Stowe, Buckinghamshire
Encyclopedia
Stowe is a civil parish and former village about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Buckingham
in the Aylesbury Vale
district of Buckinghamshire
, England
. The parish includes the hamlets of Boycott
, Dadford
and Lamport
.
Stowe House
, a Grade I listed country house is in the parish and is occupied by Stowe School
.
A corner of the Silverstone Circuit
has been named after Stowe.
probably refers to an ancient holy place of great significance in Anglo-Saxon times. The manor
of Stowe predates the Norman conquest of England
. The Domesday Book
of 1086 assessed the manor at five hides
. It listed William the Conqueror's
half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux as the manor's feudal
overlord and the Norman brothers-in-arms Robert D'Oyly
and Roger d'Ivry
as his tenants. D'Oyly had founded Oxford Castle
and he and d'Ivry had founded a college of secular canons there. Not long after 1086 the manor of Stowe was transferred to the college's endowment, confirmed by a charter of Henry I
in 1130.
By 1150 the Augustinian
Osney Abbey
had absorbed the college, and in 1278-79 it held three hides at Stowe. Osney Abbey retained Stowe until it was forced to surrender all its estates to the Crown in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in 1539. In 1542 the Diocese of Oxford
was instituted and Osney Abbey was consecrated as its first cathedral. The Abbey's former estates, including Stowe, formed the bishopric's endowment.
In 1590 John Underhill
, Bishop of Oxford
conveyed Stowe to Elizabeth I
, who in the same year granted it to new secular owners. They sold it to John Temple of Burton Dasset in Warwickshire
, whose grandson Sir Peter Temple, 2nd Baronet
enclosed
a deer park
at Stowe in 1651. The village was probably abandoned at this time. The estate remained in the Temple-Grenville family until 1921, when it was sold by the Reverend Luis C. F. T. Morgan-Grenville (1889-1944). Stowe School
was founded here in 1923.
of the Assumption of Saint Mary the Virgin
is in Henry I's charter of 1130. The oldest part of the present building appears to be the late 13th century three-bay
arcade
between the nave
and the north aisle. The west tower was added in the first half of the 13th century, followed by the present chancel
in about 1350 and the south aisle and arcade in the latter part of the 14th century. Late in the 15th century both aisles were rebuilt and the Perpendicular Gothic nave clerestory
and south porch were added. In the 16th century the Perpendicular Gothic north chapel was added, with an arcade of two bays between it and the chancel.
In the 17th century a ring
of five bells was hung in the bell tower
. Three were cast in 1654 by James Keene, who had foundries at Woodstock, Oxfordshire
and Bedford
. Another was cast by Richard Keene in 1660 and the tenor by Richard Keene in 1665. In 1988 a new treble bell was cast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
, increasing the ring to six. There is also a sanctus bell dating from about 1799.
, Stowe House is now occupied by Stowe School
. The landscaped gardens, including its many monuments, were acquired by the National Trust
in 1990, and are open to the public. The National Trust is currently overseeing a complete restoration programme of the grounds, temples and follies
.
, the Bollywood
film Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Proof of Life
, Stardust (2007), and The World Is Not Enough
in the James Bond series.
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....
, 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 parish includes the hamlets of Boycott
Boycott, Buckinghamshire
Boycott is a hamlet in the parish of Stowe in north Buckinghamshire, England.Boycott was originally an Anglo Saxon settlement. Its name came from Anglo-Saxon Boiacot = either "Boia's Cottage" or "the cottage of the boys or servants"...
, Dadford
Dadford
Dadford is a hamlet in the parish of Stowe in north Buckinghamshire, England.The hamlet name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means Dodda's Ford in modern English...
and Lamport
Lamport, Buckinghamshire
Lamport was a hamlet in the parish of Stowe in north Buckinghamshire, England. It was cleared by the Temple family, as a result of enclosures, after 1739, to improve the amenity value of their new park at Stowe...
.
Stowe House
Stowe House
Stowe House is a Grade I listed country house located in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is the home of Stowe School, an independent school. The gardens , a significant example of the English Landscape Garden style, along with part of the Park, passed into the ownership of The National Trust...
, a Grade I listed country house is in the parish and is occupied by Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
.
A corner of the Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
has been named after Stowe.
Manor
Stowe's toponymToponymy
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...
probably refers to an ancient holy place of great significance in Anglo-Saxon times. The manor
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...
of Stowe predates 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...
