Dinton, Buckinghamshire

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Map sources for Dinton, Buckinghamshire at grid reference SP7610

Dinton is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the very south of the Aylesbury Vale on the ancient turnpike leading from Aylesbury to Thame (although this road has since been diverted away from the village).

The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'Dunna's estate'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was listed as Danitone.

There was an ancient mansion house in this parish that belonged to the Mayne family for many years (they were lords of the manor in 1086). This has long since disappeared, but the groundworks of the ancient manor house still remain and are a goldmine of archaeological finds. There is also a ruined fortified building, Dinton Castle, though this was constructed much later (in 1769) by Sir John Vanhattem. This octagonal folly with two towers is now at risk of being demolished altogether for safety purposes.

Next to the church at Dinton is Dinton Hall; this fine many gabled mansion altered at most periods during its long history, was until the last quarter of the 20th century the seat of the Currie family. Following the Currie's departure it was bought by a Mr. Smith. He carried out a program of restoration, and placed his own coat of arms above the mansion's portals.

A notable resident of Dinton in the 17th century was John Bigg, the Dinton Hermit, who lived in a cave in the village. He was reputed to have been involved in the execution of King Charles I on January 30, 1649. As one of the regicides Simon Mayne lived at Dinton, and was after his death in imprisonment buried at Dinton in 1661, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the executioner would have been given sanctuary and anonymity on one of the regicide's estates.

Within the parish border lay the hamlets of Westlington, Ford, Upton, Waldridge, Gibraltar and Aston Mullins.

There was also anciently a hamlet called Moreton in this parish, though today only the groundworks and ponds remain.