Slapton, Buckinghamshire
Encyclopedia
Slapton is a village
and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale
district in Buckinghamshire
, England
. It is located between the Grand Union Canal
and the border with Bedfordshire
, about three miles south of Leighton Buzzard
, three miles west of Edlesborough
.
The village name is Anglo Saxon
in origin, and means "farm by a slippery place". It is a common place name (see Slapton
). This village was recorded in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as Slapetone.
The manor
of Slapton once belonged to a convent
in Barking
, Essex
, though it was seized by the Crown
in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in 1547. The manor was for some time after that the property of the Earl of Bridgwater.
Today Slapton contains few old buildings of any architectural merit. The church, dedicated to the Holy Cross
, is of plain design with tower, nave
and chancel
. The chancel is probably the oldest part of the building. The church yard contains many memorials to the Turney and Buckmaster families.
The "Carpenter's Arms", the village public house
, is one of the most attractive buildings in the village. It is a half timbered construction begun in the 16th century under a thatched roof. The pub is now run by the owner of Bury Farm which has recently been converted into a world class equestrian centre which is due to house a team at the 2012 Olympics.
The village contains one or two older cottages such as "Woodbine Cottage" and "Chiltern Cottage" from the 18th century. The remainder of the older properties in the village were built by the Buckmaster family in the 19th century. The Buckmasters were a prosperous farming family from Ivinghoe
, who at one time owned Bury Farm in the centre of the village. Until recently the remainder of the houses (approximately 30) in the village were owned by the local authority who built them immediately following World War II
. Since 1990 there have been a few developments of "executive style" homes built in the village.
The village hall was built and given to the village by the Griffin family of Bury Farm in memory of Elizabeth Griffin in the 1950s. Until recently, the Griffin family continued to own Bury Farm, and had the unusual distinction of farming buffalo
in the village. Slapton once had a splendid 18th century rectory
of classical design. This was demolished in the 1960s and a development of four-bedroom terraced
and semi-detached
houses in the style of that era was built on its site.
There was a farm (Church Farm) immediately next to the church, until the mid 1970s; this property had been in the ownership of one family since 1086, having originally been given to the de Tournai's by William the Conqueror. The family survived in Slapton, spelling their name in various ways, until the death of William Turney in circa 1975. He was childless, so the farm was sold for the first time in 900 years. The new owners demolished the farm-house and buildings, and on the site built a development of houses and flats known as Tournay Court.
The village once contained a water mill known as Slaptonbury Mill; the ruins of this were finally cleared in the 1980s. There is a legend relating to it. The ghost
of a young girl is said to ride through the village on her pony from Slaptonbury Mill to a farm on the other side of the village, sent on an errand to the mill by her father. Both she and the pony drowned in the flooded mill stream, and still today she attempts to return home! The hooves of the pony are heard during the hours of darkness only. Whatever the truth of the legend, the mill stream still regularly floods.
In 1993, an Exorcism
was conducted at one of the village's older cottages following reports of a multiple haunting. The occupants at that time had suffered increased and violent poltergeist activity over a 5-year period, ever since moving into The Court, in 1988. The worst reported incident was when an ‘invisible force’ reputedly picked up one of the occupant’s by the neck and held them, suspended, a few feet in the air. It is believed that one of the ghosts was that of former tenant, Jesse Healy, who lived in Horton Road circa 1940. The entity responsible for the violent outbursts was thought to be of demonic origin and it was assumed that someone must have used an Ouija board at the premises prior to the occupants moving there, which ultimately ‘invited’ the evil spirit in. This, however, remains unconfirmed to date. An article published in the Herald & Post, on 25th November 2003, referred to this haunting.
In another old cottage in the village the sounds of children crying can be heard, but with no mortal source. There is also the story of a ghostly apparition in the Churchyard. It is said that the glinting of moonlight off the buckles on a rector's shoes can be seen as he rushes to an ancient affray. This is all that is seen of him. The pub is also believed to have its fair share of spirits! The bar area is believed to be haunted by a monk-like figure who was killed whilst trying to break up a fight. There is also a ghostly woman who lurks in the kitchen until after closing time, which is when she ventures out into the main part of the pub and can be seen wandering around, from outside. The Luton Paranormal Society and the Paranormal Database both list some of the ghostly goings on, on their websites.
The village today has a thriving community in spite of the closure of the small village school
in the early 1990s and later the closure of the one village shop and post office
. And should you venture into the village of Slapton in early September then you may see the results of the yearly scarecrow competition! which is held prior to the annual Slapton Village Fete.
in Ivinghoe
is the hamlet of Horton Wharf. The village of Grove
is also within the boundary of Slapton parish.
took place at http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=51.8677073,-0.6578894+to:Slapton,+Leighton+Buzzard,+UK&hl=en&ll=51.879076,-0.66972&spn=0.000053,0.044031&sll=51.873295,-0.656925&sspn=0.017885,0.044031&geocode=FZ6cFwMdOMj1_w%3BFTtwFwMdH_b1_ylnsam9t1B2SDEBb_23qBwOEw%3BFb-XFwMdjCv2_ynLulbQvVB2SDH5tgj7-l5gpQ&vpsrc=6&dirflg=w&mra=dvme&mrsp=1&sz=15&via=1&t=h&z=15&iwloc=ddw0&layer=c&cbll=51.879076,-0.66972&panoid=8gPi75fUQooQRWdWugaRxw&cbp=12,96.93,,0,0Bridego Railway Bridge] (No. 127) on 8 August 1963, which is situated one mile (as the crow fly's) from Slapton, heading towards Ledburn
.