. 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 assessed the manor at five hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
. It listed William the Conqueror's
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux as the manor's feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
overlord and the Norman brothers-in-arms Robert D'Oyly
Robert D'Oyly
Robert D'Oyly was a Norman nobleman who accompanied William the Conqueror on the Norman Conquest, his invasion of England. He died in 1091.-Background:Robert was the son of Walter D'Oyly and elder brother to Nigel D'Oyly...
and Roger d'Ivry
Roger d'Ivry
Roger d'Ivry or d'Ivri was an 11th century nobleman from Ivry-la-Bataille in Normandy. He took part in William of Normandy's conquest of England in 1066 and founded the Abbey of Notre-Dame-d'Ivry in 1071...
as his tenants. D'Oyly had founded Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined Norman medieval castle situated on the west edge of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. The original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced with stone in the 11th century and played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy...
and he and d'Ivry had founded a college of secular canons there. Not long after 1086 the manor of Stowe was transferred to the college's endowment, confirmed by a charter of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
in 1130.
By 1150 the Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford station. It was founded as a priory in 1129, becoming an...
had absorbed the college, and in 1278-79 it held three hides at Stowe. Osney Abbey retained Stowe until it was forced to surrender all its estates to the Crown in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1539. In 1542 the Diocese of Oxford
Diocese of Oxford
-History:The Diocese of Oxford was created in 1541 out of part of the Diocese of Lincoln.In 1836 the Archdeaconry of Berkshire was transferred from the Diocese of Salisbury to Oxford...
was instituted and Osney Abbey was consecrated as its first cathedral. The Abbey's former estates, including Stowe, formed the bishopric's endowment.
In 1590 John Underhill
John Underhill (bishop)
John Underhill was an English academic, involved in controversy, and later bishop of Oxford.-Life:He was born about 1545 at the Cross Inn, Cornmarket, Oxford. He entered Winchester College in 1556, and was elected a fellow of New College, Oxford, on 27 October 1561, being admitted B.A. on 11...
, Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
conveyed Stowe to Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, who in the same year granted it to new secular owners. They sold it to John Temple of Burton Dasset in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, whose grandson Sir Peter Temple, 2nd Baronet
Sir Peter Temple, 2nd Baronet
Sir Peter Temple, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653. He was a Parliamentarian in the English Civil War....
enclosed
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
a deer park
Medieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
at Stowe in 1651. The village was probably abandoned at this time. The estate remained in the Temple-Grenville family until 1921, when it was sold by the Reverend Luis C. F. T. Morgan-Grenville (1889-1944). Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
was founded here in 1923.
Parish church
The earliest known mention of the Church of England parish churchChurch 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 the Assumption of Saint Mary the Virgin
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
is in Henry I's charter of 1130. The oldest part of the present building appears to be the late 13th century three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
between the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and the north aisle. The west tower was added in the first half of the 13th century, followed by the present chancel
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...
in about 1350 and the south aisle and arcade in the latter part of the 14th century. Late in the 15th century both aisles were rebuilt and the Perpendicular Gothic nave clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
and south porch were added. In the 16th century the Perpendicular Gothic north chapel was added, with an arcade of two bays between it and the chancel.
In the 17th century a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of five bells was hung in the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. Three were cast in 1654 by James Keene, who had foundries at Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
and Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
. Another was cast by Richard Keene in 1660 and the tenor by Richard Keene in 1665. In 1988 a new treble bell was cast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
, increasing the ring to six. There is also a sanctus bell dating from about 1799.
Stowe House
Formerly the country seat of the Dukes of Buckingham and ChandosViscount Cobham
Viscount Cobham is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1718 for Field Marshal Richard Temple, 1st Baron Cobham and 4th Baronet, of Stowe...
, Stowe House is now occupied by Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
. The landscaped gardens, including its many monuments, were acquired by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1990, and are open to the public. The National Trust is currently overseeing a complete restoration programme of the grounds, temples and follies
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
.
Stowe in film
Because of its picturesque surroundings Stowe has been the setting for many films, including Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
, the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Proof of Life
Proof of Life
Proof of Life is a 2000 American film, directed by Taylor Hackford. The title refers to a phrase commonly used to indicate proof that a kidnap victim is still alive...
, Stardust (2007), and The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough is the nineteenth spy film in the James Bond film series, and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Michael Apted, with the original story and screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein. It...
in the James Bond series.