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Haddenham is a village and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in west
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
, England. It is about south-west of
Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milt ...
and north-east of
Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the ...
in neighbouring
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
. At the 2011 Census, the population of the civil parish was 4,502.


History

The
place-name Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for a proper nam ...
"Haddenham" is derived from the
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
''Hǣdanhām'', "Hǣda's Homestead" or, perhaps ''Hǣdingahām'', "the home of the Hadding tribe". It is possible that the first villagers were members of the Hadding tribe from Haddenham in Cambridgeshire. It may be that the first Anglo-Saxons to settle in the Vale of Aylesbury were followers of Cuthwulf, from
Cottenham Cottenham is a village in Cambridgeshire, England. Cottenham is one of the larger villages surrounding the city of Cambridge, located around five miles north of the city. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 Census was 6,095. Cottenh ...
in Cambridgeshire, who, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, marched southwest to the Thames after routing the British at the
Battle of Bedcanford The Battle of ''Bedcanford'' is a battle portrayed in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' as taking place in 571 between Britons and someone called Cuthwulf (normally assumed to be a West Saxon). Portrayal in the ''Chronicle'' The annal describing t ...
in 571. The
Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
of 1086 records the manor as ''Hedreham''. In 1142 it was recorded as ''Hedenham''. From the
Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
until the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Convent of St Andrew in
Rochester, Kent Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about east-southeast of London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Kent, Chatham, ...
held the manor.
The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
held the manor for the remainder of the reign of
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
. Thereafter it passed to his daughter
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
. The village had a
Royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
as a
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
between 1294 and 1301. The market was short-lived because the influential manor of Thame objected to losing trade to Haddenham. Haddenham was long a stronghold of radicalism and in particular of the Buckinghamshire Farm Labourers Union established in 1872 by Edward Richardson of Dinton. Haddenham used to have several more
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
s than today. The Anchor and the Eight Bells at Church End are now private houses. The Waggon and Horses in High Street was converted into the Peking Rendezvous Chinese restaurant, but closed in 2013. The Red Lion in Church End also closed in 2013. A developer applied for planning permission to demolish the Red Lion and replace it with housing, but in 2014 Aylesbury Vale District Council rejected the application. The Green Dragon on Churchway, more recently converted into restaurant Twist at the Green Dragon, was officially closed when planning permission was granted to make it a private residence. The Rose and Thistle also permanently closed in 2019. In 1906 the
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...
opened the railway through the parish, with Haddenham railway station to serve the village. In 1963
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. Originally a trading brand of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Comm ...
ways closed the station but kept the line open. In 1987 BR opened station at a new site, a few hundred yards west of the old one. The railway is part of what is now the
Chiltern Main Line The Chiltern Main Line is a railway line which links London () and Birmingham (Birmingham Moor Street railway station, Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill railway station, Snow Hill) on a route via High Wycombe, Bicester, Banbury, Leamington ...
.


Architecture

Haddenham is one of only three " wychert (or whitchet) villages" in England. Wychert is a method of building with a white clay mixed with straw to make walls and buildings, which are then thatched or topped with red clay tiles. Haddenham War Memorial, situated near the village pond at Church End, is a
Grade II Listed Building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
.


Churches

The
Church of England parish church A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ...
of St Mary the Virgin is of 12th-century
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...
origin but parts of may still remain from its first building, which was Saxon. William II granted the parish to the
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
abbey of
Rochester, Kent Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about east-southeast of London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Kent, Chatham, ...
. There is also a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
church, and
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
and
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
chapels. The Haddenham Methodist Church is built of wychert. One of the walls of the church collapsed on July 4, 2001, but was rebuilt, amid a call from the vicar to demolish the existing church and rebuild it with new materials due to the high cost of maintaining wychert buildings.
Haddenham Museum Haddenham Museum is based in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, England. The museum, which is run by volunteers, first opened in 1998, and is housed in the Old Schoolroom of the Methodist chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meanin ...
, which opened in 1998, is in the Methodist Chapel schoolroom.


