Iver
Encyclopedia
Iver is in the south-east corner of the English
county of Buckinghamshire
and it forms one of the largest civil parishes in the South Bucks
district.
Iver railway station
is in Richings Park.
in origin and means (place by) the brow of the hill.
The parish of Iver covers about eight square miles (21 km²) and it includes the village
s of Iver Heath and Iver. To their south is Richings Park. The centre of London
is about twenty miles (30 km) away. The parish flanks the Greater London
border in the vicinity of Uxbridge
for several miles, and it is to the east of the town
of Slough
. Iver Heath, Iver and Richings Park straddle the M25
motorway which is intersected to the north above Iver Heath by the M40
, and to the south beneath Richings Park, by the M4
.
of 1086 the whole area was recorded as Evreham or homestead by the brow of a hill and it was in the possession of a man called Robert Doiley
.
It has been suggested by some that the area is actually named after a contemporary of Doiley, Roger de Iveri, also a Norman
gentleman who arrived in England
with William the Conqueror. However, there are no records to suggest that Iveri ever owned the manor
here, although he did own property elsewhere in Buckinghamshire.
The area was in 1351 granted a Royal charter
to hold a weekly market
. This charter was confirmed 110 years later in 1461, at which time Iver was considered a place of some importance.
, a Victorian
estate with spectacular grounds. It was purchased by Lt. Col. Grant Morden, a Canadian
financier, who transformed the mansion by adding a huge ballroom and Turkish bath. During the 1930s it became a retreat and private meeting place for politicians and diplomats. The agreement to form the Irish Free State
was signed at Heatherden Hall.
When Grant Morden died in 1934 the estate was purchased at auction by Charles Boot
, who had recently inherited a large construction firm from his father Henry Boot, who died in 1931. Within twelve months Charles Boot transformed Heatherden Hall into the office building for a film studio
complex. He based his new studios on the latest Hollywood, USA
designs of that era. Charles Boot named it Pinewood Film Studios, reflecting the numerous pine trees surrounding the area. The entrance to the studio is on Pinewood Road.
Adjoining the studio complex is Black Park
, with a lake that extends over 530 acres (2.1 km²). Black Park was used for outdoor sequences in some of Hammer's Dracula
films, and in the 1964 James Bond
film Goldfinger
.
To the south, Black Park is separated from Langley Park by the A412 road. Langley Park covers 130 acres (0.53 km²) and is known for its rhododendron and azalea-filled Temple Gardens.
Iver Heath village itself is centred around a triangle of roads. The village post office is on the Slough Road to the south, while a parade of shops can be found along Church Road to the north. Slough Road and Church Road are connected by Bangors Road North to the east.
The Church of St Margaret was built in 1862.
The film Ali G Indahouse
made satirical reference to fictional gangster life in Iver Heath. As the video to Shaggy
and Ali G
's hit single "Me Julie
" begins, there is a reference to the Crooked Billet pub, which is just off of the Uxbridge Road
A4020 on the Five Points Roundabout.
to Langley
road has a pre-Domesday foundation in which Neolithic
pottery fragments and other artefacts have been discovered. The village church has shards of a Saxon
window, and elements dating from the 15th century, 16th century and 17th century can be seen. The village has numerous houses from the 16th and 17th centuries.
. Richings Park mansion was destroyed during World War II
, and its site is now a residential area with its own shopping facilities. Richings Park mansion was very briefly the home of RAF Bomber Command
, and the cellars of the house are still visible in fields now overlooking the M4
.
In September 2008, Pinewood Studios
became the club's sponsor. Pinewood helped with rent and funded the 60th birthday pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk
, which played to over 300 people in January 2009. It was co-sponsored by South Bucks District Council
Their next production is Sleeping Beauty, a NODA
pantomime written by Stephen Duckham.
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...
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....
and it forms one of the largest civil parishes in the South Bucks
South Bucks
South Bucks is one of four local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in South East England.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, by the amalgamation of the area of Beaconsfield Urban District with part of Eton Rural District...
district.
Iver railway station
Iver railway station
Iver railway station is a railway station in the village of Richings Park, near Iver, Buckinghamshire, England. It is the first station outside Greater London on the Great Western Main Line.-History:...
is in Richings Park.
Etymology
The village name Iver 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 (place by) the brow of the hill.
The Parish of Iver
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...
s of Iver Heath and Iver. To their south is Richings Park. The centre of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
is about twenty miles (30 km) away. The parish flanks the Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
border in the vicinity of Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
for several miles, and it is to the east of the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
. Iver Heath, Iver and Richings Park straddle the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
motorway which is intersected to the north above Iver Heath by the M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
, and to the south beneath Richings Park, by the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
.
