Walton, Milton Keynes

For the other place in Buckinghamshire, see Walton, Aylesbury.
Walton

Caldecotte Lake from pathway near Bletcham Way
Walton
 Walton shown within Buckinghamshire
Population 11,923 [1]
OS grid referenceSP854388
Civil parishWalton
Unitary authorityMilton Keynes
Ceremonial countyBuckinghamshire
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town MILTON KEYNES
Postcode district MK7
Dialling code 01908
Police Thames Valley
Fire Buckinghamshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK ParliamentMilton Keynes South
List of places
UK
England
Buckinghamshire

Coordinates: 52°01′00″N 0°42′01″W / 52.0166°N 0.7002°W

Walton (historically) was a hamlet that is now a district and civil parish in Milton Keynes, ceremonial Buckinghamshire, England.[2] The name is also used for a local government electoral ward.

The historic hamlet is located about four miles south of Central Milton Keynes and just east of Simpson, mostly along Walton Road in the modern Walnut Tree district. The modern H9 Groveway grid road severs a few of its houses into Walton Hall and the V10 Brickhill Street separates the Manor Farm into Walton grid square, where it was previously a research centre for Hoechst and is now the UK headquarters of MSD Animal Health.[3]

The village name is a common one in England, and is an Old English language word, meaning either 'village of the Britons' (wale being a word meaning Briton) or 'walled village'. The village is first recorded (in the 12th century) as Wauton.[4]

The manor house of the village, (Walton Hall) and its chapel of ease, now deconsecrated, are in the campus grounds of The Open University, in the Walton Hall district.

Modern Walton

The modern Walton district is a light-industrial and residential district on the banks of the River Ouzel, a tributary of the Great Ouse and on the other side of Brickhill Street from the hamlet that gives it its name. It is largely the grounds of Walton Manor Farm. The other village farm, Walnut Tree Farm, still exists and the Walnut Tree district is on its lands.

Walton Civil Parish

The civil parish of Walton includes the districts of Browns Wood, Caldecotte, Old Farm Park, Tilbrook, Towergate, Walton, Walton Hall, Walton Park, Walnut Tree and Wavendon Gate. Caldecotte Lake is one of the more significant geographic features, extending from Caldecotte and Walton Park. The Parish Council is entitled a 'Community Council".

Walton Community Council is the first tier of local government serving those living, attending and working in this area of Milton Keynes. The Community Council is responsible for the estates and villages of Browns Wood, Caldecotte, Old Farm Park, Tilbrook, Tower Gate, Walnut Tree, Walton Hall, Walton Park and Wavendon Gate.

Tilbrook

The industrial area of Tilbrook is noted for being the home of Red Bull Racing.

Browns Wood

Browns Wood is a district within the civil parish which also gives its name to an Office for National Statistics designated urban sub-area. The sub-area (map) called "Browns Wood" is far bigger than the district of that name. It consists of that part of Milton Keynes that is east of the River Ouzel, but south of the Walnut Tree urban sub-area. The Walnut Tree and Browns Wood urban sub-areas together approximate to that part of the former Newport Pagnell Rural District that is west of the River Ouzel. The districts included are Caldecotte, Tilbrook and Browns Wood. (Old Farm Park did not exist at the date of designation and is thus excluded).

Walnut Tree

Heronsgate Junior School, Walnut Tree

Walnut Tree is a residential district in Walton, with a population of 3,354 in the last UK census .It iss named after the Walnut Tree Farm, on whose land the estate was built. All the street names in Walnut Tree are named after either Wild Flowers and Herbs or 18th century Turnpike Trusts[5]

Walnut Tree is home to a local centre, including small shopping outlets and takeaway restaurants. The district also contains the Blackberry Sports Injury Clinic[6] and a GP surgery. Walnut Tree also has a pub, The Tawny Owl and a pet supplies business based on Walnut Tee Farm

The area features two schools – Walton High School (Milton Keynes) for secondary education as well as the integrated Heronsgate and Heronshaw Schools for primary education, serving both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 respectively.

There is a cricket ground and football pitch with changing facilities. There are a number of play parks for children scattered throughout the area.

Caldecotte

Caldecotte Lake Business Park
Not to be confused with Caldecote, Buckinghamshire.

Caldecotte is another district in the parish, that includes the site of an ancient village of the same name. It is also includes the larger part of Caldecotte Lake, an important balancing lake that manages flood water on the River Ouzel just as it enters Milton Keynes. The lake is used by a number of local clubs for rowing and other water sports.

The place name is fairly common in England, and is Old English meaning "cold cottage". This refers to a resting place for travellers or other strangers on the road. The original Northampton to London road (modern Brickhill Street) runs nearby, just short of its junction with Watling Street (itself a major route in continuous use since Roman times). The village declined when the Northampton road was rerouted in 1728 through Broughton and Woburn to join the Watling Street at Hockliffe.

Wavendon Gate

Wavendon Gate is a district within the civil parish which borders on the village of Wavendon. It is a mainly residential area which contains the Wavendon Gate junior school and also a cricket green and pavilion for recreational activities.

Old Farm Park

Old Farm Park is a residential area in the south-east of the Walton parish.

Walton Park Electoral Ward

Walton Park is an electoral ward of Milton Keynes Council. In addition to Walton parish, the ward includes a portion of Monkston and Kents Hill Parish.[7] As of April 2012, the ward is served by three elected representatives; Cllrs Lee Barney (UKIP),[8][9] Jaime Tamagnini Barbosa (Liberal Democrats),[10] and Subhan Shafiq (also Liberal Democrats).[11]

ONS Urban Sub-Areas

The Office for National Statistics has designated[12] urban sub-areas called Walnut Tree and Browns Wood that are far bigger than the districts of that name. The Walnut Tree and Browns Wood urban sub-areas together approximate to that part of the former Newport Pagnell Rural District that is west of the River Ouzel and east of the M1.

The districts included in the Walnut Tree urban sub-area are Walton, Walnut Tree, Wavendon Gate, Walton Hall, Kents Hill, Brinklow, Monkston, Kingston, Middleton (Milton Keynes Village), Broughton, Northfield and Pineham. Browns Wood has a separate urban sub-area, presumably because it was a later phase of development.

References

  1. Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 census, Accessed 4 February 2013
  2. Milton Keynes parishes as of 2002 (map)
  3. MSD Animal Health contact details
  4. Victoaria History of the Counties of England: Buckinghamshire Vol IV: Newport Hundred : Walton
  5. Anne Baker – Street Names of Milton Keynes East ISBN 978-1-86077-411-9
  6. Blackberry Clinic
  7. "Map of Walton Park the ward". Walton Park Conservatives. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  8. "Milton Keynes Council – Member Details". Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  9. "Lee Barney bio". Walton Park Conservatives. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  10. "Milton Keynes Council – Member Details". Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  11. "Milton Keynes Council – Member Details". Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  12. KS01 Usual resident population: Census 2001, Key Statistics for urban areas (lines 1808 to 1815).

External links

Media related to Walton, Milton Keynes at Wikimedia Commons