Flackwell Heath
Encyclopedia
Flackwell Heath is a village
in the civil parish of Chepping Wycombe
on the outskirts of High Wycombe
, Buckinghamshire
England
. It is at an elevation of about 150m as it sits on the top of one of the Chiltern Hills
. It has a population of around 6000.
orchards, "a place of annual resort and festivity during the cherry season" with many cherry pickers travelling from London for the annual event. This is now commemorated in the name of a pub, the Carrington school emblem and in road names. The area covered by Flackwell Heath was once four villages; Flackwell Heath, North-End Woods, Heath End and Sedgemoor. However, housing developments, particularly post-1945, meant the four eventually formed one large village: Flackwell Heath. Today, the road names Northern Woods, Sedgemoor Road, Sedgemoor Lane and Heath End Road are still found in the village, perhaps suggesting that the "original Flackwell Heath" could be defined as being between Green Dragon Lane and Treadaway Road, encompassing Churchill Close, Chapman Lane, Chiltern View, Straight Bit, Links Road, Links Approach, The Fairway, Greenlands, Highlands, Jennings Field, Strathcona Close, Norlands Drive and The Common. However, this is simply estimation.
The original villagers were in the main farm workers, but some bargemen and mill workers also lived in the village. In the late 19th century, industrial mill workers became more commonplace in the village, and the first furniture makers and workers began to settle too, with Flackwell Heath's close proximity to High Wycombe
- well known for the Chair and Furniture industry.
supermarket being the largest of these. Flackwell Heath has many other shops including takeaway establishments. There are two Indian takeaways, Frackle Fryers, a fish and chips shop, and a Chinese takeaway. There are various convenience stores including Unit 4 and Fair Price Food And News, both of which stock newspapers, magazines and a selection of drinks and snacks. The village is also home to Express Videos, a DVD rental store.
Although Flackwell Heath previously had six public houses in the village, The Magpie has recently been demolished and The Green Man now permanentely closed. The other four pubs are called The Cherry Tree, The Green Dragon, The Three Horseshoes and The Stag, and are found all in the space of just over a mile.
A golf course
dating from the 1920s is located on the village outskirts. There is also a football club
, who play at Wilkes Park. Other features of the village include a water tower, war memorial and recreation ground.
As of 28 July 2005 there was a new landmark in the village, a wind turbine
situated in the playing field of Carrington Junior School. The turbine generates around a third of the school's energy.
designed by Patrick Reyntiens
. A community centre
is situated in the village centre, and has notably been made use of for the Scout
's 2006 Christmas
Pantomime
, "Treasure Island
", the 2007 pantomime, "Robin Hood
", "Cinderella
" in 2008 and most recently, "Dick Whittington" in 2009. The Scout Pantomimes were "enjoyed by all". The Community Centre is also home to an 'indoor boot sale' has been held every Sunday during Winter for the past few years, attracting many to the village. It is also used as a polling station for general elections.
There is an annual firework display on the weekend nearest the 5th of November in the Carrington School Playing field
, next to the 1st Flackwell Heath Scout's HQ (it was previously held on the recreation ground), which features two firework displays and several food and drink stores. A village Fête
is held every year on the recreation ground has recently been revived as the 'Cherry Fayre'. Every year, this celebration has a different theme - one such theme being Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
There is a large wood (Fennels Wood), which runs alongside a large part of Flackwell Heath and consists mainly of Beech
trees. It also has an area where people ride their bicycles, this is locally known as 'The Dells'. The wood hit the news in September 2006, as it was briefly closed off, due to a suspicious find relating to the transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot.
House prices are relatively high in Flackwell Heath due its closeness both to London
and pleasant rural areas.
, based in Spring Lane in the buildings of the former secondary school. The village is also in the catchment area of several Grammar School
s, such as John Hampden Grammar School
for boys and Wycombe High School
for girls, which are both situated 3 miles from the centre of the village.
from junction 3 to 4 runs through the middle of Fennels Wood.
Flackwell Heath was once served by the High Wycombe to Bourne End railway line, via Loudwater railway station
at the bottom of Treadaway Hill. The line and station was closed in 1970 although you can walk along the disused railway line through Fennels Wood.
Carousel Buses
operate a council contracted bus service from Flackwell Heath to the nearest town of High Wycombe
. This service was launched in 2008 when a petition for its introduction received over 1,000 signatures following the withdrawal of a commercially operated Arriva Shires & Essex
route.
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...
in the civil parish of Chepping Wycombe
Chepping Wycombe
Chepping Wycombe is a civil parish within Wycombe district in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire. The parish includes the three large villages of Tylers Green, Loudwater and Flackwell Heath...
on the outskirts of High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, 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 at an elevation of about 150m as it sits on the top of one 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:...
. It has a population of around 6000.
History
The name 'Flackwell' is of dubious origin but may describe the source of a stream which once started in this area. The heath was once covered with cherryCherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
orchards, "a place of annual resort and festivity during the cherry season" with many cherry pickers travelling from London for the annual event. This is now commemorated in the name of a pub, the Carrington school emblem and in road names. The area covered by Flackwell Heath was once four villages; Flackwell Heath, North-End Woods, Heath End and Sedgemoor. However, housing developments, particularly post-1945, meant the four eventually formed one large village: Flackwell Heath. Today, the road names Northern Woods, Sedgemoor Road, Sedgemoor Lane and Heath End Road are still found in the village, perhaps suggesting that the "original Flackwell Heath" could be defined as being between Green Dragon Lane and Treadaway Road, encompassing Churchill Close, Chapman Lane, Chiltern View, Straight Bit, Links Road, Links Approach, The Fairway, Greenlands, Highlands, Jennings Field, Strathcona Close, Norlands Drive and The Common. However, this is simply estimation.
