Woburn Sands
Encyclopedia
Woburn Sands is a small town and civil parish that is mainly located in the Borough of Milton Keynes
, England
, and to the south-east of Milton Keynes
itself, near Wavendon
. The county boundary between Buckinghamshire
and Bedfordshire
runs through the town so that the smaller part of the town, including its primary school, is in Bedfordshire.
hill fort
dating from around 500BC, called Danesborough Camp which is located to the southwest of the present town. Later when the settlement had developed into a hamlet
it was part of the parish
of Wavendon, becaming a separate civil parish in 1907. Under the Local Government Act 1972
the parish council has adopted the status of a town in its own right. It has separated from Wavendon which is just to the north of the Marston Vale Line
.
The village name was originally Hogsty End, one of Wavendon's four 'ends' (along with Church End, Cross End and Lower End) but by Victorian times, this un-picturesque name had fallen out of favour, and Woburn Sands had taken over as the accepted name. There is a local story that a schoolmaster was unable to attract business to his "Hogsty End Academy", and was one of the first to promote the use of the new name, but in fact it had been in use before this. The modern place name is related to nearby Woburn
in Bedfordshire
, and to the sandy local soil resulting from its proximity to the Greensand Ridge
, an escarpment of Greensand
.
The town had a reputation as a health spa because of the micro-climate, and people would come from far and wide to "take the airs". Several convalescent homes were built locally.
destination, with car-parks at the top of Church Road.
Woburn Sands railway station
, which serves the town, is located on the Bletchley
-Bedford Marston Vale Line
but the service is currently only hourly in both directions, and that only from about 7:00 am until 7:00 pm. A reasonably fast (35 mins. to 1 hour) mainline service is available from Milton Keynes Central
to London Euston
. Alternatively, the First Capital Connect
service from Flitwick
runs to St. Pancras.
Although its population is small for a town (2,246 according to the 2001 census), many inhabitants still refer to it as a village, but the civil parish council has officially declared it a town. Its population and consequently its housing stock continue to grow and it may coalesce with Milton Keynes as the latter expands to meet it (though Milton Keynes Partnership denies this in its expansion plans for Milton Keynes
: it regards the Varsity Line
as the firm southern boundary of Milton Keynes). Milton Keynes Council envisage further housing development and a new Science Park on Woodley's Farm, south of the railway.
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...
, 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...
, and to the south-east of Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
itself, near Wavendon
Wavendon
Wavendon is a village and civil parish in the south east of the Borough of Milton Keynes and ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire, England. The village name is an Old English language word, and means 'Wafa's hill'. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 969 the village was recorded as Wafandun. The...
. The county boundary between 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 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....
runs through the town so that the smaller part of the town, including its primary school, is in Bedfordshire.
History
The earliest evidence of settlement is an Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
dating from around 500BC, called Danesborough Camp which is located to the southwest of the present town. Later when the settlement had developed into a hamlet
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...
it was part of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Wavendon, becaming a separate civil parish in 1907. Under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
the parish council has adopted the status of a town in its own right. It has separated from Wavendon which is just to the north of the Marston Vale Line
Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
.
The village name was originally Hogsty End, one of Wavendon's four 'ends' (along with Church End, Cross End and Lower End) but by Victorian times, this un-picturesque name had fallen out of favour, and Woburn Sands had taken over as the accepted name. There is a local story that a schoolmaster was unable to attract business to his "Hogsty End Academy", and was one of the first to promote the use of the new name, but in fact it had been in use before this. The modern place name is related to nearby Woburn
Woburn, Bedfordshire
Woburn is a small Saxon village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is situated about southeast of the centre of Milton Keynes, and about south of junction 13 of the M1 motorway and is a popular tourist attraction.-History:...
in 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....
, and to the sandy local soil resulting from its proximity to the Greensand Ridge
Greensand Ridge
The Greensand Ridge is an extensive, prominent, often heavily wooded, sandstone escarpment and range of hills in south-east England. It runs in a horseshoe shape around the Weald of Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It reaches its highest elevation, , at Leith Hill in Surrey—the second highest point...
, an escarpment of Greensand
Greensand
Greensand or Green sand is either a sand or sandstone, which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment, that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called glauconies and consist of a mixture of mixed-layer clay...
.
The town had a reputation as a health spa because of the micro-climate, and people would come from far and wide to "take the airs". Several convalescent homes were built locally.
Modern Woburn Sands
Modern Woburn Sands contains many amenities, details of which are available on a local website. It is also a reasonably well-known (but under-publicised) mountain bikingMountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
destination, with car-parks at the top of Church Road.
Woburn Sands railway station
Woburn Sands railway station
Woburn Sands railway station serves the villages of Woburn Sands and Wavendon in the borough of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the Marston Vale Line between Bedford and Bletchley...
, which serves the town, is located on the Bletchley
Bletchley, Milton Keynes
Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, England. It is part of the Borough of Milton Keynes unitary authority, in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes but still retains a distinctive identity...
-Bedford Marston Vale Line
Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
but the service is currently only hourly in both directions, and that only from about 7:00 am until 7:00 pm. A reasonably fast (35 mins. to 1 hour) mainline service is available from Milton Keynes Central
Milton Keynes Central railway station
Milton Keynes Central railway station serves Central Milton Keynes and the surrounding area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The station is located on the West Coast Main Line between the stations of Bletchley and Wolverton, both of which are also within Milton Keynes. The station is served by...
to London Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
. Alternatively, the First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
service from Flitwick
Flitwick
Flitwick, pronounced , is a small town and civil parish in Central Bedfordshire, England. The nearby River Flit runs through Flitwick Moor, a nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.-Location:...
runs to St. Pancras.
Although its population is small for a town (2,246 according to the 2001 census), many inhabitants still refer to it as a village, but the civil parish council has officially declared it a town. Its population and consequently its housing stock continue to grow and it may coalesce with Milton Keynes as the latter expands to meet it (though Milton Keynes Partnership denies this in its expansion plans for Milton Keynes
Expansion plans for Milton Keynes
In January 2004, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced the United Kingdom government's Expansion plans for Milton KeynesHe proposed that the population of Milton Keynes should double in the subsequent 20 years...
: it regards the Varsity Line
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
as the firm southern boundary of Milton Keynes). Milton Keynes Council envisage further housing development and a new Science Park on Woodley's Farm, south of the railway.