Edlesborough
Encyclopedia
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
in origin, and means 'Eadwulf's barrow'. It was listed in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as Eddinberge.
Included within the parish
border of Edlesborough are the hamlet
s of Dagnall
, Northall
and part of Ringshall
. Hudnall was transferred in 1885 to the parish of Little Gaddesden
in Hertfordshire
. "RAF
Edlesborough" was a radio station near Dagnall.
Edlesborough School is a community primary school, which takes children from the age of four through to the age of eleven. The school has approximately 250 pupils. The nearest secondary school
is The Cottesloe School in Wing
.
The village was once a centre for the straw plait industry.
, since Edlesborough parish was merged with Eaton Bray in 1975.
The earliest parts of the church date from the 13th century. A chantry
was added in 1338 and the tower in 1340—it is worth noting that the closeness of these construction dates indicates how rich Edlesborough parish was at the time.
Much of the church was altered in the 15th century, including the chantry, which has given the church a very 15th century feel.
On March 28, 1824, the tower was struck by lightning, which resulted in a fire that burned for 12 hours—the lead of the roof melted, and the molten lead caused everything it struck to catch fire. Thankfully the locals were skillful at fire fighting.
s were added to the choir stalls. These include carvings of a bat, a dragon and a mermaid. The misericord of the dragon also has some lovely frog carvings for its supporters. There are some exceptionally intersesting brasses.
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 is 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 adjacent to the village of Eaton Bray over the county boundary 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....
, about three miles WSW of Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
.
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 'Eadwulf's barrow'. It was listed 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 Eddinberge.
Included within 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...
border of Edlesborough are the 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...
s of Dagnall
Dagnall
Dagnall is a village in the parish of Edlesborough, in Buckinghamshire, England.The place name is derived from the Old English for "Daegga's Knoll". In manorial rolls of 1196 it was listed as Dagenhale....
, Northall
Northall
Northall is a hamlet in the parish of Edlesborough, in Buckinghamshire, England.This large hamlet straddles the A4146 road halfway between Edlesborough and Billington, Bedfordshire. It has one large Baptist chapel which is still in use. The hamlet has one public house 'The Swan'...
and part of Ringshall
Ringshall, Buckinghamshire
Ringshall is a hamlet in the Chiltern Hills of England. Parts of it lie in the parishes of Edlesborough and Ivinghoe in Buckinghamshire, but it is now mainly in the parish of Little Gaddesden in Hertfordshire...
. Hudnall was transferred in 1885 to the parish of Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire three miles north of Berkhamsted. As well as Little Gaddesden village , the parish contains the settlements of Ashridge , Hudnall , and part of Ringshall .Part of the parish was formerly in Buckinghamshire...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. "RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Edlesborough" was a radio station near Dagnall.
Edlesborough School is a community primary school, which takes children from the age of four through to the age of eleven. The school has approximately 250 pupils. The nearest secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
is The Cottesloe School in Wing
Wing, Buckinghamshire
Wing is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. The village is on the main A418 road between Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard...
.
The village was once a centre for the straw plait industry.
The Green
For sport it has two football pitches, one enclosed tennis court and a cricket square. There is a small playing area for children. The Green is very beautiful on a summers day filled with families.St Mary the Virgin
The old parish church of St Mary the Virgin, is now in the hands of the Churches Conservation TrustChurches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
, since Edlesborough parish was merged with Eaton Bray in 1975.
The earliest parts of the church date from the 13th century. A chantry
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
was added in 1338 and the tower in 1340—it is worth noting that the closeness of these construction dates indicates how rich Edlesborough parish was at the time.
Much of the church was altered in the 15th century, including the chantry, which has given the church a very 15th century feel.
On March 28, 1824, the tower was struck by lightning, which resulted in a fire that burned for 12 hours—the lead of the roof melted, and the molten lead caused everything it struck to catch fire. Thankfully the locals were skillful at fire fighting.
Furniture
The 15th century rood screen and pulpit with tester are of great interest, as are the wooden roofs of the same date. During the 15th century updates, six misericordMisericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s were added to the choir stalls. These include carvings of a bat, a dragon and a mermaid. The misericord of the dragon also has some lovely frog carvings for its supporters. There are some exceptionally intersesting brasses.