Wavendon

Wavendon is a village and civil parish[2] in the south east of the Milton Keynes urban area, in Buckinghamshire, England.

Wavendon

Church of St Mary, Wavendon
Wavendon
Mapping © OpenStreetMap
Wavendon
Location within Buckinghamshire
Population787 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSP910371
Civil parish
  • Wavendon
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMILTON KEYNES
Postcode districtMK17
Dialling code01908
PoliceThames Valley
FireBuckinghamshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament

History and geography

The village name is an Old English language word, and means 'Wafa's hill'. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 969 the village was recorded as Wafandun. The ancient village lies just outside the 1967 designated area of Milton Keynes . The ecclesiastic parish of Wavendon anciently contained the hamlet of Woburn Sands (originally known as 'Hogsty End,[3] Wavendon'), which became a separate civil parish in 1907. The parishes are separated by the Marston Vale line.

The Stables

The village is best known today for being the location of the Stables Theatre live music venue, and the "Wavendon All-music Plan" music summer schools. The venue is the brainchild of the late Sir John Dankworth and his wife, Dame Cleo Laine (who continues to live in the village).

Wavendon Tower
See also: Gustav Siegfried Eins

Wavendon Tower is a large country house with substantial modern additions on the edge of the village. During the Second World War it was used as a recording studio for black propaganda.[4] From 1969 to the late 1970s, it was the base for the Milton Keynes Development Corporation. Until 2011 it was an operating centre for Scicon (subsequently EDS).[5] In 2012, Landar Limited, an automotive management consultancy, moved into Wavendon Tower.[6]

Expansion plans for Milton Keynes

In the 2004 expansion plans for Milton Keynes, it was proposed that Wavendon would become a part of the city and a neighbourhood centre, in a similar way to the other towns and villages that provided the roots of early Milton Keynes districts. However, following the 2010 general election, the new Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government cancelled the expansion plans of the outgoing Labour government. Consequently, it is not clear whether or when (if at all) the expansion plan will be realised.

In 2012, Milton Keynes Council approved the designated area within the scope of the Neighborhood Plan to be developed by the Parish Council.[7]

Since the 2011 National Census, the Office for National Statistics shows Wavendon as part of the Milton Keynes built-up area.[8]

Magna Park

Magna Park is a large distribution site on the part of Wavendon civil parish east of the A421 (and in the 'Eastern Expansion Area', one element of the expansion plans for Milton Keynes that has gone ahead. In 2012 its occupants included John Lewis and River Island, both of which have very large distribution centres. As of January 2020, AG Barr and Waitrose have joined them. The site is at the south-east edge of Milton Keynes, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from M1 Junction 13 or about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Junction 14 via Fenn Street, Broughton (former A5130). Access is from the A421.

Notable residents

Jazz artists John Dankworth and Cleo Laine shared a home in Wavendon from the late 1960s.[9] They founded The Stables Theatre, Wavendon in 1970 in what was the old stables block in the grounds of their home. It was an immediate success with forty seven concerts given in the first year. The venue was completely rebuilt in 2000, with a subsequent development in 2007 to create Stage 2. The venue now presents over 350 concerts and around 250 education events in its two auditoria; the 400 seat Jim Marshall Auditorium, and smaller studio space at Stage 2.

See also
  • Wavendon Gate district is in the adjacent parish of Walton.
  • Presles-en-Brie, France, is twinned with Wavendon

References
  1. Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 Census, Accessed 4 February 2013
  2. Parishes in Milton Keynes Archived 8 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine – Milton Keynes Council.
  3. "How 'Hogsty End' became 'Woburn Sands'". Milton Keynes Heritage Association. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  4. The Secret War in Milton Keynes – BBC Beds Herts and Bucks
  5. Wavendon Tower redevelopment – Scicon Connect
  6. "Wavendon Tower". www.landarltd.com. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  7. "Wavendon Neighbourhood Plan". 25 July 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  8. "Milton Keynes BUA Built-up area: Local Area Report (2011 Census)". ONS. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  9. "Sir John Dankworth – Obituary". Daily Telegraph. 7 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2012.

Media related to Wavendon at Wikimedia Commons

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