Bledlow
Encyclopedia
Bledlow is a village in the civil parish
of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton
in Buckinghamshire
, England
. It is situated about a mile and a half WSW of Princes Risborough
, and on the border with Oxfordshire
.
The village's name is Anglo-Saxon
and means Bledda's burial mound. In the 10th century the village was recorded as Bleddanhloew; in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as Bledelai.
The village is situated on the ancient road Icknield Way
and is the location where several spring
s form a small pool called the Lyde. The water from the springs is said to wear away the chalk on which the village stands, giving rise to the simple local medieval nursery rhyme
:
The brook running from the pool into the nearby valley (called the Lyde Brook) provided water power for two mill
s for many years. The village's watermill is a tourist attraction.
Above the village, carved into the chalk of Wain Hill is a large cross, similar to that found at Whiteleaf
. There is also a round barrow
on the hill. It is thought that this is the barrow or burial mound referred to in the village name.
Within the parish
boundary of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton lie several hamlet
s, as is common with most villages in this area. The principal hamlet is Bledlow Ridge
. The others are Forty Green (not to be confused with Forty Green near Beaconsfield
), Pitch Green, Rout's Green, Skittle Green
and Holly Green.
The parish church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It stands in a splendid position overlooking the Vale of Aylesbury and is built on an unusual plan. There are two aisles and the nave arcades include capitals of about 1200. Other features of interest are the font, some fragments of mural paintings, and the south doorway and porch (13th-14th cent.)
was an intermediate station on the Wycombe Railway which served the Buckinghamshire village of Bledlow from 1862 to 1963. It was one of two stations to serve the village, the other being Bledlow Bridge halt on the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway, which was 0.75 miles (1.21 km) to the south and closer to the village. The possibility of reopening the line through Bledlow, which is now part of a long-distance footpath, has been explored by Chiltern Railways
, the franchise holder for the Chiltern Main Line which runs through Princes Risborough.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton
Bledlow-cum-Saunderton
Bledlow-cum-Saunderton is a civil parish in the Wycombe district of Buckinghamshire, England. It contains the villages of Bledlow, Bledlow Ridge and Saunderton and the hamlets of Crownfield, Forty Green, Holly Green, Pitch Green, Rout's Green, Saunderton Lee and Skittle Green. It had a population...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated about a mile and a half WSW of Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough is a small town in Buckinghamshire, England, about 9 miles south of Aylesbury and 8 miles north west of High Wycombe. Bledlow lies to the west and Monks Risborough to the east. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, at the north end of a gap or pass through the Chilterns,...
, and on the border with Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
The village's name is Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
and means Bledda's burial mound. In the 10th century the village was recorded as Bleddanhloew; in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Bledelai.
The village is situated on the ancient road Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
and is the location where several spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s form a small pool called the Lyde. The water from the springs is said to wear away the chalk on which the village stands, giving rise to the simple local medieval nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
:
The brook running from the pool into the nearby valley (called the Lyde Brook) provided water power for two mill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s for many years. The village's watermill is a tourist attraction.
Whiteleaf, Buckinghamshire
Whiteleaf is a hamlet in the civil parish of Princes Risborough and the ecclesiastical parish of Monks Risborough in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 7 miles south of the county town of Aylesbury and 8 miles north of High Wycombe...
. There is also a round barrow
Round barrow
Round barrows are one of the most common types of archaeological monuments. Although concentrated in Europe they are found in many parts of the world because of their simple construction and universal purpose....
on the hill. It is thought that this is the barrow or burial mound referred to in the village name.
Within the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
boundary of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton lie several hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
s, as is common with most villages in this area. The principal hamlet is Bledlow Ridge
Bledlow Ridge
Bledlow Ridge is a village in the civil parish of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton in Buckinghamshire, England, population 940 . It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, about 4 miles SSW of Princes Risborough and on the road between the High Wycombe and Chinnor....
. The others are Forty Green (not to be confused with Forty Green near Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield is a market town and civil parish operating as a town council within the South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies northwest of Charing Cross in Central London, and south-east of the county town of Aylesbury...
), Pitch Green, Rout's Green, Skittle Green
Skittle Green
Skittle Green is a hamlet in the civil parish of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton in the county of Buckinghamshire, England.Skittle Green is northwest of the village of Bledlow, very near to the Oxfordshire boundary.- External links :...
and Holly Green.
The parish church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It stands in a splendid position overlooking the Vale of Aylesbury and is built on an unusual plan. There are two aisles and the nave arcades include capitals of about 1200. Other features of interest are the font, some fragments of mural paintings, and the south doorway and porch (13th-14th cent.)
Transport
Bledlow railway stationBledlow railway station
Bledlow railway station was an intermediate station on the Wycombe Railway which served the Buckinghamshire village of Bledlow from 1862 to 1963. It was one of two stations to serve the village, the other being on the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway, which was to the south and closer to...
was an intermediate station on the Wycombe Railway which served the Buckinghamshire village of Bledlow from 1862 to 1963. It was one of two stations to serve the village, the other being Bledlow Bridge halt on the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway, which was 0.75 miles (1.21 km) to the south and closer to the village. The possibility of reopening the line through Bledlow, which is now part of a long-distance footpath, has been explored by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
, the franchise holder for the Chiltern Main Line which runs through Princes Risborough.