Boveney | |
---|---|
St Mary Magdalene Church, Boveney | |
Location within Buckinghamshire | |
OS grid reference | SU938777 |
Civil parish | |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Windsor |
Postcode district | SL4 |
Dialling code | 01753 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Buckinghamshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
UK Parliament | |
Boveney is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Dorney, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated near Windsor, between the villages of Eton Wick in Berkshire, and Dorney and Dorney Reach in Buckinghamshire. Since boundary changes in 1974 and 1995, Boveney is the southernmost village in Buckinghamshire. In 1931 the parish had a population of 630. [1]
The village name is Anglo-Saxon in origin and means "above island". This refers to the island in the River Thames next to the village. The Anglo-Saxon name for the village was Bufanege.
Boveney was once a hamlet within the parish of Burnham, though it has long since been considered a separate village, particularly since the urban growth of nearby Slough. It became a separate civil parish in 1866, having been a chapelry before, [2] and was part of Eton Rural District from 1894 to 1934. On 1 April 1934 the parish of Boveney was abolished, under a County Review Order, with the more urbanised part being added to Elton in Eton Urban District, and a larger, less populous part being added to the parish of Dorney. [3]
The Church of St Mary Magdalene is in a remote part of the village by the River Thames. In 1983 the church was declared redundant and vested in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches, who repair and conserve it for visitors and local people to enjoy. [4] In 2004 a major campaign was undertaken to repair the 14th century timber-framed tower and a further programme of repairs was planned for 2007, so the church was closed to visitors.
Dorney Common, which borders the village, is one of several locations to view Windsor Castle from outside the town of Windsor itself; the large open space affords panoramic views of the castle as well as parts of Eton.
The village is twice briefly mentioned in Jerome K. Jerome's book Three Men in a Boat (1889). [5]
Many TV and film companies use the village as a location.
The Church of St Mary Magdalene was used as a location for many Hammer Horror movies which were made at nearby Bray Studios. The Inspector Morse episode Silent World of Nicholas Quinn and the Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves were partly filmed here. The signpost for the village appeared very briefly in the 1976 Sweeney episode "I Want the Man" as a white Mercedes Benz limousine turns left towards the village (06m 48secs standard Freemantle DVD).
Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Buckinghamshire. The town is situated 27 miles (43 km) west of Charing Cross, London and 13 miles (21 km) east-northeast of the county town of Reading. The town differs from the Parliamentary constituency of Maidenhead, which includes a number of outer suburbs and villages, including villages which form part of the Borough of Wokingham such as Twyford, Charvil, Remenham, Ruscombe and Wargrave.
Datchet is a village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England, located on the north bank of the River Thames. Historically part of Buckinghamshire, and the Stoke Hundred, the village was eventually transferred to Berkshire, under the Local Government Act of 1972. The village developed because of its close proximity to Windsor and the ferry service which connected it to the main London Road across the River Thames. The ferry was later replaced by a road bridge at the foot of the High Street, which was rebuilt three times. There is also a rail bridge approaching Windsor across the river, and two road bridges above and below the village.
Dorney is a village and civil parish in the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England, bordering on the River Thames to the west and south, and bisected by the Jubilee River. In 2011 it had a population of 752. It is 2.3 miles (3.7 km) west of neighbouring Eton, which is a slightly larger parish.
Eton is a town in Berkshire, England, on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The civil parish, which also includes the village of Eton Wick two miles west of the town, had a population of 4,692 at the 2011 Census. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Buckinghamshire, in 1974 it came under the administration of Berkshire following the Local Government Act 1972; since 1998 it has been part of the unitary authority of Windsor and Maidenhead. The town is best known as the location of Eton College.
Burnham is a large village and civil parish that lies north of the River Thames in Buckinghamshire, between the towns of Maidenhead and Slough, about 24 miles west of Charing Cross, London. It is probably best known for the nearby Burnham Beeches woodland.
Hambleden is a small village and civil parish in south-west Buckinghamshire, England. The village is around 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Marlow, and around 3 miles (4.8 km) north-east of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.
