Horsleys Green
Encyclopedia
Horsleys Green is a hamlet
located on the A40
between Piddington
and Stokenchurch
in Buckinghamshire
, England
. It consists of a few houses situated either side of a narrow lane and a 23-acre site currently used as the UK headquarters for Wycliffe Bible Translators
.
, Studley Green
and Water End
. It lies amongst woodland, within the Chiltern
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
: to the north is Third's Wood, with Fillington Wood to the east and Watercroft Wood and Dell's Wood to the south.
During the Second World War, a camp school for disabled evacuees from London was established in Horsleys Green, run by the government-formed National Camps Corporation
. After the war, such camp schools were offered for sale, and ownership of the school at Horsleys Green passed into the hands of Lancashire County Council
in 1947. From April of that year the Lancashire Education Committee ran an all-boys boarding school
on the site. Initially, this school was known as Stokenchurch School, but the name changed to Horsleys Green School in 1950.
In 1971, the grounds were acquired by Wycliffe Bible Translators, as 'Reasonable Equivalent Accommodation' for their previous base in Bletchingley
, which was subject to a compulsory purchase order for the construction of the M23
. Lancashire County Council had also had offers for the site from a government department, but Wycliffe's bid had been accepted by a majority of one vote. After taking possession on November 8, Wycliffe expanded the site with additional wooden buildings bought from various sources, including Twickenham Grammar School. A few years later, in May 1975, the kitchen and dining room complex had to be rebuilt following a fire.
Wycliffe Bible Translators continue to use the site as their UK headquarters. Known as 'The Wycliffe Centre', the site also serves as a base for training in cross-cultural language work under the 'European Training Programme', and as a Christian conference centre with facilities for 160 guests. The buildings have been named after individuals involved in Bible translation, such as William Carey
, Henry Martyn
and James O. Fraser
. More recent buildings have been built on the site since the 1970s: Tyndale and Aylward were built in the 1980s, and Bede followed in 1998.
of Stokenchurch
, in the Stokenchurch and Radnage ward
of Wycombe District Council. It is in the parliamentary constituency of Aylesbury
.
and Carousel Buses
. The services are fairly frequent, although Arriva reduced their evening and Sunday services in May 2011.
A mobile library, operated by Buckinghamshire County Council
, stops in the Wycliffe Centre on alternate Tuesdays.
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...
located on the A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
between Piddington
Piddington, Buckinghamshire
Piddington is a hamlet in the parish of Piddington and Wheeler End in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located on the main A40 between Stokenchurch and West Wycombe....
and Stokenchurch
Stokenchurch
Stokenchurch is a village and civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, about south of Chinnor in Oxfordshire and west of High Wycombe. The village is a popular place to live, due to its rural location and ease of access to London and Birmingham...
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 consists of a few houses situated either side of a narrow lane and a 23-acre site currently used as the UK headquarters for Wycliffe Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators is an interdenominational organization mandated to making a translation of the Bible in every living language in the world, especially for cultures with little existing Christian influence. Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend and is associated with...
.
Geography
Horsleys Green is located about 2 miles east of the village of Stokenchurch, in a group of four hamlets either side of the A40 known collectively as 'Studley Green' - the other three hamlets are Beacon's BottomBeacon's Bottom
Beacon's Bottom is a hamlet on the A40 between Piddington and Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire, England....
, Studley Green
Studley Green
Studley Green is a hamlet located on the A40 between Piddington and Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire, England. The term 'Studley Green' is also used to collectively refer to the four adjacent hamlets of Studley Green, Horsleys Green, Beacon's Bottom and Water End....
and Water End
Water End
Water End is a hamlet located on the A40 between Piddington and Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire, England. Together with the adjacent hamlets of Horsleys Green, Beacon's Bottom and Studley Green, it is in an area known collectively as 'Studley Green'. It is within the Chiltern Area of Outstanding...
. It lies amongst woodland, within the Chiltern
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
: to the north is Third's Wood, with Fillington Wood to the east and Watercroft Wood and Dell's Wood to the south.