Malcolm Fairley (nicknamed The Fox) put terror into villagers with his so-called "Rape Triangle" of Edlesborough, Cheddington and Linslade during 1984. Malcolm Fairley was eventually sentenced to six life sentences for the attacks plus a further 26 years in prison for related offences. No Slapton residents were attacked by The Fox, despite being situated in the centre of the "triangle".
The Greenacres Caravan site
, a quarter of a mile outside the Slapton boundary at Little Billington, was raided by police on 11th September 2011, following intelligence that people were being enslaved there. Operation Netwing
discovered 24 men held against their will at the site, some of which were housed in kennels, horseboxes, or sheds. It is believed to be the largest operation involving human trafficking
and slavery
in the UK.
Slapton has its share of famous people, as Frank Bruno
lives on the outskirts of the village.
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...
and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale
Aylesbury Vale
The Aylesbury Vale is a large area of flat land mostly in Buckinghamshire, England. Its boundary is marked by Milton Keynes to the north, Leighton Buzzard and the Chiltern Hills to the east and south, Thame to the south and Bicester and Brackley to the west.The vale is named after Aylesbury, the...
district 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 located between the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
and the border with Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, about three miles south of Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
, three miles west of Edlesborough
Edlesborough
Edlesborough is a village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is adjacent to the village of Eaton Bray over the county boundary in Bedfordshire, about three miles WSW of Dunstable....
.
The village 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...
in origin, and means "farm by a slippery place". It is a common place name (see Slapton
Slapton
Slapton is a common place name.In the United Kingdom:*Slapton, Buckinghamshire*Slapton, Devon*Slapton, Northamptonshire...
). This village was recorded 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 Slapetone.
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...
of Slapton once belonged to a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
in Barking
Barking
Barking is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in East London, England. A retail and commercial centre situated in the west of the borough, it lies east of Charing Cross. Barking was in the historic county of Essex until it was absorbed by Greater London. The area is...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, though it was seized by the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1547. The manor was for some time after that the property of the Earl of Bridgwater.
Today Slapton contains few old buildings of any architectural merit. The church, dedicated to the Holy Cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
, is of plain design with tower, nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. The chancel is probably the oldest part of the building. The church yard contains many memorials to the Turney and Buckmaster families.
The "Carpenter's Arms", the village public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, is one of the most attractive buildings in the village. It is a half timbered construction begun in the 16th century under a thatched roof. The pub is now run by the owner of Bury Farm which has recently been converted into a world class equestrian centre which is due to house a team at the 2012 Olympics.
The village contains one or two older cottages such as "Woodbine Cottage" and "Chiltern Cottage" from the 18th century. The remainder of the older properties in the village were built by the Buckmaster family in the 19th century. The Buckmasters were a prosperous farming family from Ivinghoe
Ivinghoe
Ivinghoe is a village and civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, close to the border with Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. It is four miles north of Tring and six miles south of Leighton Buzzard, close to the village of Pitstone.The village name is Anglo-Saxon in...
, who at one time owned Bury Farm in the centre of the village. Until recently the remainder of the houses (approximately 30) in the village were owned by the local authority who built them immediately following 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...
. Since 1990 there have been a few developments of "executive style" homes built in the village.
The village hall was built and given to the village by the Griffin family of Bury Farm in memory of Elizabeth Griffin in the 1950s. Until recently, the Griffin family continued to own Bury Farm, and had the unusual distinction of farming buffalo
Water Buffalo
The water buffalo or domestic Asian water buffalo is a large bovine animal, frequently used as livestock in southern Asia, and also widely in South America, southern Europe, northern Africa, and elsewhere....
in the village. Slapton once had a splendid 18th century rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
of classical design. This was demolished in the 1960s and a development of four-bedroom terraced
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
and semi-detached
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...
houses in the style of that era was built on its site.
There was a farm (Church Farm) immediately next to the church, until the mid 1970s; this property had been in the ownership of one family since 1086, having originally been given to the de Tournai's by William the Conqueror. The family survived in Slapton, spelling their name in various ways, until the death of William Turney in circa 1975. He was childless, so the farm was sold for the first time in 900 years. The new owners demolished the farm-house and buildings, and on the site built a development of houses and flats known as Tournay Court.
The village once contained a water mill known as Slaptonbury Mill; the ruins of this were finally cleared in the 1980s. There is a legend relating to it. The ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of a young girl is said to ride through the village on her pony from Slaptonbury Mill to a farm on the other side of the village, sent on an errand to the mill by her father. Both she and the pony drowned in the flooded mill stream, and still today she attempts to return home! The hooves of the pony are heard during the hours of darkness only. Whatever the truth of the legend, the mill stream still regularly floods.
