Akeley, Buckinghamshire

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The Square, Akeley - this aerial view was taken in 1996 soon after the renovation of Verendale, the thatched cottage at the centre of the picture, was completed. The brick cottage is The Old School House and the building in the foreground is The Old School. The Bull & Butcher pub in The Square is part seen far right.

Akeley is a village and civil parish in north Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated about 3 miles north of Buckingham on the Towcester road (A413) just south of the village of Lillingstone Dayrell and north of the village of Maids Moreton. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 545.

The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin and means 'Oak Field'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was called Achelei.

The village used to belong to the abbey at nearby Newton Longville, however in 1154 a new church was constructed within the old village, making it a parish in its own right. This church was replaced by a newer version in 1854 dedicated to St James the Apostle, though by the mid 20th century this second church fell into such disrepair, that in 1979 it was demolished. Akeley presently does not have its own church; parish responsibilities are controlled by Buckingham parish.

Akeley was once home to a medieval deer park, and a school where poor children were taught to make lace.

Today Akeley is host to an annual horticultural show, which has been run since 1976.

An ancient hamlet once lay within the parish boundary, known as Stockholt, though this has been amalgamated with the modern village.

Coordinates: 52°02′N, 0°58′W

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