History of the Parish
In the Domesday BookDomesday 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 the whole area was recorded as Evreham or homestead by the brow of a hill and it was in the possession of a man called Robert Doiley
Robert D'Oyly (Oxford)
Robert D'Oyly was a Norman nobleman who accompanied William the Conqueror on the Norman Conquest, his invasion of England. He died in 1091.-Background:Robert was the son of Walter D'Oyly and elder brother to Nigel D'Oyly...
.
It has been suggested by some that the area is actually named after a contemporary of Doiley, Roger de Iveri, also a Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
gentleman who arrived in 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...
with William the Conqueror. However, there are no records to suggest that Iveri ever owned the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
here, although he did own property elsewhere in Buckinghamshire.
The area was in 1351 granted a Royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
to hold a weekly market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
. This charter was confirmed 110 years later in 1461, at which time Iver was considered a place of some importance.
Village of Iver Heath
Iver Heath is the location of Heatherden HallHeatherden Hall
Heatherden Hall is a grade II Victorian Country House located in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England. It stands in the grounds of Pinewood Studios and is used as offices, movie sets, and as a wedding venue....
, a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
estate with spectacular grounds. It was purchased by Lt. Col. Grant Morden, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
financier, who transformed the mansion by adding a huge ballroom and Turkish bath. During the 1930s it became a retreat and private meeting place for politicians and diplomats. The agreement to form the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
was signed at Heatherden Hall.
When Grant Morden died in 1934 the estate was purchased at auction by Charles Boot
Charles Boot
Charles Boot of Sheffield, England was the creator and builder of Pinewood Studios on the estate of Heatherden Hall at Iver Heath in the parish of Iver in Buckinghamshire, England.- Basic biography :...
, who had recently inherited a large construction firm from his father Henry Boot, who died in 1931. Within twelve months Charles Boot transformed Heatherden Hall into the office building for a film studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
complex. He based his new studios on the latest Hollywood, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
designs of that era. Charles Boot named it Pinewood Film Studios, reflecting the numerous pine trees surrounding the area. The entrance to the studio is on Pinewood Road.
Adjoining the studio complex is Black Park
Black Park
Black Park is a Country Park in Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England to the north of the A412 road between Slough and Iver Heath. It is managed by Buckinghamshire County Council...
, with a lake that extends over 530 acres (2.1 km²). Black Park was used for outdoor sequences in some of Hammer's Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
films, and in the 1964 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Goldfinger
Goldfinger (film)
Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
.
To the south, Black Park is separated from Langley Park by the A412 road. Langley Park covers 130 acres (0.53 km²) and is known for its rhododendron and azalea-filled Temple Gardens.
Iver Heath village itself is centred around a triangle of roads. The village post office is on the Slough Road to the south, while a parade of shops can be found along Church Road to the north. Slough Road and Church Road are connected by Bangors Road North to the east.
The Church of St Margaret was built in 1862.
The film Ali G Indahouse
Ali G Indahouse
Ali G Indahouse is a British comedy film directed by Mark Mylod and starring the fictional character Ali G, who is performed by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
made satirical reference to fictional gangster life in Iver Heath. As the video to Shaggy
Shaggy (musician)
Orville Richard Burrell , better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper. He is perhaps best known for his 1995 single "Boombastic" and 2000 single "It Wasn't Me"...
and Ali G
Ali G
Ali G is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Originally appearing on Channel 4's Eleven O'Clock show, Ali G is the title character of Channel 4's Da Ali G Show, original episodes of which aired in 2000 and on HBO in 2003–2004, and is the...
's hit single "Me Julie
Me Julie
"Me Julie" is a single released by Ali G and Shaggy from the soundtrack to the film Ali G Indahouse. The song sold 300,000 copies in the UK, as stated by the Official UK Charts Company.-Charts:...
" begins, there is a reference to the Crooked Billet pub, which is just off of the Uxbridge Road
Uxbridge Road
Uxbridge Road is the name of the A4020 road in London. It starts at Shepherd's Bush Green and goes west towards Uxbridge. It passes through Acton, Ealing Broadway and Hanwell....
A4020 on the Five Points Roundabout.
