Visit Oakley, Buckinghamshire Places

Welcome to Visit Oakley, Buckinghamshire Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Oakley, Buckinghamshire

  

Oakley, Buckinghamshire Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Oakley, Buckinghamshire

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Oakley, Buckinghamshire history

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11th to 13th centuries

Oakley, like many English settlements, has its first written mention in the Domesday Book in 1086. It was a settlement in the Hundred of Ixhill. The exact area is not known, since borders with other local villages were not specified. The village was valued at £6, and its land consisted of 5¾ hides.

14th to 16th centuries

In 1586 Oakley had about 248 inhabitants in 56 households (22 landholders and 58 with small cottages within the Forest) In 1589 Roman Catholic layman Thomas Belson escaped capture in 1589 and fled to Ixhill Lodge in Oakley, where he hid in a priest hole.

17th century

In 1622 to 1635 the Crown removed Royal Forest status from Bernwood Forest, along with the severe laws protecting its contents (wood, animals and people) This was a most significant event for Oakley (and Brill and Boarstall), and transformed the economic balance of society. It modernised the farming structures of the communities in ways that left problems of poverty and rural under-employment for the smallholders and the landless.

18th century

Bishop Wake’s visitation returns recorded Oakley as having 216 inhabitants. In 1713 a lace school is recorded as being in the village. On 8 May 1718 George I made William Cadogan the 1st Baron Cadogan of Oakley.

19th century

The United Kingdom Census of 1801 recorded 257 inhabitants in 65 families living in 34 houses recorded in Oakley. The first attempt to enclose Oakley was in 1818 and was unsuccessful. The 1831 census gave Oakley’s population as 413. Oakley School was first recorded in use in 1853, in what is now School Lane. In 1844, the hamlet of Studley, which had been part of Oakley parish, was transferred to Horton-cum-Studley.

20th century

During the First World War about 93 village boys went to war, of which 23 gave their lives for their country. Oakley Public Library (in the Lady Verney Reading Room) was opened on 17 February 1911 and closed in 1936. In 1963 Oakley was centre of national and international news when Leatherslade Farm was used as a hideout by the criminal gang involved in the Great Train Robbery.

21st century

In 2003 Oakley featured in national and international news again through an exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the Great Train Robbery. Like many other English villages, in the years between 2000 and 2011, Oakley lost many local facilities, including its post office, shop, surgery, filling station and one of its pubs. The remaining businesses include one public house (the Chandos Arms) and Oakley Garage.

Oakley, Buckinghamshire etymology

Oakley’s toponym is derived from Old English meaning “Oak-lea”, a clearing within the oaks. Originally, the village was probably a collection of small huts around the stream, at the church end of the village. The village would have been in Bernwood Forest.

Oakley, Buckinghamshire geography / climate

Oakley parish is in the west of Buckinghamshire, adjoining the boundary with Oxfordshire. It is roughly diamond shaped, extending a maximum 4.35 miles (7 km) east to west and 2 miles (3.2 km) south to north. There were once four hamlets that stood within the vicinity of the parish of Oakley.

You can visit Oakley, Buckinghamshire places with Walkfo Oakley, Buckinghamshire to hear history at Oakley, Buckinghamshire’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Oakley, Buckinghamshire has 17 places to visit in our interactive Oakley, Buckinghamshire map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Oakley, Buckinghamshire, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Oakley, Buckinghamshire places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Oakley, Buckinghamshire & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 17 audio facts unique to Oakley, Buckinghamshire places in an interactive Oakley, Buckinghamshire map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Oakley, Buckinghamshire Places Map
17 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Oakley, Buckinghamshire historic spots	Oakley, Buckinghamshire tourist destinations	Oakley, Buckinghamshire plaques	Oakley, Buckinghamshire geographic features
Walkfo Oakley, Buckinghamshire tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Oakley, Buckinghamshire

  

Best Oakley, Buckinghamshire places to visit

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Oakley, Buckinghamshire has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Oakley, Buckinghamshire’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Oakley, Buckinghamshire’s information audio spots:

Visit Oakley, Buckinghamshire plaques