Radnage is a village and civil parish in the Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills about two miles north east of Stokenchurch and six miles WNW of High Wycombe.
The parish is set in folds of the Chiltern Hills to the south of Bledlow Ridge next to the border with Oxfordshire. Although not a large parish, the residential areas known as The City, Bennett End and Town End, are separate hamlets.
Radnage (also spelled Radeneach, Rodenache etc. in old documents) meant ‘red oak’ in Old English.
History
left|thumb|Roman ribbed bowl in the British Museum that was excavated in Radnage
Settlement in the area dates back to Roman times as demonstrated by the excavation of a Romano-British glass ribbed bowl from the village, now in the British Museum. Radnage is not mentioned in Domesday Book and it appears from a 13th-century document to have been royal demesne attached to the manor of Brill. Later, it was divided into two parts. The smaller part was granted by King Henry I to the newly established Fontevrault Abbey in France and attached to property at Leighton in Bedfordshire, which was also given to Fontevrault.
The larger part, known as Radnage Manor, was for a time retained by the crown and then in 1215 was granted by King John to the Knights Templar. When this order was suppressed in the early 14th century, their lands passed to the Knights Hospitaller. On the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII the manor was again acquired by the crown. King Charles I mortgaged it with other crown lands to the City of London in order to raise money. Later, King Charles II was said to have given it to one of his mistresses. But by the 19th century both parts of the manor again belonged to the crown and so remained until the abolition of manorial rights in 1925.
Dedicated on 1 May 1920, Radnage War Memorial sits in a walled garden at Mudds Bank.
Amenities
Radnage has two public houses: The Crown and the Mash Inn (previously known as the Three Horseshoes and W.I. In addition to this, the hall also has a playing field and separate children's playground.
The village also has two campsites: Bella Vista and Home Farm.
Outdoor activities
Radnage is situated in the heart of the Chiltern Hills and is served by multiple footpaths and bridleways. As such, it's popular with cyclists, walkers, runners and horse riders. The village holds an annual 5k and 10k trail run race to raise money for the local school.left|thumb|A view of [[Bottom Wood in the spring]]
Notable trails and locations
- Yoesden Nature Reserve, a chalk grassland bank with rare butterflies and wildflowers.
- Bottom Wood, a 35-acre ancient woodland and nature reserve
- Chiltern Way, 134 mile (215 km) walking loop through the Chilterns passes through the village
- Chilterns Cycle Way, 170 mile (273.5 km) circular route of the Chilterns AONB passes through the village
Church of St Mary the Virgin
St Mary the Virgin is the local parish church, situated towards the northeastern edge of the parish. The church is part of the West Wycombe benefice, the building is Grade I listed.
History and construction
The church was built in the late 12th century, early 13th century
References
Books mentioned in the notes
- VHCB = Victoria History of the County of Buckingham, ed: William Page, Volume 3 (1925)
- Pevsner, Nikolaus & Elizabeth Williamson: Buckinghamshire (The Buildings of England - Penguin Books. 2nd edition. 1994)
- RCHMB = Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England): An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire, Volume 1 South (1912)