Winslow is 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 ...

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 north

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, within the

Buckinghamshire Council Buckinghamshire Council is the Local Government in England, local authority for the Buckinghamshire (district), Buckinghamshire district in England. It is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority, performing both county and district- ...

unitary authority area A unitary authority is a type of local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed ...

. It has a population of just over 4,400. It is located approximately south-east of

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of ...

, and south-west of

Bletchley Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England, in the south-west of the city, split between the civil parishes in England, civil parishes of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and West Bletchley, which In 2011 had a com ...

(

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...

History

Winslow was first recorded in 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 ...

of 792–793 in which it was granted by

Offa of Mercia Offa ( 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death in 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of ...

to St Albans Abbey as ''Wineshauue'', which means 'Wine's Burial Mound'. Compare , 'low hill, mound'. 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 it as ''Weneslai''. A late Celtic copper

torc A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large rigid or stiff neck ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together. The great majority are open at the front, although some have hook and ring closures and a few hav ...

has been found here, and also a silver drinking-cup of late Roman design. The 1841 census reveals the population that year was 1,333.

Notable buildings

Winslow Hall sits on the main road leading into the town from

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 ...

. It was built possibly from the designs of Sir

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...

by William Lowndes, secretary to the Treasury. His name and the date 1700 can be seen on the frieze over the door. The

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

in High Street, dating from about 1320 Parishes, Winslow
– Victoria History of the Counties of England is dedicated to St. Laurence ( St Laurence's Church, Winslow), and is twinned with St Paul's Church in

Winslow, Arizona Winslow is a city in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of the city is 9,005. It is approximately southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, Flagstaff, west of Albuquerque, New ...

. The church has a

ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

of 8 bells, the heaviest weighing . The half-timbered Bell Hotel was first recorded in the late 16th century and soon became the main hostelry in the town. Keach's Baptist Chapel, dating from 1695 in its present form, is probably the oldest surviving nonconformist chapel in Buckinghamshire.

Main roads

* High Street (A413) * Buckingham Road (A413) * Sheep Street (A413) * Horn Street * Vicarage Road * Bennets Hill (A413) * Verney Road * Burleys Road * Granborough Road * East Claydon Road * Great Horwood Road (B4033) * Shipton (B4032) * Swanbourne Road (B4032) * Station Road * Magpie Way * Elmfields Gate * Little Horwood Road * Furze Lane

Leisure

The Whaddon Chase

fox hunt Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, normally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of hounds" ...

has traditionally met in Winslow Market Square every

Boxing Day Boxing Day, also called as Offering Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part ...

for many years. The occasion is very well attended with over 1,000 people visiting the town on Boxing Day each year. The Silver Band from the nearby village of Great Horwood playing

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a Carol (music), carol on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas and holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...

s have often been in attendance. Other annual events in the town include a

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 ...

in March, and the Winslow Show, a

gymkhana Gymkhana () (, , , , ) is a British Raj term which originally referred to a place of assembly. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held. "Gymkhana" is an Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the ...

and

agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which selective breeding, bree ...

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. Since 2012 it has been performed in the grounds of Winslow Hall. In 2017, Sir Thomas Fremantle's new school site has brought a much needed expansion of sporting facilities to the town. These include a four-court sports hall, large dance studio, fitness suite and a range of all-weather pitches.

Modern housing developments

Verney Road Estate - Phase 1 - Built in the 2010s by Bellway and Cala Homes Phase 2 - Built in 2015 by Bloor Homes Phase 3 - Built in 2016/17 by Bloor Homes Phase 4 - Currently being built by Bloor Homes Phase 5 - Planned in the 2020s as stated in th
Winslow Neighbourhood Plan (WNP)
Land at Tinkers End - Also planned in the WNP and going through planning process.

