Winslow, Buckinghamshire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Winslow
Winslow, Buckinghamshire (Buckinghamshire)
Winslow, Buckinghamshire

Winslow shown within Buckinghamshire
Population 4,519 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference SP7627
Parish Winslow
District Aylesbury Vale
Shire county Buckinghamshire
Region South East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BUCKINGHAM
Postcode district MK18
Dialling code 01296
Police Thames Valley
Fire Buckinghamshire
Ambulance South Central
European Parliament South East England
UK Parliament Buckingham
List of places: UKEnglandBuckinghamshire

Coordinates: 51°56′25″N 0°53′13″W / 51.940305, -0.887017

Winslow is a small market town in north Buckinghamshire, in the centre of the Vale of Aylesbury. It has a population of about 4500.[citation needed]

The town was first recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 795 as Wineshlauu, which translated into modern English means Wine's Mound. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded as Weneslai.

One of the finest buildings in Buckinghamshire is situated in this small town. Winslow Hall, which sits on the main road leading into the town from Aylesbury, is thought to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren circa 1700, in his latter days twenty-five years after he designed St Paul's Cathedral in London. The building, while smaller than some other local mansions, is magnificently designed nonetheless.

Today the town has grown to house the expanding population, but the small town hasn't lost any of its quaint rural charm. The 11th century parish church in High Street is dedicated to St Laurence, and is twinned with St Paul’s Church in Winslow, Arizona.[1]

The church has a ring of 8 bells with the heaviest weighing in at 19cwt.

Winslow Bells back at Church
Winslow Bells back at Church

The town formerly had its own railway station on the "Varsity Line" (Oxford/Cambridge), with a spur to Aylesbury (from Verney Junction). The trackbed remains in place and, when reopened, will facilitate more sustainable commuting to Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Oxford.

The Whaddon Chase fox hunt has traditionally met in the Town Square at Winslow every Boxing Day for many years. The occasion is very well attended with over a thousand people visiting the town on Boxing Day each year. The Brass Band from the nearby village of Great Horwood playing Christmas carols are always in attendance.

Winslow United F.C. is based here.

Winslow is home to Furze Down School for children with special educational needs, who are between 5 and 19 years old. The town is also served by Winslow Church of England Combined School, which is a mixed, voluntary controlled, primary school, that takes children from the age of four through to the age of eleven. The school has approximately 520 pupils. The catchment secondary schools for Winslow children are Buckingham School and the Royal Latin School in nearby Buckingham, and The Cottesloe School in Wing.[2]

Winslow has been twinned with Cours La Ville, France, since 1980.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Benefice Profile. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
  2. ^ Catchment area maps. Buckinghamshire County Council. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
  3. ^ Winslow Anglo French Twinning Association. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.

[edit] External links