Turn End

Turn End is a listed garden and group of houses designed by architect and resident Peter Aldington and built in the 1960s. The group of three houses was awarded the
Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
award for Architecture in 1970. In 1998 the houses were listed at Grade II by
English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
; the listing was upgraded to II* in 2006. In 1999, the book ''A Garden and Three Houses'' about Turn End was published – in the foreword,
Peter Shepheard Sir Peter Faulkner Shepheard FRTPI FILA (11 November 1913 – 11 April 2002) was a British architect and landscape architect. Biography He was born in Oxton, Birkenhead and educated at Birkenhead School. His father was an architect. He ...
writes that "these houses and their gardens stand mature as a rare example of how to add modern houses to an ancient village without a hint of suburbia". Turn End Trust, formerly Turn End Charitable Trust, is a registered charity that operates an educational programme comprising greater public access to both Turn End house and garden; garden workshops, walks and tours; architectural visits and talks.


Economy and amenities

Haddenham is known for its ponds which were used to breed
Aylesbury duck The Aylesbury duck is a breed of domesticated duck, bred mainly for its meat and appearance. It is a large duck with pure white plumage, a pink bill, orange legs and feet, an unusually large keel, and a horizontal stance with its body parallel t ...
s. Breeding has been revived recently on the pond in front of the parish church. Haddenham has two
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
s: the Kings Head and the Rising Sun. One former pub, House of Spice (Indian, formerly The Crown), is now a restaurant. There are three cafés: Little Italy at the station, Norsk at Fort End and Tickety Brew on the Parade. Haddenham has a baker, a greengrocer, a barber shop, three hairdresser's and some smaller retailers. Haddenham has also a garden centre and a farm shop, further hosting amenities such as a florist, pet shops, a charity shop, and a tattoo parlour. Haddenham has two gyms: FitLife and The Garage, also at Bradmoor. Haddenham has an industrial estate next to what was a small grass-strip airfield - now covered by new housing, a commercial district, and
Haddenham and Thame Parkway railway station Haddenham & Thame Parkway railway station is a station in Buckinghamshire serving the village of Haddenham and market town of Thame in the neighbouring county of Oxfordshire, England. The station is on the western edge of Haddenham, about ...
on the Chiltern Main Line that links ,
Oxford railway station Oxford railway station is a mainline railway station, one of two serving the city of Oxford, England. It is about west of the city centre, north-west of Frideswide Square and the eastern end of Botley Road. It is the busiest station in Oxfords ...
and
London Marylebone Marylebone station ( ) is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the Marylebone area of the City of Westminster. On the National Rail network, it is also known as London Marylebone a ...
. Haddenham has a community Infant School, Haddenham Junior School and the
voluntary aided A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation) contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In m ...
Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School. Haddenham is in the catchment area for Prince Risborough upper school and grammar schools:
Aylesbury Grammar School Aylesbury Grammar School is an 11–18 boys grammar school in Aylesbury, in the England, English county of Buckinghamshire, which educates approximately 1300 boys. Founded in 1598 by Sir Henry Lee, Champion of Queen Elizabeth I, Aylesbury Gramm ...
,
Aylesbury High School Aylesbury High School (AHS) was founded in 1959, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, when the previously co-educational Aylesbury Grammar School (founded 1598) split to become two single-sex grammar schools. The two institutions remain on adjacent s ...
and
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School (SHFGS) is an 11–18 mixed sex, grammar school and sixth form with academy status in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after Sir Henry Floyd, a former Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. As a s ...
in
Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milt ...
. Also in Haddenham is
Tiggywinkles Tiggywinkles is a British animal welfare charity and wildlife hospital, also known as St Tiggywinkles and The Wildlife Hospital Trust. Tiggywinkles, which specialises in the rescue and treatment of wild animals, was founded in 1983 as the Wild ...
, the animal welfare charity and veterinary hospital, and the village hosts a biannual charity
beer festival A beer festival is an event at which a variety of beers are available for purchase. There may be a theme, for instance beers from a particular area, or a particular brewing style such as winter ales. Asia China *Qingdao International Beer Fes ...
. Haddenham residents look forward to the
Haddenham-Thame Greenway The Haddenham-Thame Greenway is a planned off-road, all-weather route for walkers, cyclists and those using other wheeled non-road transport such as wheelchairs, mobility scooters, prams, and children's scooters. The greenway's future has been ...
, which will make the amenities of the local market town,
Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the ...
, accessible by foot, bicycle and wheeling, as well as affording rail commuters living in Thame an active option to reach their local station, without the cost or stress of taking a bus or parking a car at Haddenham.