The original villagers were in the main farm workers, but some bargemen and mill workers also lived in the village. In the late 19th century, industrial mill workers became more commonplace in the village, and the first furniture makers and workers began to settle too, with Flackwell Heath's close proximity to High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
- well known for the Chair and Furniture industry.
Amenities
The village has several shops, the BudgensBudgens
Budgens Stores Ltd is a chain of foodstores in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1872 by John Budgen, who opened the first store at Maidenhead, Berkshire. Budgens supermarket chain operates over 227 stores and employs over 6,000 staff...
supermarket being the largest of these. Flackwell Heath has many other shops including takeaway establishments. There are two Indian takeaways, Frackle Fryers, a fish and chips shop, and a Chinese takeaway. There are various convenience stores including Unit 4 and Fair Price Food And News, both of which stock newspapers, magazines and a selection of drinks and snacks. The village is also home to Express Videos, a DVD rental store.
Although Flackwell Heath previously had six public houses in the village, The Magpie has recently been demolished and The Green Man now permanentely closed. The other four pubs are called The Cherry Tree, The Green Dragon, The Three Horseshoes and The Stag, and are found all in the space of just over a mile.
A golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
dating from the 1920s is located on the village outskirts. There is also a football club
Flackwell Heath F.C.
Flackwell Heath F.C. is a football club based in Flackwell Heath, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. They were established in 1907 and joined the Hellenic League in the 1976-77 season. They have reached the third round of the FA Vase twice in their history...
, who play at Wilkes Park. Other features of the village include a water tower, war memorial and recreation ground.
As of 28 July 2005 there was a new landmark in the village, a wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
situated in the playing field of Carrington Junior School. The turbine generates around a third of the school's energy.
Community
There is a Methodist Church and the recently extended Christ Church, which includes stained glassStained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
designed by Patrick Reyntiens
Patrick Reyntiens
Patrick Reyntiens, OBE, is an English stained glass artist.He is notable for his work on Liverpool's Roman Catholic Cathedral and on the new Coventry Cathedral in collaboration with the artist John Piper...
. A community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
is situated in the village centre, and has notably been made use of for the Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
's 2006 Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
, "Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
", the 2007 pantomime, "Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
", "Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
" in 2008 and most recently, "Dick Whittington" in 2009. The Scout Pantomimes were "enjoyed by all". The Community Centre is also home to an 'indoor boot sale' has been held every Sunday during Winter for the past few years, attracting many to the village. It is also used as a polling station for general elections.
There is an annual firework display on the weekend nearest the 5th of November in the Carrington School Playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
, next to the 1st Flackwell Heath Scout's HQ (it was previously held on the recreation ground), which features two firework displays and several food and drink stores. A village Fête
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
is held every year on the recreation ground has recently been revived as the 'Cherry Fayre'. Every year, this celebration has a different theme - one such theme being Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham...
There is a large wood (Fennels Wood), which runs alongside a large part of Flackwell Heath and consists mainly of Beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
trees. It also has an area where people ride their bicycles, this is locally known as 'The Dells'. The wood hit the news in September 2006, as it was briefly closed off, due to a suspicious find relating to the transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot.
House prices are relatively high in Flackwell Heath due its closeness both to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and pleasant rural areas.
Education
There are three primary schools in the village, Juniper Hill, Carrington Junior School and Carrington Infant School. Flackwell Heath is also home to the Wycombe campus of Amersham & Wycombe CollegeAmersham & Wycombe College
Amersham & Wycombe College is a further education college situated in Buckinghamshire, England.The college consists of three campuses; the primary site being located in Amersham, with two smaller additional campuses located in neighbouring towns of High Wycombe and Chesham.A training centre also...
, based in Spring Lane in the buildings of the former secondary school. The village is also in the catchment area of several Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s, such as John Hampden Grammar School
John Hampden Grammar School
John Hampden Grammar School is a boys' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after politician and English Civil War participant John Hampden.-History:...
for boys and Wycombe High School
Wycombe High School
Wycombe High School is a girls' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. It is an Academy, taking girls from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,340 pupils...
for girls, which are both situated 3 miles from the centre of the village.
Transportation
The M40M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
from junction 3 to 4 runs through the middle of Fennels Wood.
Flackwell Heath was once served by the High Wycombe to Bourne End railway line, via Loudwater railway station
Loudwater railway station
Loudwater railway station was a railway station that served Loudwater, Buckinghamshire on the Oxford to Maidenhead line.-History:Loudwater station was located at the bottom of Treadaway Hill just past the present M40 bridge. Opened in 1854 and the station became a halt in 1968 because of a...
at the bottom of Treadaway Hill. The line and station was closed in 1970 although you can walk along the disused railway line through Fennels Wood.
Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses is an independent bus company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England which operates a network of local and inter-urban bus services.-History:Carousel Buses was formed in 2000...
operate a council contracted bus service from Flackwell Heath to the nearest town of High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
. This service was launched in 2008 when a petition for its introduction received over 1,000 signatures following the withdrawal of a commercially operated Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
route.
Famous residents (past and present)
- Nicola BlackwoodNicola BlackwoodNicola Claire Blackwood is a Conservative Party politician. She was elected as Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon in the 2010 election.-Political career:...
– MP for Oxford West and Abingdon