Hedgerley

Not a lot of prehistoric material has been found in Hedgerley, but a few Neolithic flint flakes were found somewhere in the parish, and one can be more accurately provenanced to Hedgerley Park. Three or more ring-ditches, possible the ditches around ploughed out barrows, were seen on aerial photographs in a field to the east of the M40.

The place-name Hedgerley has a Saxon origin although there was certainly occupation of the area long before that. The Iron Age hillfort of Bulstrode Camp is nearby. There was a Romano-British pottery industry, roughly along the line of the present M40 and a Roman pottery kiln is known at Slade Farm. Roman pottery has also been found in Hedgerley Park and a Roman road is thought to have run through the parish to the south of the M40.

Hedgerley Dean is where a battle between Saxons and Vikings is supposed to have taken place and nineteenth century records suggest surviving entrenchments, but these cannot be found today.

The medieval parish of Hedgerley was the land to the east of Village Lane. It extended north to the present A40 and south to the One Pin. Traces of medieval ridge and furrow may be seen in the fields running northwards from Hedgerley village to the present parish boundary at the M40. Remains of earthworks belonging to a medieval deer park may be seen in Church Wood. Several medieval manors appeared in the thirteenth century, including Temple Bulstrode manor and Penland manor. The Knights Templar had a preceptory at Moat Farm, the remains of which were identified during an excavation.

The largest landowner in the original Hedgerley parish was Bulstrode. Judge Jeffries had bought the Temple Bulstrode manor to add to Hedgerley Bulstrode manor. He and the subsequent owners, the Dukes of Portland and then Somerset, were the major payers of the Hedgerley Poor Rate. Eton College had been a large landowner in Hedgerley Dean and the boys were sent to Hedgerley during times of plague. 

Bricks, tiles and pottery were produced in Hedgerley. The earliest mention of Hedgerley tiles dates from 1344 in the Windsor Castle accounts. Eton College had a kiln for making bricks and tiles for the college. The famous 'Hedgerley Loam' was dug extensively in the eighteenth century and was in demand for its fire resistant qualities and used to line furnaces in this country and abroad. Bricks made from this had a very high fire resistance. Some of the excavations may be seen in Kiln Wood on the left hand side as one descends Hendgerley Hill.

Buildings of interest include the Old Quaker House, which was dated to completion in 1487 by dendrochronolgy. Metcalfe Farm is the site of the Provost of Eton College's house, work on which is recorded in the Eton College audit book for 1529-1545. Shell House, dated by dendrochronology to 1683, is likely to be only half of what was intended. 

The parish church of St Mary is at least the third on the site.  It was built north of the old church in 1854 and designed by Benjamin Ferrey. It replaced a church of 1770 which was falling down and had replaced the medieval building.

The vast majority of housing in the parish has been built since the 1930s. Prior to this the population was small and mostly comprised of people working in agriculture, domestic service for Hedgerley Park and Bulstrode House and brick and tile making.

The parish boundary saw many changes in the twentieth century. The northern part was lost to Gerrards Cross in 1934. The area to the west of Village Lane and Hedgerley Hill was Hedgerley Dean, a hamlet of Farnham Royal parish until 1894, when it became a parish in its own rite. Most of Hedgerley Dean was incorporated into Hedgerley in 1934 along with a part of Burnham. The current parish boundary has altered twice since then and now comprises part of Beaconsfield. The boundary now runs along Parish Lane, Column Green Road, Windsor Road, the M40 and the A355.

Many thanks to Michael Rice who updated this page in 2022.