Woburn Sands
| Woburn Sands | |
| Buckinghamshire | |
|---|---|
 An alleyway in Woburn Sands | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SP927360 |
| Location: | 52°-0’54"N, 0°38’56"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 2,916 (2011) |
| Post town: | Milton Keynes |
| Postcode: | MK17 |
| Dialling code: | 01908 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Milton Keynes |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Milton Keynes South |
Woburn Sands is a village in Buckinghamshire, on the very border of Bedfordshire and indeed the county boundary winds its way through the village and across the main road (Station Road / Woburn Road). While the much greater part of the village is in Buckinghamshire, Church Road and St Michael's Church are in a small detached part of Bedfordshire.
The village is south-east of Milton Keynes, near Wavendon, and mostly forms part of that ancient parish. Across the border in Bedfordshire is Aspley Guise, while Aspley Heath lies in the detached part of that county.
Parish church
The parish church is St Michael's, on Church Road, in the detached part of Bedfordshire and consequently belonging to the Diocese of St Albans. The church was built for the growing village in 1868, designed by Clutton, and extended later. It has an attractive rose window.
History
The earliest evidence of settlement is an Iron Age hill fort dating from around 500 BC, called Danesborough Camp which is located to the south-west of the present village. Later when the place had developed into a hamlet it was part of the civil parish of Wavendon, becoming a separate civil parish in 1907.
The village name was originally Hogsty End, one of Wavendon's four 'ends' (along with Church End, Cross End and Lower End) but by Victorian times, this un-picturesque name had fallen out of favour, and Woburn Sands had taken over as the accepted name. There is a local story that a schoolmaster was unable to attract business to his "Hogsty End Academy", and was one of the first to promote the use of the new name, but in fact it had been in use before this. The modern place name is related to nearby Woburn in Bedfordshire, and to the sandy local soil resulting from its proximity to the Greensand Ridge, an escarpment of Greensand.
The town had a reputation as a health spa because of the micro-climate, and people would come from far and wide to "take the airs". Several convalescent homes were built locally.
Modern Woburn Sands
Modern Woburn Sands contains many convenient amenities.
Woburn Sands railway station serves the town, on the Bletchley-Bedford Marston Vale Line.
The population is small (2,246 according to the 2001 census) and it is known as a village even if the parish council insist it is a town. Its population continues to grow though under the influence of Milton Keynes as brownfield developments grow (notably the former Nampak/Plysu Plastics factory, now known as "Parklands").
Outside links
- Woburn Sands Town Council
- Woburn Sands local history
- The Hogsty End Handbook local community magazine
- Cyclone Mountain Bike Club – MTB around local forest trails
- Woburn Sands Folk Festival
