Soulbury
| Soulbury | |
|---|---|
 All Saints' Church | |
 Soulbury Three Locks | |
  Soulbury Location withinBuckinghamshire | |
| Population | 736 (2011 census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SP885275 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEIGHTON BUZZARD |
| Postcode district | LU7 |
| Dialling code | 01525 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Buckinghamshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Soulburyis a village and also acivil parishwithin theunitary authority areaofBuckinghamshire,England.It is located in theAylesbury Vale,about seven miles south ofCentral Milton Keynes,and three miles north ofWing.The village name isAnglo Saxonin origin, and means "stronghold in a gully". In theDomesday Bookof 1086, the village was recorded asSoleberie.
The parish
[edit]The parish contains thehamletsof:
- Hollingdonin the west,
- Chelmscoteon theStoke HammondtoLeighton Buzzardroad,
- Bragenhamto the east of theRiver Ouzel,and
- StockgrovenearStockgrove Country Parkon the border withBedfordshire.
Other places mentioned in historical records include:
- Lortun Hilland
- a road calledLondon Street,(mentioning William Holynden)
- Hongurhell[2]
The parish extends as far as Rammamere Farm onWatling Street.Rammamere Heath is managed withKing's WoodinHeath and Reachas a nature reserve.[3]
Liscombe Park
[edit]A 17th-century mansion, Liscombe Park was originally the seat of theLovettfamily, of whom the most famous member was Colonel John Lovett (c. 1660–1710), patron of theEddystone Lighthouse.The house was rebuilt in the 1920s by the Bonsor family who live there today. The house is built of brick with small turrets and crenelations, in the style of an 18th-centurypseudo gothiccastle. The interiors are a mixture of panelling and some 18th-century styles. Near to the house is the former much older chapel, this today has been converted to a billiards room. The house is not open to the public, but the gardens are sometimes used for fairs and fetes.
The stable block has been converted to a leisure and health complex, with apolo crossfield. There is a riding stables, open to the public, adjacent to the complex.
An early mention of the name asLyscombeappears in 1418, where Roger Stok and his wife, Sara, lived, suing people from Stewkley (appearing asStucle) and Burcote.[4]
Soulbury gave its name toSolebury Township, Pennsylvania,which was founded byQuakersettlers from Soulbury.
Glacial erratic rock
[edit]
Aglacial erraticlies in a road in the parish.[5]The stone originated in Derbyshire, and was deposited by the retreat of glaciers at the end of the lastice age.Oliver Cromwellis said to have used the stone as a podium during an attack on the village church during theEnglish Civil War.[6]Local tradition holds that the stone is the petrified foot of the devil.
In March 2016, the stone was hit by a motorist who made complaints of it being a hazard, prompting the county council to investigate its removal. The parish council and villagers strongly opposed its removal and the stone still remains in its ancient position.[6][7]
There is apublic housein Soulbury called the Boot. Its pub sign features a boot of theDuke of Wellington,but the tradition of the Soulbury Boot is said to be much older than that. It is said thatthe Devilhimself once came to the village, but the villagers came together to fight him off. One of them took hisswordand cut off the Devil's foot and as it fell to the ground it turned to stone. The stone came to be known as the Soulbury Boot. This story is said by some to have been made up by a previous pub landlord in order to attract visitors.
Soulbury Millennium Green
[edit]This public greenspace is owned and run by a local charitable trust and was created as part of the celebrations for the turn of the Millennium in the year 2000. It is one of 245 suchMillennium Greensthroughout England and the only one in Buckinghamshire.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 Census,Accessed 3 February 2013
- ^Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; CP541; year 1396first entry; line 5. The defendant is William Holynden; (Hollingdon is near Soulbury), the plaintiff is Roger atte Broke of Steuecle (Stewkley)
- ^Wildlife Trust, King's Wood and Rammamere Heath
- ^"AALT Page".aalt.law.uh.edu.Retrieved22 July2020.
- ^Map, The Megalithic Portal and Megalith."Soulbury Stone".The Megalithic Portal.Retrieved2 June2018.
- ^abFinnigan, Lexi (29 March 2016)."Council bosses threaten to remove ancient stone rock at heart of village".The Telegraph.Retrieved30 March2016.
- ^Addley, Esther (2 April 2016)."The Soulbury stone never loses – and now the council knows it".The Guardian.Retrieved22 July2020.
Further reading
[edit]- Lovett, R. J. Arden (1897–1898),"Soulbury Church, Bucks, with its monuments"(PDF),The Berks, Buck & Oxon Archaeological Journal,3(1): 23, 28,doi:10.5284/1000017
External links
[edit]
Media related toSoulburyat Wikimedia Commons- Soulbury, inA History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3.(BHO Online)
- Soulbury, the parish website