Transport

The A413 road linking

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. Until the late 1960s, the town was served by Winslow railway station on the

Varsity Line The Varsity Line was the main railway line that linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated by the London and North Western Railway. In World War II, the line became a strategic route for freight avoiding London, a ...

between

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, with a spur to

. As part of the East West Rail project, the line is to be reopened by late 2025,Transport Secretary officially launches East West Railway Company at Bletchley Park
East West Rail, 22 November 2017 a new station has been built on the western outskirts of the town. When in operation, it is to provide new rail services to and railway stations. The

Sustrans Sustrans ( ) is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network. Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United ...

National Cycle Route 51 National Cycle Route 51 is an England, English long distance cycle route running broadly east-west connecting Colchester and the port of Harwich to Oxford via Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Bicester, and Kidlington. ...

(Oxford

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

) goes east–west through Winslow, via Milton Keynes or Bicester. A

shared use path A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is "designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists". Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...

between Buckingham and Winslow was completed in 2017. Bus services to and through Winslow include

Arriva Shires & Essex Arriva Herts & Essex is a bus operator providing services in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, with services extending to Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Greater London. Until 2002 its operations included Arriva Colchester, Col ...

's X6 AylesburyMilton Keynes via

, the route 60 AylesburyBuckingham, and the route 50 Milton KeynesWinslow. There are also numerous Winslow Community Bus Services.

Winslow town council

Winslow Town Council (WTC) is a group of 12 members, split into 4 committees : Amenities, Development, Events, and Finances and General Purposes. The Town Council meets around once a month. The Council is made up of 2 Liberal Democrats, 1 Labour, 2 Conservatives and 7 Independent councillors.

Education

Winslow is home to Furze Down School for children with

special educational needs Special educational needs (SEN), also known as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the United Kingdom refers to the education of children who require different education provision to the mainstream system. Meaning The meaning of S ...

, aged 5–19. The town is also served by Winslow Church of England School, which is a mixed,

voluntary controlled A voluntary controlled school (VC school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a Christian denomination) has some formal influence in the running of the school. Such schools have less autonomy th ...

primary school, that takes children from ages four to eleven. , the school has approximately 520 pupils. State

Secondary schools A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

for Winslow children are Sir Thomas Fremantle School (a free school) in Winslow; the Buckingham School (a

secondary modern A secondary modern school () is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Secondary modern schools accommodated the majority (70–75%) of pupils ...

) and the Royal Latin School (a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...

) in nearby

; the Cottesloe School in

Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...

; and a range of

comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...

s in Milton Keynes.

Media

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian. Television signals are received from the

TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio, Heart East, Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts (formerly Mix 96) and 3Bs Radio, a community based station that broadcast from

as well as to Bicester and Brackley. The Buckingham & Winslow Advertiser is the town's local newspaper.

Sport

The local football team are Winslow United who play in division one of the

Spartan South Midlands Football League The Spartan South Midlands Football League is an English football league covering Hertfordshire, northwest Greater London, central Buckinghamshire and southern Bedfordshire. It is a feeder to the Southern Football League or the Isthmian League, ...

. Winslow RUFC were formed in 1992 and play at the Winslow Centre (the old school) in the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Championship. Their Clubhouse is currently based at the Nags Head on Sheep Street. Winslow Town Cricket Club, which is based at Elmfield's Gate, next to the football pitch, currently field three men's Saturday teams. Two teams play in the Morrants Four Counties League: the first XI play in Division 1 and the seconds in Division 4. The third XI play mainly at Winslow's secondary pitch at

Padbury Padbury is a village and civil parish in north Buckinghamshire, England. It is located on the A413 main road that links Buckingham with Winslow. History The village name is Old English in origin, and means 'Padda's fortress'. In the Domesday ...

near Buckingham. The club also fields a Sunday team, which plays other local Sunday teams, and fields many youth teams, ranging from Under 9s to under 15s.

Twin towns

Winslow has been twinned with Cours-la-Ville in France since 1980.

References

Sources

External links

Winslow Times, Winslow

St. Laurence Church, Winslow

Winslow History website

Sir Thomas Fremantle School
{{authority control Civil parishes in Buckinghamshire Market towns in Buckinghamshire Towns in Buckinghamshire