Upper Winchendon
Encyclopedia
Upper Winchendon is a village
and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale
district in Buckinghamshire
, England
. It is located about a mile south of Waddesdon
, three and a half miles west of Aylesbury
.
The village name 'Winchendon' is Anglo Saxon
in origin, and means 'hill at a bend'. Collectively the villages of Upper Winchendon and Nether Winchendon
(sometimes called Lower Winchendon) were called Wichendone. The prefix 'Upper' was added later to differentiate between the village on higher ground from the village on lower ground.
The ancient manor house
in the village used to belong to the convent of St Frideswide in Oxford
, to whom it was given by King Henry I
. Following the suppression of that convent in the early 16th century the manor
was given to Cardinal Wolsey, though was seized by the Crown
shortly afterwards in 1544 along with Wolsey's other possessions.
In 1623 the manor was given by the king to the Goodwin family, who expanded the manor house into a fine mansion. It then came into the Wharton family, one of whom was made the Duke of Wharton in 1718 for his services to the Crown. He later had all his possessions seized for being a supporter of the Young Pretender (Bonnie Prince Charlie), after which time the house fell into disrepair and has since been completely demolished.
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 about a mile south of Waddesdon
Waddesdon
Waddesdon is a village within the Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, 6 miles from Aylesbury on the A41 road. The centre of a civil parish, including the hamlets of Eythrope, Wormstone and Woodham, Waddesdon was an agricultural settlement with milling, silk weaving and lace making...
, three and a half miles west of Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
.
The village name 'Winchendon' 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 'hill at a bend'. Collectively the villages of Upper Winchendon and Nether Winchendon
Nether Winchendon
Nether Winchendon is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is near the border of Oxfordshire, about five miles west of Aylesbury and three miles south of Waddesdon.The village name 'Winchendon' originates from Anglo Saxon, meaning 'hill...
(sometimes called Lower Winchendon) were called Wichendone. The prefix 'Upper' was added later to differentiate between the village on higher ground from the village on lower ground.
The ancient manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
in the village used to belong to the convent of St Frideswide in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, to whom it was given by King Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. Following the suppression of that convent in the early 16th century 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...
was given to Cardinal Wolsey, though 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...
shortly afterwards in 1544 along with Wolsey's other possessions.
In 1623 the manor was given by the king to the Goodwin family, who expanded the manor house into a fine mansion. It then came into the Wharton family, one of whom was made the Duke of Wharton in 1718 for his services to the Crown. He later had all his possessions seized for being a supporter of the Young Pretender (Bonnie Prince Charlie), after which time the house fell into disrepair and has since been completely demolished.