Farnham Royal

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Farnham Royal
Buckinghamshire
Burnham Beeches - geograph.org.uk - 94828.jpg
Part of Burnham Beeches in Farnham Royal,
a protected ancient woodland.
Location
Grid reference: SU9683
Location: 51°32’19"N, 0°36’59"W
Data
Population: 5,972  (2011[1])
Post town: Slough
Postcode: SL2
Dialling code: 01753
Local Government
Council: Buckinghamshire
Parliamentary
constituency:
Beaconsfield

Farnham Royal is a village and parish in Buckinghamshire. It is in the south of the county, immediately north of Slough (with which it is contiguous), and around 22 miles west of Charing Cross. Within the parish boundary is the village of Farnham Common and the hamlet of Farnham Park.

History

A view of Farnham Royal's entry in 'Domesday Book'

The village name 'Farnham' is Anglo-Saxon in origin, and means 'homestead where ferns grow'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the village was recorded as Ferneham.

The affix or suffix 'Royal' was given to the village in the late 11th century by the king, who gave the lord of the manor of Farnham, Bertram de Verdun, the Grand Serjeanty on the condition of providing a glove and putting it on the king's right hand at the coronation, and supporting his right arm, while the Royal sceptre was in his hand.

In 1832, Francis Osborne was created Baron Godolphin, of Farnham Royal in the County of Buckingham.

Amenities

Hotel with adjacent golf course and forest narrowly within the parish boundary

The two largest categories of land use are green space which is forest or golf course (Burnham Beeches which has a hotel and café) and secondly domestic gardens which accounted for 34% of land use as at the 2011 census.

At a focal point of the developed village hub, on the site of two mini-roundabouts, stood the old water pump, removed in the 1970s to a museum. Just after 2000 the water pump was brought back is on the green nearby, next to the Duke's Head pub.

Education

The private boys preparatory school Caldicott School has alumni including former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss.

References

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("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Farnham Royal)