History
Settlement at Horsleys Green dates back to at least the seventeenth century, with some of these properties, such as Old Beckings and Horsleys Green Manor, still in use today. It was originally known as Ostlers Green, in reference to the 'ostlers' (stablemen) who operated stables at Horsleys Green for the refreshment of horses involved in transport along the London to Oxford road. The name was later changed to Horslers Green, and then Horsleys Green.During the Second World War, a camp school for disabled evacuees from London was established in Horsleys Green, run by the government-formed National Camps Corporation
National Camps Corporation
The National Camps Corporation was a British government-funded non-profit organisation established under the 1939 Camps Act. The role of the Corporation was to construct and administer camps in the countryside that could be used for educational experiences....
. After the war, such camp schools were offered for sale, and ownership of the school at Horsleys Green passed into the hands of Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
in 1947. From April of that year the Lancashire Education Committee ran an all-boys boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
on the site. Initially, this school was known as Stokenchurch School, but the name changed to Horsleys Green School in 1950.
In 1971, the grounds were acquired by Wycliffe Bible Translators, as 'Reasonable Equivalent Accommodation' for their previous base in Bletchingley
Bletchingley
Bletchingley is a village in Surrey, England. It is on the A25 road to the east of Redhill and to the west of Godstone.-History:The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
, which was subject to a compulsory purchase order for the construction of the M23
M23 motorway
The M23 motorway is a motorway in England. The motorway runs from south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23. The northern end of the motorway starts at junction 7 on what is effectively a spur north from...
. Lancashire County Council had also had offers for the site from a government department, but Wycliffe's bid had been accepted by a majority of one vote. After taking possession on November 8, Wycliffe expanded the site with additional wooden buildings bought from various sources, including Twickenham Grammar School. A few years later, in May 1975, the kitchen and dining room complex had to be rebuilt following a fire.
Wycliffe Bible Translators continue to use the site as their UK headquarters. Known as 'The Wycliffe Centre', the site also serves as a base for training in cross-cultural language work under the 'European Training Programme', and as a Christian conference centre with facilities for 160 guests. The buildings have been named after individuals involved in Bible translation, such as William Carey
William Carey
William Carey was an English Baptist missionary and a Reformed Baptist minister, known as the "father of modern missions." Carey was one of the founders of the Baptist Missionary Society...
, Henry Martyn
Henry Martyn
Henry Martyn was an Anglican priest and missionary to the peoples of India and Persia. Born in Truro, Cornwall, he was educated at Truro Grammar School and St John's College, Cambridge. A chance encounter with Charles Simeon led him to become a missionary...
and James O. Fraser
James O. Fraser
James Outram Fraser was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China with the China Inland Mission. He pioneered work among the Lisu people of Southwestern China in the early part of the 20th century.- First years in Yunnan:...
. More recent buildings have been built on the site since the 1970s: Tyndale and Aylward were built in the 1980s, and Bede followed in 1998.
Government
Horsleys Green, together with the other hamlets within the Studley Green area, is within the civil parishCivil 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 Stokenchurch
Stokenchurch
Stokenchurch is a village and civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, about south of Chinnor in Oxfordshire and west of High Wycombe. The village is a popular place to live, due to its rural location and ease of access to London and Birmingham...
, in the Stokenchurch and Radnage ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Wycombe District Council. It is in the parliamentary constituency of Aylesbury
Aylesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Aylesbury is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The Conservative Party has held the seat since 1924, and held it at the 2010 general election with a 52.2% share of the vote.-Boundaries:...
.
Public transport
There are local bus services from nearby in Studley Green to High Wycombe, Stokenchurch, Thame, Lane End, and other villages in between. These services are operated by ArrivaArriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
and Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses is an independent bus company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England which operates a network of local and inter-urban bus services.-History:Carousel Buses was formed in 2000...
. The services are fairly frequent, although Arriva reduced their evening and Sunday services in May 2011.
Education
Wycliffe Bible Translators used to run a nursery school called Little Fishes Day Nursery at the Wycliffe Centre. This was originally started to provide care for children of linguistics students, but grew to accommodate 80 children from the local area. It closed in September 2005.A mobile library, operated by Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in England, the United Kingdom. Its area of control does not include Milton Keynes, which is a unitary authority...
, stops in the Wycliffe Centre on alternate Tuesdays.