Wendover

A few prehistoric artefacts have been found by chance or in fieldwalking projects around Wendover, such as Neolithic flint flakes south of Rowborough Copse and north of The Hale. Two Neolithic flint axes were found in gardens at Elthorne and at Cobblershill Farm Cottages. Two Neolithic to Bronze Age barrows were recorded in survey at Bacombe Hill, which may have also been a later beacon, and late prehistoric flint flakes and tools were found on the ground surface here. Other earthworks here may be the remains of prehistoric quarries. The Lower Icknield Way may be based on a Neolithic track, but this theory has recently been debunked. Some Bronze Age metalwork has also been found in metal-detecting outings in the parish. Middle Iron Age pottery was found in a badger’s sett in 40 Acres Field. A section of Grim’s Ditch also passes through this parish and has been recorded in topographical survey and geophysics. It is thought to be a territorial boundary and probably dates to the Iron Age.

Several Late Iron Age and Roman coins and brooches have been found in the parish through metal-detecting surveys and also in gardens. A Roman tessera and shells were found whilst gardening at 11 Back Street. Roman and medieval pottery was found during house building at 1 Patton Close; next to Canal Wharf; at the end of Dobbin Lane and in a fieldwalking project east of Wellwick Farm. A cremation dating to the Roman period was also found near Wellwick Farm. It was associated with eight pottery and two glass vessels, a lamp and an adze. The Neolithic artefacts south of Rowborough Copse were accompanied by Iron Age, Roman and post-medieval artefacts from a fieldwalking survey. A ditch and well of unknown date with finds of Roman pottery, tile, stone and metalwork were found by metal-detectorists in advance of development at Nash Lee Road.

Two Saxon burials were found whilst gardening at 19 Hampden Road. Several medieval artefacts have been found in gardens, such as the fourteenth to fifteenth century arrowheads from 22 South Street and the thirteenth to fourteenth century arrowhead from 12 Stanhope Close. Medieval pottery has been found on the river bed; under a tree on Boddington Hill; and buried in pits in the east part of the churchyard. Other medieval remains are in the form of earthworks, such as the possible hollow-way at Bacombe Hill, and the possible house platform near the Old Baptist Chapel. A Saxon to medieval cobbled floor associated with pottery and spindle-whorls was found in excavation at Heron Cottage. Medieval to post-medieval features were found in evaluation trenches at 4 South Street. There is also a local tradition that there was a medieval castle on the east side of Aylesbury Street.

Historical records pad the picture out a bit for the medieval period. A watermill called Clerks Mill is recorded in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries somewhere in Wendover parish; the medieval to nineteenth century watermill called Nether Mill; the medieval to seventeenth century mill called Upper Mill; and the fulling mill called Poyntz Mills from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. There are records of a hospital and chapel of St John the Baptist from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, but it was dissolved before 1547. The oldest surviving building is St Mary’s Church, dating from the fourteenth century. Some of the secular buildings are currently dated to the fifteenth century, such as Hale Farm that has later extensions, as does 6 Pound Street and 32 and 34a Aylesbury Road. Many of the other listed buildings date to the seventeenth and eighteenth century.

The tradition for mills carried on into the post-medieval period. Snail Hill had a windmill on it in the eighteenth century as recorded on a contemporary map, and Shift Mill was an eighteenth to nineteenth century watermill. The Windmill, that was later refurbished as a house, was built in the eighteenth century. Other industrial remains include the Grand Union Canal; Birche’s Piece, a seventeenth century brickworks; and the pound on Pound Street on a 1768 map. Seventeen burials were found in road works at the crossroads at Worlds End that suggests the presence of a gallows.

More recent structures recorded in the database include the Princess Mary RAF Hospital; the twentieth century gas holder of Wendover gas works next to Canal Wharf and the listed K6 telephone box from a 1935 design.

Want to find out more?  Read the detailed historic town report for Wendover (below).