Haddenham NAG

Haddenham is policed by the Haddenham and District Neighbourhood Policing team based at the police station in
Waddesdon Waddesdon is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, west-north-west of Aylesbury on the A41 road. The village also includes the hamlets of Eythrope and Wormstone. Waddesdon was an agricultural settlement with milling, silk weaving and la ...
. They work with the community via the Haddenham Neighbourhood action group. Representatives from the various villages in the area meet every six weeks to discuss neighbourhood priorities and to put forward plans to reduce crime.


Haddenham in transition

The village has a transition group, part of the Transition network that organises activities to improve the community's resilience and awareness of the changes to living standards, energy and resource security. The group was founded as Transition Thame and District but in autumn 2010 refocussed on Haddenham and in February 2011 became officially recognised as a transition initiative.


Notable people

Haddenham is the birthplace of British composer
Doreen Carwithen Doreen Mary Carwithen (15 November 19225 January 2003) was a British composer of classical and film music. She was also known as Mary Alwyn following her marriage to William Alwyn.Lewis Foreman'Carwithen, Doreen', in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001)/ ...
(1922–2003). The astronomer William Rutter Dawes (1799–1868) had his home and private observatory in the village from 1857 to 1868. The architect Peter Aldington (1933–present) and his wife Margaret have their home in Turn End. He is one of a very select group of architects branded by English Heritage as the "living listed" and together with John Craig founded his own practice in the village in 1970. Peter Parrott, an RAF pilot who fought in the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
, was born in Haddenham.


Media

Haddenham has been the setting for a number of television programmes including ''
Jeeves and Wooster ''Jeeves and Wooster'' is a British comedy television series adapted by Clive Exton from P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories. It aired on the ITV network from 22 April 1990 to 20 June 1993, with the last series nominated for a British Aca ...
'', ''
Rosemary & Thyme ''Rosemary & Thyme'' is a British television cosy mystery Thriller (genre), thriller series starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as gardening detectives Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme. The show began on ITV (TV network), ITV in 2003. The th ...
'' and eight episodes of ''
Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...
''. The village appears in the second Muppet film, ''
The Great Muppet Caper ''The Great Muppet Caper'' is a 1981 musical heist comedy film directed by Jim Henson (in his feature directorial debut) and the second theatrical film featuring the Muppets. The film stars Muppet performers Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerr ...
''. Having been forced to fly in an aeroplane's baggage hold,
Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created in 1955 and originally performed by Jim Henson. An anthropomorphic green frog, Kermit is the pragmatic everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably as the showrunner and host o ...
,
Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character from the sketch comedy television series ''The Muppet Show'', best known as the insecure and comedically fruitless stand-up comic''.'' Fozzie is an orange-brown bear who often wears a brown pork pie hat and a ...
and
Gonzo Gonzo may refer to: People * Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname * Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo * Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose stage ...
are thrown out of the plane and land in Haddenham's Church End pond. The duck pond has recently been used as a backdrop for a Halifax advert featuring the Thunderbirds. The duck pond area in Haddenham was recently used to film episodes of Pennyworth which tells the story of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's Butler from DC's Batman Universe. Scenes for a further streaming series of "Citadel" were filmed in November 2024 around Skittles Green and Church End where these locations stood in for Scotland (according to a crew member).


References


Further reading

* * * * * Powers, Alan (2009). ''Aldington, Craig and Collinge: Twentieth Century Architects'' RIBA Publishing.


External links


Haddenham Parish CouncilHaddenham.net
{{authority control Civil parishes in Buckinghamshire Villages in Buckinghamshire