Loudwater
Encyclopedia
Loudwater is a hamlet
in the parish of Chepping Wycombe
in Buckinghamshire
, England
. It is located in the valley to the east of the main town
, on the A40
London Road.
nearby, that also flows through High Wycombe
. Its literal meaning is 'noisy water'. In manorial
records in 1241 the hamlet was referred to as La Ludewatere.
The brick built St Peter's Church dates from 1788 with a gothic style chancel
added in 1903 and further improvements in recent years, including new windows. On the London Road there is a Victorian mansion called Burleighfield House that was once the studio of the stained glass designer Patrick Reyntiens
.
There was once a blotting paper
mill in the valley and Loudwater had its own railway station on the Wycombe Railway
that opened in 1854 and closed in 1970.
Today there is little to distinguish the hamlet from the urban sprawl
of High Wycombe, though it is signed along the London Road. A 1744 milestone
can still be seen and there is also still a traditional village pub 'The Derehams Inn' in Derehams Lane.
supermarket, the world's largest envelope supplier,an industrial estate, a small retail park, a Brewers Fayre
motel
and also the office of the local newspaper, the Bucks Free Press
. The M40 motorway
crosses over the valley close to the village, and facilitates the eastbound only Junction 3, signposted as 'Wycombe East'.
Loudwater was once served by the High Wycombe to Bourne End railway line, the station being situated at the bottom of Treadaway Hill. The line and station closed in 1970.
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...
in the 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...
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 located in the valley to the east of the main town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
, on the A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
London Road.
History
The hamlet name refers to the River WyeRiver Wye, Buckinghamshire
The River Wye in Buckinghamshire is a river in England that rises in the Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire. It flows for around , through High Wycombe on its way down to Bourne End, where it meets the River Thames on the reach above Cookham Lock....
nearby, that also flows through 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...
. Its literal meaning is 'noisy water'. In manorial
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
records in 1241 the hamlet was referred to as La Ludewatere.
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
added in 1903 and further improvements in recent years, including new windows. On the London Road there is a Victorian mansion called Burleighfield House that was once the studio of the stained glass designer 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...
.
There was once a blotting paper
Blotting paper
Blotting paper is a highly absorbent type of paper or other material. It is used to absorb an excess of liquid substances from the surface of writing paper or objects. It is also commonly used as a beauty tool to absorb excess oil from the skin.-Manufacture:Blotting paper is made from different...
mill in the valley and Loudwater had its own railway station on the Wycombe Railway
Wycombe Railway
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to .-History:The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846...
that opened in 1854 and closed in 1970.
Today there is little to distinguish the hamlet from the urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
of High Wycombe, though it is signed along the London Road. A 1744 milestone
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
can still be seen and there is also still a traditional village pub 'The Derehams Inn' in Derehams Lane.
Features
Loudwater is home to several retail and industrial concerns - a large TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
supermarket, the world's largest envelope supplier,an industrial estate, a small retail park, a Brewers Fayre
Brewers Fayre
Brewers Fayre is a chain of around 125 licensed family and casual dining pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread.They are known for serving traditional British pub food, including gammon and steak & ale pie which are among the most popular choices. Nearly all Brewers Fayres are...
motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
and also the office of the local newspaper, the Bucks Free Press
Bucks Free Press
The Bucks Free Press is a weekly local newspaper, published every Friday and covering the area surrounding High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It was first published on 19 December 1856. Despite its title, it covers local news for the High Wycombe region only.The paper covers local news,...
. The M40 motorway
M40 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...
crosses over the valley close to the village, and facilitates the eastbound only Junction 3, signposted as 'Wycombe East'.
Loudwater was once served by the High Wycombe to Bourne End railway line, the station being situated at the bottom of Treadaway Hill. The line and station closed in 1970.