Bierton

Bierton
Bierton
	Parish church of St James the Great
	Bierton Location within Buckinghamshire
Population	2,178 (2011 Census.civil parish including Hulcott)
OS grid reference	SP8315
Civil parish	Bierton;
Unitary authority	Buckinghamshire;
Ceremonial county	Buckinghamshire;
Region	South East;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Aylesbury
Postcode district	HP22
Dialling code	01296
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Buckinghamshire
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	Buckingham;
	List of places UK England Buckinghamshire 51°49′48″N 0°47′17″W / 51.830°N 0.788°W

Bierton is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, about half a mile northeast of the town of Aylesbury. It is mainly a farming parish. Together with the hamlets of Broughton, Kingsbrook, Broughton Crossing and Burcott it historically formed the civil parish of Bierton with Broughton within Aylesbury Vale district and form part of the Aylesbury Urban Area, but in 2020 the parish was broken into three, with Bierton becoming its own parish.^[2]

History[edit]

A substantial Belgic settlement once occupied the site of the village with an extensive ditched enclosure. Excavations in 1979 detected four phases of occupation. The ditches were deliberately filled in the first century and little is visible today.^[3]

The village name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Bortone and means "farmstead near a stronghold" in modern English. The development of Bierton as a village was hampered by its being a linear settlement along the last road leading from Aylesbury to have its toll gate removed. The extra costs involved in travelling northwards using this route deterred many merchants, who favoured the less costly route via Winslow and Buckingham. The village remained an important point on this alternative northward route however, due to the presence of a wagon pond. This was used to swell the wooden axles of carts, and was a popular watering spot for carthorses.

The Church of England parish church of Saint James the Great is largely 14th century. At one time the village contained no fewer than seven public houses and porter houses. The stained glass door of the long since defunct "Star" can still be seen, as can that of the "Eagle" next door to the Jubilee Hall. The two remaining pubs are the historically significant Red Lion, and the Bell.

The Red Lion public house is a 16th-century inn, and was significant during the English Civil War. Bierton was a Royalist stronghold, opposed to its larger Parliamentarian neighbour of Aylesbury, and the Red Lion was host to many Cavalier Officers, and rumours have it to Charles I himself. A minor battle was fought northwest of the village towards Weedon.

Chapels[edit]

Bierton had 2 non-conformist chapels - a Methodist chapel and a Baptist chapel, now both closed and converted to other use.

A Baptist congregation was formed in Bierton and they met for worship at the chapel, originally called the school house, which was constructed in 1831 and enlarged in 1885. It was registered as a place of worship in 1864 as place for Baptists and Independents. The church became a Gospel Standard cause in 1981 and the last minister was sent to preach in the church in 1982. The chapel was closed for worship in 2002, after all the former members died, and it was eventually sold in 2006. The trust deeds were lodged with HM Land Registry and the property was later sold as a domestic dwelling.^[4]

The Methodist chapel is now also closed and was on the corner of the road to Broughton. It has an existing graveyeard behind it.

Other activities[edit]

The major industry of the village in times past was brickmaking. Sitting on large sub-strata of Bierton Complex blue clay, the resource was mined for several centuries, and the bricks were fired close to the quarry. Brick Kiln lane exists to this day, although the workings themselves are no longer active.

The clay pits are now quiet pools, known as The Ponds. They have been turned into a private carp and tench fishery, whose fishing plots are highly sought after.

A well close to the church of St James the Great is dedicated to St Osyth, a local Anglo-Saxon princess born at Quarrendon Palace. She was reputedly beheaded in the woodland at St Osyth Priory by the Danes after having earlier drowned in a stream and been revived by nuns; it was said that a spring sprung up in nuns' wood within the grounds of St Osyth Priory that is still in existence today. It is not known why the well at Bierton is dedicated to the saint, only that ancient Bierton was on the route along which her body was taken from the priory to her final resting place; it is said that they made a stop-off at Bierton and laid her body down at the well's current location, which is why the well is dedicated to her.

Present day[edit]

Today, with Aylesbury growing, the village is at risk of becoming a suburb of the larger town. All that separates the two at present is a field of allotments about a hundred yards wide, owned by the Parish Council.

Bierton Church of England Combined School is a mixed voluntary controlled, Church of England primary school, which takes children between the ages of four and 11. The school has about 300 pupils.

Notable inhabitants of Bierton include architect Deborah Saunt of Channel 4 television's series Grand Designs, playwright Robert Farquhar, BBC fashion commentator Jerry O'Sullivan, and the notable author and poet May Sinclair, who lived at The Gables in Burcott Lane for the last ten years of her life.

The nearest station to Bierton is Aylesbury, operated by Chiltern Railways. Buses that serve Bierton run between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, operated by Arriva, and between Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury run by Z&S International.