Horsenden is a hamlet and former civil parish, now in the parish of Longwick-cum-Ilmer, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is approximately one mile West of Princes Risborough, seven miles south of Aylesbury and three miles south-west of Chinnor in Oxfordshire. The Icknield Way passes just to the north of the village from north-east to south-west, although there is no connecting road through the hamlet itself. In 1931 the parish had a population of 53.
Arborfield is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Arborfield and Newland, in the Borough of Wokingham, on the A327 road in Berkshire, England. It is about 4.5 miles (7 km) south-east of Reading, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Wokingham. It lies about 0.6 miles (1 km) west of its sister village of Arborfield Cross and the two villages have become collectively known as Arborfield, with no signs marking their boundary. Arborfield is a dormitory village in the Reading built-up area. In 1931 the parish had a population of 348. On 1 April 1948 the parish was abolished and merged with Newland to form "Arborfield and Newland".
Dorney Lake is a purpose-built rowing lake and Meetings & Events Venue in England. It is near the village of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and is around 3 km west of Windsor and Eton, close to the River Thames.
Friends of Friendless Churches (FoFC) is a registered charity formed in 1957, active in England and Wales, which campaigns for and rescues redundant historic places of worship threatened by demolition, decay, or inappropriate conversion. As of April 2021, the charity owns 58 redundant churches or chapels, 29 of which are in England, and 29 in Wales.
Eton Wick is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Eton, in the Windsor and Maidenhead district, in Berkshire, England, on the River Thames, close to the historic towns of Windsor and Eton, Slough and Dorney Lake, the rowing venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Dunton is a village and civil parish in the North Norfolk district, in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) west of Fakenham and 41 kilometres (25 mi) north-west of Norwich.
Ewelme is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire, 2.5 miles (4 km) north-east of the market town of Wallingford. The 2011 census recorded the parish's population as 1,048. To the east of the village is Cow Common and to the west, Benson Airfield, the north-eastern corner of which is within the parish boundary. The solid geology is chalk overlying gault clay; the drift geology includes some gravel.
Eton Rural District was a rural district in the administrative county of Buckinghamshire, England, covering an area in the south-east of the county. It was named after but did not contain Eton, which was an urban district.
Friston is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Saxmundham, its post town, and 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Aldeburgh. The River Alde bounds the village on the south. The surrounding land is chiefly arable. The soil becomes partly marshy in the lower grounds. The village is noted for its early nineteenth century post mill. It is located next to the village of Knodishall.
Mucking is a hamlet and former Church of England parish and civil parish adjoining the Thames Estuary in the Thurrock unitary authority area, in southern Essex, England. It is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the town of Stanford-le-Hope. In 1931 the civil parish had a population of 498.
Romney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England near Windsor and Eton, about half a mile downstream of Windsor Bridge. It is on the Windsor side of the river next to a boatyard and adjoins Romney Island, a long strip-shaped ait in the middle of the river. The first lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1798.
Boveney Lock is a lock on the River Thames situated on the Buckinghamshire bank opposite the Windsor Racecourse and close to Eton Wick. Boveney is a village a little way upstream on the same side. The lock was first built in 1838 by the Thames Navigation Commission. The lock was rebuilt in 1898 closer to the Buckinghamshire bank, and a set of boat rollers were installed on the old site.
The town of Eton formed a local government district in Buckinghamshire, England from 1849 to 1974. It was administered as a local board district from 1849 to 1894, and as an urban district from 1894 to 1974.
St Mary Magdalene's Church is a redundant Anglican church standing close to the river on the north bank of the Thames, near the village of Boveney, Buckinghamshire, England. It is about 3 kilometres (2 mi) to the west of Eton College. The church, dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene, is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches. A 360° Google Street View Tour of the church is available.
This really happened once to my own knowledge. It was up by Boveney, one rather windy morning. We were pulling down stream, and, as we came round the bend, we noticed a couple of men on the bank.