Ellesborough
Encyclopedia
Ellesborough is a village and civil parish in Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire
, England
. The village is at the foot of the Chiltern Hills
just to the south of the Vale of Aylesbury, two miles from Wendover
and five miles from Aylesbury
. It lies between Wendover and the village of Little Kimble. Ellesborough is also a civil parish with a population of 820 in Wycombe district and in addition to the village itself, Ellesborough parish also comprises the hamlets of Butlers Cross
, Terrick
and Dunsmore
. Close to Ellesborough is the location of the Prime Minister's
country residence Chequers
The village toponym
is derived from the Old English for "hill where asses are pastured". This denotes its importance to the nearby settlements known today as The Kimbles and collectively they comprise a typical Chiltern strip parish with Ellesborough containing valuable hill pasture. In the Domesday Book
of 1086 it was recorded as Esenberge. The road from Wendover
to Princes Risborough
, which makes a very clearly defined detour around the hill on which Ellesborough Church stands, follows the route of the Icknield Way
, an ancient trackway used by man in the neolithic age (3000 to 1800 BC) which ran from Norfolk to Avebury in Wiltshire.
The Church of England parish church
of Saints Peter and Paul
stands apart from the village, high on the hill overlooking it. Prime Ministers have normally attended this church for Sunday morning worship when in residence at Chequers. Tony Blair
, however, followed his wife and children to their Roman Catholic church in Great Missenden
. Margaret Thatcher
was famously known to have prayed at Ellesborough church, finding comfort during the Falklands War
.
Towering over the village is the dominating Beacon Hill
, with its grassy mound and lone tree, iconic amongst the Chiltern Hills when viewed from within the Aylesbury Vale. It is also the site of Cymbeline's Mount, referred to in the Shakespeare play Cymbeline. In reality, the name refers to the British King Cunobelinus
who, alongside his sons, is said to have battled at this site against the Roman Invasion of the British Isles. It is the site of a medieval motte and bailey
castle.
Notable people who live in the village include former Formula One
world champion racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart
and the actor Sir David Jason
.
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...
. The village is at the foot of the Chiltern Hills
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
just to the south of the Vale of Aylesbury, two miles from Wendover
Wendover
Wendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...
and five miles from 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...
. It lies between Wendover and the village of Little Kimble. Ellesborough is also a civil parish with a population of 820 in Wycombe district and in addition to the village itself, Ellesborough parish also comprises the hamlets of Butlers Cross
Butlers Cross
Butlers Cross is a hamlet within the parish of Ellesborough, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located south of the main parish, on the crossroads between the road from Ellesborough to Little Kimble, and the road from Terrick to Chequers....
, Terrick
Terrick
Terrick is a hamlet in the parish of Ellesborough, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the north of the parish, where the lane leading to Chequers meets the main road from Stoke Mandeville to Little Kimble....
and Dunsmore
Dunsmore, Buckinghamshire
Dunsmore is a hamlet in the parish of Ellesborough, in Buckinghamshire, England. It occupies a hilltop position in the Chiltern Hills about 2 miles south of Wendover...
. Close to Ellesborough is the location of the Prime Minister's
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
country residence Chequers
Chequers
Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
The village toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
is derived from the Old English for "hill where asses are pastured". This denotes its importance to the nearby settlements known today as The Kimbles and collectively they comprise a typical Chiltern strip parish with Ellesborough containing valuable hill pasture. 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 it was recorded as Esenberge. The road from Wendover
Wendover
Wendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...
to Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough is a small town in Buckinghamshire, England, about 9 miles south of Aylesbury and 8 miles north west of High Wycombe. Bledlow lies to the west and Monks Risborough to the east. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, at the north end of a gap or pass through the Chilterns,...
, which makes a very clearly defined detour around the hill on which Ellesborough Church stands, follows the route of the Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
, an ancient trackway used by man in the neolithic age (3000 to 1800 BC) which ran from Norfolk to Avebury in Wiltshire.
The Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saints Peter and Paul
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June...
stands apart from the village, high on the hill overlooking it. Prime Ministers have normally attended this church for Sunday morning worship when in residence at Chequers. Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, however, followed his wife and children to their Roman Catholic church in Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
. Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
was famously known to have prayed at Ellesborough church, finding comfort during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
Towering over the village is the dominating Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill is a name shared by many hills, suburbs, villages and other places around the world. Many are so called because they were historically the site of a warning beacon. Others are named after other places of the same name.-In the United Kingdom:...
, with its grassy mound and lone tree, iconic amongst the Chiltern Hills when viewed from within the Aylesbury Vale. It is also the site of Cymbeline's Mount, referred to in the Shakespeare play Cymbeline. In reality, the name refers to the British King Cunobelinus
Cunobelinus
Cunobeline or Cunobelinus was a historical king in pre-Roman Britain, known from passing mentions by classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and from his many inscribed coins...
who, alongside his sons, is said to have battled at this site against the Roman Invasion of the British Isles. It is the site of a medieval motte and bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
castle.
Notable people who live in the village include former Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
world champion racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart
Sir John Young Stewart, OBE , better known as Jackie Stewart, and nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish former racing driver and team owner. He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships. He also competed in Can-Am...
and the actor Sir David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
.