Woburn Sands

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Coordinates: 52°00′54″N 0°38′56″W / 52.015°N 0.649°W

Woburn Sands
Woburn Sands High Street
Woburn Sands Woburn Sands shown within Buckinghamshire
Population	2,916 (2011 Census)^[1]
OS grid reference	SP927360
Civil parish	Woburn Sands
Unitary authority	Milton Keynes
Ceremonial county	Buckinghamshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Milton Keynes
Postcode district	MK17
Dialling code	01908
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Buckinghamshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Milton Keynes South
Website	Woburn Sands Town Council
List of places UK England Buckinghamshire

Woburn Sands is a small town and civil parish^[2] in the Borough of Milton Keynes, England. It is south-east of Milton Keynes itself, near Wavendon. The county boundary between Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire borders the town. All of Woburn Sands is in the Borough of Milton Keynes although many find the meandering boundary with Aspley Guise and Aspley Heath confusing with the Primary and Middle Schools that serve the town both in the Parish of Aspley Guise (Central Bedfordshire).

History

The earliest evidence of settlement is an Iron Age hill fort dating from around 500 BC, called Danesborough Camp which is located to the southwest of the present town.^{[citation needed]} Later when the settlement had developed into a hamlet it was part of the parish of Wavendon, becoming a separate civil parish in 1907. Under the Local Government Act 1972 the parish council has adopted the status of a town in its own right. It has separated from Wavendon which is just to the north of the Marston Vale Line.

The village name was originally Hogsty End, one of Wavendon's four 'ends' (along with Church End, Cross End and Lower End) but by Victorian times, this un-picturesque name had fallen out of favour, and Woburn Sands had taken over as the accepted name. There is a local story that a schoolmaster was unable to attract business to his "Hogsty End Academy", and was one of the first to promote the use of the new name, but in fact it had been in use before this.^{[citation needed]} The modern place name is related to nearby Woburn in Bedfordshire, and to the sandy local soil resulting from its proximity to the Greensand Ridge, an escarpment of Greensand.

The town had a reputation as a health spa because of the micro-climate, and people would come from far and wide to "take the airs".^{[citation needed]} Several convalescent homes were built locally.

Modern Woburn Sands

Modern Woburn Sands has many amenities.^[3] It is also a mountain biking destination, with car-parks at the top of Church Road.

Woburn Sands railway station, which serves the town, is on the Bletchley – Bedford Marston Vale Line. The current service is hourly in each direction, and operates from about 7:00 am until 7:00 pm. Plans were announced in July 2012 for the electrification of the line as part of a new electrified 'spine' linking Southampton and Sheffield. A reasonably fast (35 mins. to 1 hour) mainline service is available from Milton Keynes Central to London Euston. Alternatively, the First Capital Connect service between London St Pancras and Bedford calls at Flitwick.

Wobrun Sands' population is small for a town (2,916 according to the 2001 Census^[1]), and many inhabitants still refer to it as a village, but the civil parish council has officially declared it a town. Its population and consequently its housing stock continue to grow with the development of the brownfield site (former Nampak/Plysu Plastics factory), now known as Parklands. Plans for further expansion contained in the 2005 South East Plan were revised in 2010 and there are no plans contained within the Milton Keynes Core Strategy for any further development in the Parish. All undeveloped land retains the planning status of 'open countryside' with the presumption against development. However Government proposal published for consultation in August 2013 could lead to permitted development rights for agricultural buildings to become dwellings, allowing many new rural homes outside the core strategy proposals. Modern Woburn Sands is a very lively place with the schools Swallowfield Lower School and Fulbrook Middle School Academy, also the new Taylor Wimpey estate.

Danesborough (electoral ward)

Woburn Sands is represented in Milton Keynes Council through the Danesborough Ward, which it shares with Wavendon, Bow Brickhill and Little Brickhill.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 "Area: Woburn Sands (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
↑ "Parishes in Milton Keynes". Milton Keynes Council.
↑ Woburn Sands Business & Community Association

External links

Civil parishes in Milton Keynes

v t e Ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire Portal

Unitary authorities	Borough of Milton Keynes

Boroughs or districts	Aylesbury Vale Chiltern South Bucks Wycombe

Major settlements	Amersham Aylesbury Beaconsfield Buckingham Chesham High Wycombe Marlow Milton Keynes including Bletchley Fenny Stratford Stony Stratford Wolverton Newport Pagnell Olney Princes Risborough Wendover Winslow Woburn Sands See also: List of civil parishes in Buckinghamshire

Rivers	Chess Colne Frays Gade Great Ouse Jubilee Lyde Misbourne Ouzel Ray Thame Thames Tove Wraysbury Wye

Topics	Parliamentary constituencies Boundary changes Schools (Bucks) Schools (Milton Keynes) Places Sites of Special Scientific Interest Places of interest Country houses Grade I listed buildings History Lord Lieutenant High Sheriff Monastic houses Museums Railways Transport

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