| Quainton | |
|---|---|
 Quainton church and 17th-century Winwood Almshouses | |
  Quainton Location withinBuckinghamshire | |
| Population | 1,292 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SP745201 |
| • London | 42.6 miles (68.6 km)SE |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | AYLESBURY |
| Postcode district | HP22 |
| Dialling code | 01296 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Buckinghamshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
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Quainton (formerlyQuainton Malet)[3] is a village andcivil parish inBuckinghamshire, England, 7 miles (11 km) north-west ofAylesbury. The population of the civil parish at the2011 Census was 1,295. The village has two churches (Anglican and Baptist), a school and onepublic house. The location means that while many commute to London, others are employed in neighbouring towns and villages.
Its name isOld English and meansQueen's Estate (cwen tun). It is not known to which queen this refers, but possibly the queen was Edith, the wife ofEdward the Confessor. Known as "Fair Edith", she heldmanors in this part of Buckinghamshire, including a hunting lodge atMentmore. Edward the Confessor had a palace at nearbyBrill.
The former suffix Malet refers to the Malet family who werelords of the manor from 1066 until about 1348. At least one member went on thecrusades, and had associations with theHospitallers, the organisation credited with rebuilding Quainton church around 1340. The Hospitallers erected the cross on thevillage green, the base and shaft of which still remain.
The parish church is dedicated toSt Mary and theHoly Cross. It is a 14th-century building of the style ofGothic architecture known asDecorated. The west tower was built later in the 15th century. The church contains many memorialbrasses andsculpture, including the 1689 tomb of Sir Richard Winwood, carved by Thomas Stayner. The stone effigies depict the deceased lying in full armour, while his widow, Ann, who paid for the tomb, rests beside him, half sitting regarding her husband. In thechancel are areredos andsedilia byWilliam White who was responsible for the heavyVictorian restoration and rebuilding of the chancel in 1877. The church also contains Victorianstained glass windows.
Richard Brett, a formerrector and translator of theKing James Bible, is buried in the chancel.[4]
Close by the church is the formerrectory, a large house described byPevsner as of vitreous red brick. The principal façade has a three–bayed centre and two canted bays. The house contains 16th-centurylinenfold panelling.
The WinwoodAlmshouses were built to house the poor, their Gothic style of architecture belying the construction date of 1687. They are aterrace of eight small cottages, one storey high with a row ofdormers in the attics. These attic windows have alternating small and largegables. The terrace is decorated by two porches, with a plaque above. The almshouses are further adorned by diagonally placed chimney stacks.
One of the most visible buildings is the 70 ft highQuainton Windmill, built in 1830–32. Derelict for the greater part of the 20th century, it was restored in 1997 and can grind wheat into flour, with further restoration ongoing.
The local headquarters of theRSPCA is located just outside the village. Denham Farm, once one of the largest beef cattle farms in Buckinghamshire, ceased operation in the late 1990s, and the farmhouse has since become a private residence.
Quainton Church of England Combined School is a mixed Church of Englandprimary school. It is avoluntary controlled school, which takes children from 4 to 11. The school currently has around 185 pupils.
Quainton's nearest National Rail station isAylesbury Vale Parkway, about 5 miles away. Quainton was once linked to London by train fromQuainton Road station toMarylebone andBaker Street; in the opposite direction travel was available toRugby,Verney Junction and elsewhere. Passenger services ceased in 1963, but trains fromAylesbury run to connect with events at theBuckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road station on some bank holidays. The station was also once a junction for the light railway (closed in 1936), sometimes known as theBrill Tramway, connecting Quainton with Brill.
Quainton is served by Red Rose's 16 service between Aylesbury andSteeple Claydon via Aylesbury Vale Parkway station. There around 5 buses daily in each direction on Mondays to Fridays and a reduced service on Saturdays.
