Winslow, Buckinghamshire

Winslow

St Laurence's parish church
Winslow
 Winslow shown within Buckinghamshire
Population 4,407 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSP7627
Civil parishWinslow
DistrictAylesbury Vale
Shire countyBuckinghamshire
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town Buckingham
Postcode district MK18
Dialling code 01296
Police Thames Valley
Fire Buckinghamshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK ParliamentBuckingham
List of places
UK
England
Buckinghamshire

Coordinates: 51°56′24″N 0°53′13″W / 51.940°N 0.887°W / 51.940; -0.887

Winslow is a market town and civil parish designated as a town council in the Aylesbury Vale district of north Buckinghamshire. It has a population of just over 4,400.[1]

History

Winslow was first recorded in a royal charter of 792–93 in which it was granted by Offa of Mercia to St Albans Abbey as Wineshauue,[2] which means Wine's Burial Mound[3] The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Weneslai.

A late Celtic copper torc has been found here, and also a silver drinking-cup of late Roman design.[4]

Notable buildings

One of the finer buildings in Buckinghamshire is situated in this small town. Winslow Hall, which sits on the main road leading into the town from Aylesbury. It was built possibly from the designs of Sir Christopher Wren by William Lowndes, secretary to the Treasury.[4] His name and the date 1700 are to be seen on the frieze over the door. The Anglican parish church in High Street, dating from about 1320[4] is dedicated to St. Laurence, and is twinned with St Paul's Church in Winslow, Arizona.[5] The church has a ring of 8 bells,[4] the heaviest weighing 19 long cwt (970 kg).

The half-timbered Bell Hotel was first recorded in the late 16th century[6] and soon became the main hostelry in the town.[4]

Keach's Baptist Chapel, dating from 1695 in its present form, is probably the oldest surviving nonconformist chapel in Buckinghamshire.[7]

Leisure

Winslow High Street

The Whaddon Chase fox hunt has traditionally met in the Town Square at Winslow every Boxing Day for many years. The occasion is very well attended with over a thousand people visiting the town on Boxing Day each year. The Silver Band from the nearby village of Great Horwood playing Christmas carols have often been in attendance. Other annual events in the town include a beer festival in March, and the Winslow Show, a gymkhana and agricultural show which is held every August on Sheep Street, across the road from Winslow Hall.

Winslow Hall Opera, formerly known as Stowe Opera was reformed after a gap of six years and since 2012 is performed in the grounds of Winslow Hall.[8]

The Lions Club of Winslow meets fortnightly in the Bell Hotel in the town and prides itself on helping the community of Winslow and the surrounding areas.

In 2017, Sir Thomas Fremantle's new school site will bring a much needed expansion of sporting facilities to the town. These will include a 4 court sports hall, large dance studio, fitness suite and a range of all-weather pitches.

Transport

The A413 road linking Buckingham and Aylesbury, runs through the centre of Winslow, forming the high street. This was originally the Wendover to Buckingham Turnpike, which was diverted to go through Winslow by Act of Parliament in 1742.[9]

The town formerly had its own railway station on the "Varsity Line" (Oxford/Cambridge), with a spur to Aylesbury (from Verney Junction). The trackbed remains in place and, when reopened in 2019, it will provide new rail connections with London, Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Oxford.[10][11]

The sultrans 51 cycle route goes through Winslow from the east to the west. As well as that a new route from Buckingham to Winslow is being constructed.

Education

Winslow is home to Furze Down School for children with special educational needs, aged 5–19. The town is also served by Winslow Church of England Combined School, which is a mixed, voluntary controlled primary school, that takes children from ages four to eleven. The school has approximately 520 pupils. State Secondary schools for Winslow children are the highly rated Sir Thomas Fremantle School with Buckingham School and the Royal Latin School in nearby Buckingham and the Cottesloe School in Wing.

Sport

The local football team are Winslow United who play in division one of the Spartan South Midlands Football League.

Winslow Town Cricket Club, which is based at Elmfield's Gate, next to the football pitch, currently field 3 men's Saturday teams. Two of which play in the Morrants Four Counties League, the 1st XI play in Division 1 and the 2nds in Division 4. The 3rd XI play mainly at Winslow's secondary pitch over at Padbury near Buckingham. The club also fields a Sunday team who play other local Sunday teams. The club also fields many youth teams, ranging from Under 9's to under 15's. WTCC also has a very successful midweek team, who won the George Blow Midweek Cup in 2008.

Twin towns

Winslow is twinned with:

References

  1. 1 2 "Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 Census". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  2. ↑ Electronic Sawyer nos.136a and 138
  3. ↑ Ekwall, Eilert (1977). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Parishes, Winslow – Victoria History of the Counties of England
  5. ↑ "Benefice Profile" (PDF). Retrieved 24 April 2007.
  6. ↑ "The Bell Inn / Hotel". Winslow History. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "Winslow Chapels". Winslow History. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Winslow Hall Opera". Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Turnpike". Winslow History. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Prospectus" (PDF). East West Rail Consortium. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  11. ↑ RAIL. Bauer Media Group (685): 10–11. 14–28 December 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ "British towns twinned with French towns". Archant Community Media Ltd. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Winslow Anglo French Twinning Association". Retrieved 23 April 2007.
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