Flackwell Heath

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Flackwell Heath
Flackwell Heath sign depicting the old village school
Flackwell Heath shown within Buckinghamshire
Population	5900
OS grid reference	SU893899
Parish	Chepping Wycombe
District	Wycombe
Shire county	Buckinghamshire
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HIGH WYCOMBE
Postcode district	HP10
Dialling code	01628
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Buckinghamshire
Ambulance	South Central
European Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Beaconsfield
List of places: UK • England • Buckinghamshire

Coordinates: 51°36′03″N 0°42′43″W / 51.60087, -0.71205

Flackwell Heath is a village on the outskirts of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire England. It is at an elevation of about 150m as it sits on the top of one of the Chiltern Hills. It has a population of around 6000.

1 History
2 Description
3 Transportation
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The name 'Flackwell' is of dubious origin but may describe the source of a stream which once started in this area. The heath was once covered with cherry orchards. This is now commemorated in the name of a pub, the Carrington school emblem and in road names. The area covered by Flackwell Heath once included three villages, the second was named Northend Woods and the third was Heath End, but housing developments meant the three eventually formed one large village, Flackwell Heath.

[edit] Description

As of 28th July 2005 there was a new landmark in the village, a wind turbine situated in the playing field of Carrington Junior School. The turbine generates around a third of the school's energy.

There is a Methodist Church and the recently extended Christ Church, which includes stained glass designed by Patrick Reyntiens. There is a community centre, which was made use of for the Scout's 2006 Christmas Pantomime, "Treasure Island", and the 2007 pantomime, "Robin Hood". The Scout Pantomimes were "enjoyed by all". There are three rows of shops, the Budgens supermarket being the largest of these. There is also a golf course dating from the 1920s. There are two primary schools altogether, the other being Juniper Hill and seven public houses named The Cherry Tree, The Green Man, The Magpie, The Stag, The Three Horseshoes, The Green Dragon and The Crooked Billet, all in the space of just over a mile. There is also a football club, who play at Wilkes Park. Other features of the village include a water tower and a war memorial. Flackwell Heath has many other shops including takeaway establishments. Flackle Fryers the chip shop recently won an award for the best chip shop in the country. There are also 2 Indian takeaways and a chinese takeaway. Flackwell News can arrange for residents to have daily newspaper deliveries and there is Express Videos where you can rent movies, rent video games and purchase alcohol, cigarettes, sweets and snacks.

There is a large wood (Fennels Wood), which runs alongside a large part of Flackwell Heath and consists mainly of Beech trees. It also has an area where people ride their bicycles, this is locally known as 'The Dells'. The wood hit the news in September 2006, as it was briefly closed off, due to a suspicious find relating to the transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot.^[1]

There is a firework display each year in the Carrington School Playing field, next to the 1st Flackwell Heath Scout's HQ (it was previously held on the recreation ground). An annual village Fête on the recreation ground has recently been revived as the 'cherry fair'.

Flackwell Heath is also home to the Wycombe campus of Amersham & Wycombe College, based in Spring Lane in the buildings of the former secondary school.

House prices are relatively high in Flackwell Heath due its closeness both to London and pleasant rural areas. It is also in the catchment area of excellent Grammar Schools, such as John Hampden Grammar School for boys and Wycombe High School for girls, which are both situated 3 miles from the centre of the village.

[edit] Transportation

The M40 from junction 3 to 4 runs through the middle of Fennels Wood. There is a frequent bus service from Flackwell Heath to the nearest town of High Wycombe.