Adstock
Encyclopedia
Adstock is a village and civil parish about 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Winslow
and 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Buckingham
in the Aylesbury Vale
district of Buckinghamshire
. The 2001 Census
recorded a parish population of 415.
In the divisions of England that took place between AD 613 and 1017, Buckinghamshire
was divided into eight hundreds. The manor of Adstock originally formed part of the Votesdune Hundred, then merged into the Ashendon Hundred and was finally absorbed into the Buckingham Hundred. At that time it was surrounded by the Bernwood
, one of the most important Royal Forests. At the end of the 10th century, Adstock formed a portion of the Lands of Godwine, Earl of Kent and his second wife Gytha Thorkelsdóttir
.
After the Norman conquest of England
, its name was recorded in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as Edestoche which is Old English and means Eadda's Farm. Nearby Addington
was named after the same person.
In the mid to late 11th century the manor of Adstock was given by William the Conqueror to his illegitimate son William Peverel
, who was listed as its owner in 1086. This suggests that the manor was of some value, or that its previous owner was of some prominence in Anglo Saxon
society.
The village received a charter to establish itself as a town briefly in 1665 so that a market could be held there. This was due to the majority of the people from the two local towns of Winslow
and Buckingham
being infected with bubonic plague
. The charter was removed, however, in 1685 and Adstock was reinstated as a village rather than a town.
The parish church, which dates from the 12th century, is dedicated to St Cecilia
. The roof is dated 1597, and the church underwent further major restoration during the Victorian era
. There are two bells (the lightest of which dates back from about 1440) in the church and one Sanctus
Adstock had an outstation from the Bletchley Park
codebreaking establishment, where some of the Bombe
s used to decode German Enigma
messages in World War Two were located.
Winslow, Buckinghamshire
Winslow is a small market town and also a civil parish designated as a town council within Aylesbury Vale district in north Buckinghamshire. It has a population of about 4500....
and 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
in the 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 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....
. The 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
recorded a parish population of 415.
In the divisions of England that took place between AD 613 and 1017, 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....
was divided into eight hundreds. The manor of Adstock originally formed part of the Votesdune Hundred, then merged into the Ashendon Hundred and was finally absorbed into the Buckingham Hundred. At that time it was surrounded by the Bernwood
Bernwood Forest
Bernwood was one of several forests of the ancient kingdom of England and was a Royal hunting forest. It is thought to have been set aside as Royal hunting land when the Anglo-Saxon kings had a palace at Brill in the 10th century and was a particularly favoured place of Edward the Confessor, who...
, one of the most important Royal Forests. At the end of the 10th century, Adstock formed a portion of the Lands of Godwine, Earl of Kent and his second wife Gytha Thorkelsdóttir
Gytha Thorkelsdóttir
Gytha Thorkelsdottir , also called Githa, was the daughter of Thorgil Sprakling . She married the Anglo-Saxon nobleman Godwin of Wessex....
.
After the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
, its name 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 Edestoche which is Old English and means Eadda's Farm. Nearby Addington
Addington, Buckinghamshire
Addington is a village and civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, about west of Winslow and south east of Buckingham. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 145....
was named after the same person.
In the mid to late 11th century the manor of Adstock was given by William the Conqueror to his illegitimate son William Peverel
William Peverel
William Peverell , was a Norman knight, and is shown in 'The Battle Abbey Roll' to have fought at the Battle of Hastings.-Biography:...
, who was listed as its owner in 1086. This suggests that the manor was of some value, or that its previous owner was of some prominence in Anglo 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...
society.
The village received a charter to establish itself as a town briefly in 1665 so that a market could be held there. This was due to the majority of the people from the two local towns of Winslow
Winslow, Buckinghamshire
Winslow is a small market town and also a civil parish designated as a town council within Aylesbury Vale district in north Buckinghamshire. It has a population of about 4500....
and Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
being infected with bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
. The charter was removed, however, in 1685 and Adstock was reinstated as a village rather than a town.
The parish church, which dates from the 12th century, is dedicated to St Cecilia
Saint Cecilia
Saint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God. It is also written that as the musicians played at her wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord". St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican,...
. The roof is dated 1597, and the church underwent further major restoration during the Victorian era
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...
. There are two bells (the lightest of which dates back from about 1440) in the church and one Sanctus
Adstock had an outstation from the Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
codebreaking establishment, where some of the Bombe
Bombe
The bombe was an electromechanical device used by British cryptologists to help decipher German Enigma-machine-encrypted signals during World War II...
s used to decode German Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
messages in World War Two were located.