References[edit]

^ Neighbourhood Statistics 2011, Accessed 3 February 2013
^ "Creation of a Kingsbrook Parish Council" (PDF).
^ Copeland, Tim Akeman Street, The History Press, 2009. Page38. ISBN 9780752447322
^ Bierton Baptist trust deed, etc.

External links[edit]

[1] Neighbourhood Statistics 2011, Accessed 3 February 2013

[gov-2] "Creation of a Kingsbrook Parish Council" (PDF).

[3] Copeland, Tim Akeman Street, The History Press, 2009. Page38. ISBN 9780752447322

[4] Bierton Baptist trust deed, etc.

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v t e Aylesbury Vale district
Buckinghamshire Unitary Council elections County Council elections District Council elections Aylesbury Constituency Buckingham Constituency
Towns (component areas and hamlets)	Aylesbury Bedgrove Broughton California Elm Farm Elmhurst Haydon Hill New Zealand Prebendal Farm Quarrendon Queens Park Southcourt Turnfurlong Walton Walton Court Buckingham Bourton Buffler's Holt Castle Fields Mount Pleasant Page Hill Wendover Cobblers Hill Dean Kings Ash Little London Lower Bacombe Smalldean The Hale Upper Bacombe Wendover Dean World's End Winslow Shipton Shipton Brook
Other civil parishes (component villages and hamlets)	Addington Adstock Akeley Akeley Stockholt Ashendon Ashendon Lower Pollicott Upper Pollicott Aston Clinton Aston Clinton Chivery Vaches Aston Abbotts Aston Sandford Barton Hartshorn Beachampton Berryfields Biddlesden Bierton Burcott Boarstall Boarstall Honeyburge Brill Brill Little London Broughton Hamlet Buckingham Park Buckland Buckland Buckland Wharf Calvert Green Calvert Charndon Chearsley Cheddington Cheddington Cooks Wharf Chetwode Chilton Chilton Easington Coldharbour Fairford Leys Creslow Cublington Cuddington Dinton-with-Ford and Upton Aston Mullins Dinton Ford Gibraltar Upton Waldridge Westlington Dorton Drayton Beauchamp Drayton Parslow Dunton East Claydon Botolph Claydon East Claydon Edgcott Edlesborough Dagnall Northall Ringshall Fleet Marston Foscott Gawcott with Lenborough Gawcott Lenborough Granborough Granborough Green End Great Brickhill Great Horwood Great Horwood Singleborough Grendon Underwood Haddenham Haddenham Halton Hardwick Hillesden Hoggeston Hogshaw Fulbrook Hulcott Ickford Ivinghoe Greatgap Horton Ivinghoe Ivinghoe Aston Ringshall Kingsbrook Kingsey Kingswood Kingswood Tetchwick Leckhampstead Lillingstone Dayrell with Luffield Abbey Lillingstone Dayrell Luffield Abbey Lillingstone Lovell Little Horwood Long Crendon Ludgershall Maids Moreton Marsh Gibbon Marsh Gibbon Little Marsh Summerstown Marsworth Marsworth Startop's End Mentmore Crafton Ledburn Mentmore Middle Claydon Middle Claydon Verney Junction Mursley Nash Nether Winchendon Newton Longville North Marston Oakley Addingrove Little London Oakley Oving Padbury Pitchcott Pitstone Barley End Pitstone Pitstone Green Pitstone Hill Poundon Preston Bissett Quainton Quainton Shipton Lee Quarrendon Radclive-cum-Chackmore Radclive Chackmore Shabbington Shalstone Slapton Grove Horton Wharf Slapton Soulbury Bragenham Chelmscote Hollingdon Soulbury Stockgrove Steeple Claydon Stewkley North End Stewkley South End Stewkley Dean Stoke Hammond Stoke Mandeville Stone with Bishopstone and Hartwell Bishopstone Hartwell Lower Hartwell Sedrup Stone Stowe Boycott Dadford Lamport Stowe Swanbourne Nearton End Swanbourne Thornborough Thornton Tingewick Turweston Twyford Upper Winchendon Waddesdon Eythrope Waddesdon Wormstone Water Stratford Watermead Weedon East End Weedon Weedon Hill Westbury Westcott Weston Turville Bye Green Weston Turville Whaddon Whitchurch Wing Ascott Burcott Littleworth Wing Wingrave Burston Nup End Rowsham Wingrave Woodham Worminghall Wotton Underwood
Former districts and boroughs	Municipal Borough of Aylesbury Municipal Borough of Buckingham Buckingham Rural District Long Crendon Rural District Wing Rural District
Former constituencies	Buckinghamshire County Constituency Wendover Constituency
List of parliamentary constituencies in Buckinghamshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of civil parishes in Buckinghamshire