Mandeville is typical for the Aylesbury Vale, with mostly warm summers and mild, wet winters, snow is rare and mostly disappears as quickly as it falls, the most common month for snowfall is February. Stoke Mandeville can be accessed from the A4010, the A413 and the B4443 from Aylesbury. Stoke Mandeville Map: Map
December 23, 2009
August 14, 2009
The Buckinghamshire Town of Winslow
Situated in the Aylesbury Vale district of Bucks (Buckinghamshire), the market town of Winslow has a long history, with settlements as far back as Anglo-Saxon times. Also recorded in the Domesday Book, Winslow these days has a population of between 4,000 and 5,000 and remains a charming little market town with a typical English village feel. Winslow Hall is said to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren in around 1700, and even older is its parish church of St Laurence which dates from the eleventh century. The famous Whaddon Chase fox hunt, traditionally meets on Boxing Day in Winslow town square, an event which attracts many onlookers. Winslow is situated on the A413 between Buckingham and Aylesbury. Winslow Map.
July 27, 2009
Buckinghamshire
A beautiful rural county to the north-west of London, Buckinghamshire is one of the traditional ‘Home Counties’ of south-eastern England. The county town of Buckinghamshire (normally just referred to as Bucks) is Aylesbury, situated fairly centrally within the county. Aylesbury however was not always the county town, this honour fell to Buckingham itself, which gave Buckinghamshire its name and was the primary town from 888 until replaced by Aylesbury during the 16th century. The name of the town and the county derives from that of a wealthy landowner named Bucca, and literally means “Bucca’s Home”. Buckinghamshire was originally a sub-division of the Kingdom of Mercia between the 6th and 12th centuries, though there were of course settlers here long before this, with many Roman remains being found throughout the region, for instance in High Wycombe where there was a Roman Villa in the 2nd century AD. The county features a mix of historic and modern towns, the most modern being the huge city of Milton Keynes, which is now a unitary authority separate from the control of Bucks County Council. Milton Keynes was originally just a small village, and the name was taken by the new town (so declared in 1967) which swallowed a number of towns and villages in the area such as Bletchley, Wolverton, Stoney Stratford and Newport Pagnell. The south of the county has some very affluent towns, many of which have become commuter towns for those working in London. In the extreme south, Marlow sits attractively on the banks of the River Thames, and is a popular tourist spot as well as a pretty town, barely spoilt by development, historically it was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and was later given by William the Conqueror to his Queen Mathilda. Other affluent towns in this part of Buckinghamshire include Beaconsfield, Amersham and Chesham. Beaconsfield is very pretty, and during the times of Queen Victoria became notable as the seat of PM Benjamin Disraeli. Beaconsfield sits close to the M40 motorway, making it a desirable though expensive commuter town. Beaconsfield is also notable as the burial place of some famous people including G K Chesterton and poet Edmund Waller. Amersham and Chesham sit together to the north of Beaconsfield, both are attractive towns with perhaps Amersham taking the edge, especially the area of the Old Town which has changed little over the centuries. Amersham has two separate areas the Old Town and Amersham on the Hill (locally called Top Amersham) where the railway station is situated. Both Chesham and Amersham are joined to Central London by the underground network, making them very popular with commuters. Chesham is situated in the Chess Valley and has had human settlement since 8,000 BC, historically it was known for its religious unrest and saw a number of burnings in the 16th century including that of Thomas Harding for being a heretic and a Lollard. Overall Bucks is a pretty rural county with few large towns and only one city (Milton Keynes) it comprises mostly small, pretty villages and attractive market towns, the rolling, green Chiltern Hills add to the attraction. Buckinghamshire Map.