Wolverton, Milton Keynes

The town name is an Old English language word, and means 'Wulfhere's estate'. It was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wluerintone. The original Wolverton was a medieval settlement just north and west of today's town. This site is now known as Old Wolverton, although the medieval village is all but gone. The Ridge and Furrow pattern of agriculture can still be seen in the nearby fields and the Saxon (rebuilt in 1819) Church of the Holy Trinity still sits next to the Norman Motte and Bailey site. Only the earth mound remains of the Norman castle, though the Saxon tower still stands as central to the rebuilt church, clad in the early nineteenth century 'Anglo-Norman' style. Next door to the Church is the old Vicarage, built in 1729; the front door has stonework from the previous house (1500s) including the de Longueville family coat of arms, and pieces from the earlier church building.

The newer area built for the railways in the 19th century assumed the Wolverton name.

[edit] Canal village

The Grand Union Canal passes around the northern and eastern edge of the modern town. The canal originally crossed the River Ouse by descending 10 metres to the river by nine locks, crossing the river on the level and ascended by eight locks on the other side. This was time consuming for navigators and subject to disruption in time of flood. It seems inevitable, therefore, that there were some facilities to serve the barges at least until the Iron Trunk Aqueduct was built across the river to Cosgrove, but little remains except a wharf and a pub.

[edit] Railway town

Main article: Wolverton railway works

In 1836 Wolverton was chosen as the site of the locomotive repair shop at the mid-point of the London and Birmingham Railway then under construction. For some years it was the Northern end-point of this line, from where passengers would transfer into horse-drawn vehicles.

In 1846 the L & B became part of the London and North Western Railway, who subsequently decided that locomotives would be built and repaired at Crewe. The last locomotives at Wolverton were built in 1863 and repaired until 1877 after which it concentrated on carriages including railway owned road vehicles. It has also been and still is the home of the Royal Train fleet. During the Second World War, the Works were used to build parts for Lee-Enfield rifles, bomber plane timber frames, Hawker Typhoon wings, Horsa Gliders, and ambulances. Like many older industrial sites, camouflage paint from the period can still be seen on the factory buildings. A pillbox remains opposite the Works Wall.

The railway built some 200 houses for its workers by 1844 along with schools, church and market.

[edit] Wolverton railway station

Main article: Wolverton railway station

The original station was a charming "toy town" wooden ticket office on the railway bridge, facing out onto Newport Road. It was opened in 1845 by Queen Victoria. Regrettably, Milton Keynes Borough Council failed to make it a listed building and British Rail demolished it in 1991. The present station is a 'temporary' shed in the car park (at track level), around the corner and some 400 metres further north. The Council's 'Regeneration Strategy for Wolverton'[1] aims to build a new station in the original position, providing an appropriate gateway to town.

[edit] Football ground

The football ground beside the works and the station was home to the works team. The stand, built in 1899, is believed to be the first football stand in England. It is set to be demolished by September 2006 because its owners wish to redevelop the site for housing and a community park. ^[1]

[edit] Civil parish

Wolverton formed a civil parish within the Stratford and Wolverton Rural District from 1894 to 1919, which also contained the parishes of Calverton, Stony Stratford East and Stony Stratford West. In 1919 these parishes, combined with New Bradwell, became part of the Stratford and Wolverton Urban District (renamed the Wolverton Urban District in 1920). This urban district would remain in existence until 1974 when it became part of the borough of Milton Keynes. Today, Wolverton is the larger element of the modern parish of Wolverton and Greenleys.

[edit] See also

[edit] Reference

^ BBC news item about the spectator stand at Wolverton football ground

[edit] External links

"Rides on Railways by Samuel Sidney" at Project Gutenberg. See pages 36 to 43 for a contemporary account (and critique) of the early years of the new railway town and the Works.
Wolverton Words at the Living Archive project : Accents in Wolverton/New Bradwell and how they have changed between the generations, playground games, and memories of older Wolvertonians, as collected by Year 7 children at Bushfield Middle School