In 1993, an Exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
was conducted at one of the village's older cottages following reports of a multiple haunting. The occupants at that time had suffered increased and violent poltergeist activity over a 5-year period, ever since moving into The Court, in 1988. The worst reported incident was when an ‘invisible force’ reputedly picked up one of the occupant’s by the neck and held them, suspended, a few feet in the air. It is believed that one of the ghosts was that of former tenant, Jesse Healy, who lived in Horton Road circa 1940. The entity responsible for the violent outbursts was thought to be of demonic origin and it was assumed that someone must have used an Ouija board at the premises prior to the occupants moving there, which ultimately ‘invited’ the evil spirit in. This, however, remains unconfirmed to date. An article published in the Herald & Post, on 25th November 2003, referred to this haunting.
In another old cottage in the village the sounds of children crying can be heard, but with no mortal source. There is also the story of a ghostly apparition in the Churchyard. It is said that the glinting of moonlight off the buckles on a rector's shoes can be seen as he rushes to an ancient affray. This is all that is seen of him. The pub is also believed to have its fair share of spirits! The bar area is believed to be haunted by a monk-like figure who was killed whilst trying to break up a fight. There is also a ghostly woman who lurks in the kitchen until after closing time, which is when she ventures out into the main part of the pub and can be seen wandering around, from outside. The Luton Paranormal Society and the Paranormal Database both list some of the ghostly goings on, on their websites.
The village today has a thriving community in spite of the closure of the small village school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in the early 1990s and later the closure of the one village shop and post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. And should you venture into the village of Slapton in early September then you may see the results of the yearly scarecrow competition! which is held prior to the annual Slapton Village Fete.
Hamlets
Towards the edge of the parish near HortonHorton, Buckinghamshire
Horton is a hamlet in the parish of Ivinghoe, in Buckinghamshire, England.The name Horton is a common one in England, meaning "dirty or muddy farm"....
in Ivinghoe
Ivinghoe
Ivinghoe is a village and civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, close to the border with Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. It is four miles north of Tring and six miles south of Leighton Buzzard, close to the village of Pitstone.The village name is Anglo-Saxon in...
is the hamlet of Horton Wharf. The village of Grove
Grove, Buckinghamshire
Grove is a tiny village in the parish of Slapton, Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the border with Bedfordshire, just to the north of Mentmore. It is the size of some hamlets, but it is distinct as a village because it had its own parish church. The place name is fairly self explanatory, as it...
is also within the boundary of Slapton parish.
External links
Local History & Interest
Great Train RobberyGreat Train Robbery (1963)
The Great Train Robbery is the name given to a £2.6 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The bulk of the stolen money was not recovered...
took place at http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=51.8677073,-0.6578894+to:Slapton,+Leighton+Buzzard,+UK&hl=en&ll=51.879076,-0.66972&spn=0.000053,0.044031&sll=51.873295,-0.656925&sspn=0.017885,0.044031&geocode=FZ6cFwMdOMj1_w%3BFTtwFwMdH_b1_ylnsam9t1B2SDEBb_23qBwOEw%3BFb-XFwMdjCv2_ynLulbQvVB2SDH5tgj7-l5gpQ&vpsrc=6&dirflg=w&mra=dvme&mrsp=1&sz=15&via=1&t=h&z=15&iwloc=ddw0&layer=c&cbll=51.879076,-0.66972&panoid=8gPi75fUQooQRWdWugaRxw&cbp=12,96.93,,0,0Bridego Railway Bridge] (No. 127) on 8 August 1963, which is situated one mile (as the crow fly's) from Slapton, heading towards Ledburn
Ledburn
Ledburn is a hamlet in the parish of Mentmore, in Buckinghamshire, England. The name Ledburn is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means "stream with a conduit". In manorial records of 1212 it was recorded as "Leteburn"....
.
Malcolm Fairley (nicknamed The Fox) put terror into villagers with his so-called "Rape Triangle" of Edlesborough, Cheddington and Linslade during 1984. Malcolm Fairley was eventually sentenced to six life sentences for the attacks plus a further 26 years in prison for related offences. No Slapton residents were attacked by The Fox, despite being situated in the centre of the "triangle".
The Greenacres Caravan site
Operation Netwing
Operation Netwing is a long-running United Kingdom law enforcement endeavour, headed by Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit , investigating allegations of forced labour and human trafficking in Bedfordshire, England...
, a quarter of a mile outside the Slapton boundary at Little Billington, was raided by police on 11th September 2011, following intelligence that people were being enslaved there. Operation Netwing
Operation Netwing
Operation Netwing is a long-running United Kingdom law enforcement endeavour, headed by Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit , investigating allegations of forced labour and human trafficking in Bedfordshire, England...
discovered 24 men held against their will at the site, some of which were housed in kennels, horseboxes, or sheds. It is believed to be the largest operation involving human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
and slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in the UK.
Slapton has its share of famous people, as Frank Bruno
Frank Bruno
Franklin Roy Bruno MBE is an English former boxer whose career highlight was winning the WBC Heavyweight championship in 1995. Altogether, he won 40 of his 45 contests...
lives on the outskirts of the village.