Speen, Buckinghamshire
| Speen | |
| Buckinghamshire | |
|---|---|
 Speen village sign depicting local trades | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU845995 |
| Location: | 51°41’16"N, -0°46’44"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Princes Risborough |
| Postcode: | HP27 |
| Dialling code: | 01494 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Buckinghamshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Buckingham |
Speen is a village in the parish of Princes Risborough, in Buckinghamshire. It nestles in the Chiltern Hills, about three miles southeast of the main town.
The village's name is Old English in origin, though of uncertain meaning. It has been suggested that it is from the word spon, meaning ""wood chip", referring to the location of the hamlet in the Chiltern Forest where trees are likely to be felled fairly regularly.
The Horse Trust, based at Speen, provides a home of rest for horses, and is the place where some horses in royal or military service are retired to when they get too old or become injured. Many of the horses that were injured when the IRA bombed the Royal Horse Guards in the early 1980s were brought here (Sefton being the most famous), and the stables have become a popular tourist attraction for animal lovers.
With a population of around 600, Speen has a pub, the King William IV, and a small shop and Post Office named Speen Stores. A former pub, The Old Plow, was for many years run by Ishbel MacDonald daughter of the 20th century Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald; it is now a restaurant. Speen is a short distance from Chequers, the Prime Minister of the day's country residence.
In 1928 the artist Eric Gill moved to Pigotts at Speen, where he set up a printing press, and lettering workshop and alternative community.[1][2]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Speen, Buckinghamshire) |
References
- ↑ "Font Designer - Eric Gill". http://www.linotype.com/391/ericgill.html. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
- ↑ Map of Pigotts by Gill