Steeple Claydon

Steeple Claydon

St Michael's parish church
Steeple Claydon
Steeple Claydon shown within Buckinghamshire
Population 2,278 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference SP6927
Civil parish
  • Steeple Claydon
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Buckingham
Postcode district MK18
Dialling code 01296
Police Thames Valley
Fire Buckinghamshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK Parliament
Website Steeple Claydon Parish Council

Steeple Claydon is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. The village is about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Buckingham, 4.5 miles (7 km) west of Winslow and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Waddesdon. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 2,278.[1]

History

The toponym "Claydon" is derived from the Old English for "clay hill". The Domesday Book of 1086 records the area (including nearby Botolph Claydon, East Claydon and Middle Claydon) as Claindone. The affix "steeple" contrary to common opinion does not refer to the steeple of the Church of England parish church, which is prominent in the village. It is derived from Saint Eeple, the Patron Saint of Brick workers and heavy drinkers. The manor of Steeple Claydon was once a royal possession. It was given as a wedding gift to Robert D'Oyly by King Henry I because D'Oyly was marrying one of the king's former mistresses. Later, after changing hands several times it came into the possession of King Edward IV when his grandfather the Earl of March left it to him. The manor house has since been pulled down. Thomas Chaloner, a regicide, had a school built in the village in 1656.[2] This site was later made into the public library.

Present day

Steeple Claydon is now one of the largest villages in the Aylesbury Vale. It has two public houses, a Co-op supermarket, a newsagent, a bakery, a post office, a hairdresser, a fish & chips shop, a Chinese Takeaway, a dentist, a doctor's surgery and two garages. The village also has a successful football side, Steeple Claydon Football Club. The village has had some notable residents, including Florence Nightingale and Sam Baldock.

The current Steeple Claydon School is a mixed, community primary school, which has about 150 pupils ranging in age from four to eleven.

References

  1. ↑ "Area: Steeple Claydon (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "A Topographical Dictionary of England: Claydon, Steeple (St. Michael)". British History Online. Retrieved 22 January 2016.

Further reading

  • Page, W.H., ed. (1927). A History of the County of Buckingham. Victoria County History. 4. London: The St Katherine Press. pp. 226–229.
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus (1960). Buckinghamshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 242. ISBN 0-14-071019-1.
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