Wingrave with Rowsham

Some prehistoric artefacts have been found in Wingrave with Rowsham, such as Neolithic to Bronze Age flint found north-east of Maltby’s Farm and the Neolithic axe found near Rose Cottage in a road widening scheme. The Aylesbury-Steppingly pipeline was investigated archaeologically and Late Neolithic, Late Bronze Age and Late Iron Age ditches and pits were uncovered. A Roman road is said to pass through the parish and several Roman pottery sherds have been found, along with some medieval ones, near Thistlebrook Farm, in the garden of a house on Winslow Road and in the allotments.

There are several historical documents with records of the parish. A separate manor in the medieval period was Burbage or Theobalds manor, which was also known from time to time as Edmunds manor and there are records of the manor house up until the eighteenth century. Another separate manor was called Helpesthorpe and there are records of a village there, which has since been deserted. There are also records of Holy Trinity Chapel in the fourteenth century and St Lawrence Chapel in Rowsham. There are also thirteenth century records of a mill at Hamfurlong.

A medieval or post-medieval moat and pond are known at Bell Leys Farm and medieval house platforms, hollow-ways and quarries are known at Nup End Farm. Medieval village earthworks are also known at Rowsham. The oldest building in the parish is St Peter and St Paul church with a twelfth century nave and chancel, thirteenth century tower and fourteenth century aisles. Church Farm House is also quite old, cruck-built and may date back in parts to the fourteenth and fifteenth century, though it has later sixteenth and seventeenth century alterations. The garage at the Old Forge also contains cruck-trusses and may date back to the fifteenth century.

Many of the other buildings in Wingrave with Rowsham are sixteenth century timber-framed houses, and there are many nineteenth century part timber-framed ones, obviously echoing the character of the place. More industrial remains are known from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, such as a smock mill at Rose Cottage and brick kilns at Rush Dean. There was also a brewery in Rowsham in the nineteenth century, with a malt-house, well and horse-wheel and pump. Mount Tabor House was a nineteenth century country house. It was used by part of the Czech government in exile during the Second World War and was then turned into a school. There was also an Independent Chapel at Rowsham, suggested from local knowledge, and a Congregational Chapel and cemetery on Church Street.

A much more recent monument was erected after the Second World War. The Czech president in exile ordered that a bus shelter be built for the people of Wingrave and Aston Abbotts, where he had stayed, at the cross-roads as a thank you.