Wing

Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age flint tools have been found in fieldwalking surveys in Wing Park and near Waterloo Farm in advance of the construction of Wing bypass. Geophysical survey on the latter project also revealed a possible Neolithic to Bronze Age ring-ditch, which may be the ploughed out remains of a barrow. Another possible Neolithic to Bronze Age ring-ditch has been seen at Wing Airfield, but is probably a twentieth century searchlight battery. Other crop-marks that probably date to the late prehistoric period have been seen around the parish on aerial photographs, such as a sub-rectangular enclosure, also at Wing Airfield. Late prehistoric pits, ditches and enclosures were identified from aerial photography and geophysics at Old Park Farm. A rectangular enclosure was recorded on aerial photographs near Kemsall Wood; enclosures and linear features were found in geophysical survey near Lower Wingbury Farm and undated ditches and pits were discovered near Fox Covert when stripping the topsoil for a pipeline. All these may date to the late prehistoric period. Late prehistoric settlement was also found in geophysical survey near Wing Airfield.

Some of the undated crop-marks may date to the Roman period. There is evidence for activity in this period in the form of Roman pottery and a spindle-whorl found in Wing Park, along with double-ditched enclosures found in geophysical survey and two parallel ditches, perhaps flanking a Roman road, found in topsoil stripping for a pipeline. Roman pottery was found along the line of a pipeline at Vicarage Farm, near the Mentmore crossroads in a watching brief and in ploughed fields east of Burcott. Two Roman cremation urns were found digging the garden at the Gate House.

There are records of a possible Roman or Saxon mound that was destroyed in road widening in the twentieth century. A tenth century estate document names one of the old trees Tumbalde Treowe and it is used as a boundary marker and another barrow marked the boundary with Linslade. This latter was found in evaluation. Saxon burials were found when Wing School was first built in the nineteenth century and again in a recent evaluation. They date to the eleventh century. A possible Saxon moot, or meeting-place, was recorded in field survey at New Mead, Cottesloe.

There are several medieval earthworks in the parish. The possible site of the medieval manor house is known from field survey at Wing Park and the priory walls were recorded in earth moving work. A possible medieval enclosure and fishpond were recorded on aerial photographs at Westpark Farm. The possible Saxon moot at Cottesloe may be a medieval homestead moat. A medieval to post-medieval house platform, and a medieval well with associated pottery were found in field survey near Burcott Farm. A medieval moat was also recorded in field survey nearly 2 miles west of the church. Two medieval fishponds were recorded on a nineteenth century map near Wing Vicarage, only one survives. Medieval to post-medieval village earthworks survive at Cottesloe, suggesting a settlement was deserted. Similar earthworks are known from historic maps and modern aerial photographs at Crafton and on aerial photographs of fields around the hamlet of Littleworth. Castle Hill is a medieval motte that has been recorded in field survey.

Geophysical survey opposite Mill Cottages identified a possible medieval building and medieval pottery and tile was found in fieldwalking at this spot too. Medieval to post-medieval skeletons were found in footing trenches at 5 and 6 Church Walk and medieval to seventeenth century pottery was found. Another medieval to post-medieval burial was unearthed at 8 Church Walk and medieval pottery was found in house foundations at 57-61 High Street. Some monuments are only known from historical records, such as fifteenth to nineteenth century records of a windmill on Windmill Hill, thirteenth century records of a marketplace with a market cross at the corner of the High Street and Vicarage Lane or fifteenth century records of a dovecote, horsewheel and watermill attached to Wing manor. There are also records of the separate manor of Ascott.

The oldest surviving standing building is All Saints church. In fact, it is the oldest building in Buckinghamshire. This has a tenth century nave, north aisle, chancel and crypt (although this might be much older), a fourteenth century south aisle and fifteenth century tower and clerestory and the cross in the churchyard also dates to the medieval period. The next oldest buildings in Wing date to the sixteenth century, such as the Old Vicarage and the hotel at 26 High Street. Dormer’s Hospital is a set of sixteenth century almshouses. Fishponds were also important in the sixteenth century and a set has been recorded at Burcott House. There are sixteenth century records of a Wylkys Bridge. Ascott House dates to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and there are very well preserved seventeenth to eighteenth century garden earthworks, as well as sixteenth century pillow mounds used as rabbit warrens. The garden earthworks were once thought to be the remains of a deserted medieval village. Other early features in the grounds include a seventeenth century bowling green.

Many of the listed buildings in Wing parish date from the seventeenth century, such as 35 High Street, to the nineteenth century, like the Old House, which was originally a pair of houses. Ascott House gardens have a few nineteenth century monuments such as the Venus fountain and the grotto as well as some eighteenth to nineteenth century outbuildings, such as Main Lodge, the Estate Office and the Hunting Stables. Burcott House is also a seventeenth century house and garden with nineteenth century alterations with an eighteenth century mounting block and other outbuildings in the grounds. Crafton also had a seventeenth to nineteenth century great house as known from historic documents, with a garden laid out in the nineteenth century. Waterloo Farm is a nineteenth century model farm with associated outbuildings.

Some of the nineteenth century monuments are more industrial, such as the records of an eighteenth to nineteenth century watermill and nineteenth century toll-gate on Aylesbury Road, a nineteenth century brickworks at Littleworth hamlet and a smithy is marked on a historic map near 6 Church Street where evaluation work was also done.

The wars of the twentieth century had quite an effect on the parish. First World War practice trenches have been identified in Wing Park but the main monument is Wing Airfield. This is actually mainly in Cublington parish. It was in existence before the Second World War and carried on in use afterwards, Nissen huts and a probable searchlight battery or a training centre being seen in aerial photographs in 1948. The site was sold off in 1960.