Village of Iver
Iver village on the UxbridgeUxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
to Langley
Langley, Slough
Langley is a large village in the unitary authority of Slough, Berkshire in South East England. It is situated 2 miles east of central Slough, and 20 miles west of London...
road has a pre-Domesday foundation in which Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
pottery fragments and other artefacts have been discovered. The village church has shards of a Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
window, and elements dating from the 15th century, 16th century and 17th century can be seen. The village has numerous houses from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Richings Park
Richings Park was once the estate of Lord BathurstEarl Bathurst
Earl Bathurst, of Bathurst in the County of Sussex, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1772 for Allen Bathurst, 1st Baron Bathurst. He was a politician and an opponent of Sir Robert Walpole...
. Richings Park mansion was destroyed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and its site is now a residential area with its own shopping facilities. Richings Park mansion was very briefly the home of RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
, and the cellars of the house are still visible in fields now overlooking the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
.
Iver Heath Drama Club
Established by John Hargreves in 1948, Iver Heath Drama Club contributed to the construction of the current village hall. The group puts on plays and pantomimes. In 2008, it celebrated 60 years by performing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.In September 2008, Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
became the club's sponsor. Pinewood helped with rent and funded the 60th birthday pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk is a folktale said by English historian Francis Palgrave to be an oral legend that arrived in England with the Vikings. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-killer. It is known under a number of versions...
, which played to over 300 people in January 2009. It was co-sponsored by South Bucks District Council
South Bucks
South Bucks is one of four local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in South East England.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, by the amalgamation of the area of Beaconsfield Urban District with part of Eton Rural District...
Their next production is Sleeping Beauty, a NODA
National Operatic and Dramatic Association
NODA has a membership of 2500 amateur theatre groups and 3000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing venues, ranging from the country’s leading professional theatres to tiny village halls.Founded in 1899,...
pantomime written by Stephen Duckham.
Notable people
- James GambierJames Gambier, 1st Baron GambierAdmiral of the Fleet James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier GCB was an admiral of the Royal Navy, who served as Governor of Newfoundland, and as a Lord of the Admiralty, but who gained notoriety for his actions at the Battle of the Basque Roads.-Early career:Gambier was born in New Providence, The...
(1756-1833), notorious admiralAdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
of the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, lived in Iver
- Edward Schroeder PriorEdward Schroeder PriorEdward Schroeder Prior was an architect who was instrumental in establishing the arts and crafts movement. He was one of the foremost theorists of the second generation of the movement, writing extensively on architecture, art, craftsmanship and the building process and subsequently influencing...
(1857-1932), Arts and Crafts MovementArts and Crafts movementArts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
architect, lived at Bridgefoot (shown on the postcard above)
- Princess Victoria (1868-1935), daughter of Edward VII, lived in Iver 1925-1935
- John NashJohn Nash (artist)John Northcote Nash CBE RA was a British painter of landscape and still-life, wood-engraver and illustrator, particularly of botanic works.-Biography:...
(1893-1977), painter of landscape and still-life, grew up in Iver
- Sid JamesSid JamesSid James was an English-based South African actor and comedian. He made his name as Tony Hancock's co-star in Hancock's Half Hour and also starred in the popular Carry On films. He was known for his trademark "dirty laugh" and lascivious persona...
(1913-1976), Carry On film legend, lived in Iver
- John FaireyJohn FaireyJohn Stephen Fairey FRAeS was a British aviator.-Early life:Fairey was the second son of Sir Charles Richard Fairey, founder of the Fairey Aviation Company. He was educated at Eton and Magdalene College, Cambridge....
(1935-2009), aviator son of Charles FaireyCharles Richard FaireySir Charles Richard Fairey MBE, FRAeS was a British aircraft manufacturer.-Early life:Charles Fairey was born was born on 5 May 1887 in Hendon, Middlesex and educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood and later as an apprentice at the Finsbury Technical College where he studied City &...
(founder of the Fairey Aviation Company), was born in Iver
- Prince Michael of KentPrince Michael of KentPrince Michael of Kent is a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, making him a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He is also the first cousin once removed of Prince Phillip. Prince Michael occasionally carries out royal duties representing the Queen at some functions in Commonwealth realms outside...
, member of the British Royal FamilyBritish Royal FamilyThe British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, was born in Iver
- Brian MuirBrian Muir (sculptor)Brian Muir is a British sculptor who most famously created Darth Vader's helmet and armour using Ralph McQuarrie's design....
, sculptor of Darth VaderDarth VaderDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
's helmet and armour and the Stormtrooper armour in Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, lives in Iver
- Linford ChristieLinford ChristieLinford Cicero Christie OBE is a former sprinter from the United Kingdom. He is the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions open to British athletes: the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games...
, Olympic gold medalist sprinter, lives in Iver