Clifton Reynes
Encyclopedia
Clifton Reynes is a village
in the Borough of Milton Keynes
, in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire
, England
. It is about a mile east of Olney. It is a civil parish sharing a joint parish council with Newton Blossomville
.
, by which this parish is separated from Lavendon
and Cold Brayfield
; on the East, by Newton-Blossomville; on the South, by Petsoe and Emberton
; and on the West, by the latter and by Olney.
in origin and means 'Cliff farm', referring to the village's position on a cliff
on a bank of the River Ouse
. The latter name 'Reynes' refers to the ancient lords of the manor of the village, whose family name
this was. In the Domesday Book
on 1086 Clifton Reynes was recorded as Cliftone.
s are embattled
. The tower is thought to be Norman
, however the top is later probably 14th century. The majority of the building is of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries and the nave is unusually tall. Features of interest include the 14th century font and the medieval monuments of the Reynes family. These include two pairs of wooden effigies; one pair is of Ralph and Amabel de Reynes (ca. 1320-30) and the other is unidentified and slightly earlier.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Borough of Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes (borough)
The Borough of Milton Keynes is a unitary authority and borough in south central England, at the northern tip of the South East England Region. For ceremonial purposes, it is in the county of Buckinghamshire...
, in the ceremonial county of 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 about a mile east of Olney. It is a civil parish sharing a joint parish council with Newton Blossomville
Newton Blossomville
Newton Blossomville is a village in the Borough of Milton Keynes and ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire, England. It is a civil parish, sharing a joint parish council with Clifton Reynes...
.
Extent
It is bounded, on the North, by the River Great OuseRiver Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
, by which this parish is separated from Lavendon
Lavendon
Lavendon is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Milton Keynes and ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire, England. It is the northernmost village in the Borough, near Olney, eight miles WNW of Bedford, eight miles NNE of Newport Pagnell....
and Cold Brayfield
Cold Brayfield
Cold Brayfield is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is about three miles east of Olney, on the Bedfordshire border. Nearby places are Lavendon and Turvey .Cold Brayfield is probably the place named as 'Bragenfelda' in a charter of 967...
; on the East, by Newton-Blossomville; on the South, by Petsoe and Emberton
Emberton
Emberton is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Milton Keynes, ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire in England. The village is near the border with Northamptonshire, just to the south of Olney and four miles north of Newport Pagnell....
; and on the West, by the latter and by Olney.
Origin of name
The village name comes in two parts: the former name 'Clifton' is Anglo SaxonOld 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...
in origin and means 'Cliff farm', referring to the village's position on a cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
on a bank of the River Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
. The latter name 'Reynes' refers to the ancient lords of the manor of the village, whose family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
this was. 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...
on 1086 Clifton Reynes was recorded as Cliftone.
Buildings of note
The parish church dedicated to St Mary is (unusually for a Buckinghamshire church) completely castellated: even the gableGable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s are embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
. The tower is thought to be Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
, however the top is later probably 14th century. The majority of the building is of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries and the nave is unusually tall. Features of interest include the 14th century font and the medieval monuments of the Reynes family. These include two pairs of wooden effigies; one pair is of Ralph and Amabel de Reynes (ca. 1320-30) and the other is unidentified and slightly earlier.