Iver: Difference between revisions
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'''Iver''' is located in the south-east corner of the county of [[Buckinghamshire]] and it forms one of the largest [[parish]]es under the authority of [[South Bucks District Council]]. |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}} |
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{{not to be confused with|Ivor}} |
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{{infobox UK place |
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|country = England |
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|coordinates = {{coord|51.521|-0.507|display=inline,title}} |
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|official_name = Iver |
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|civil_parish = Iver |
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|static_image_name=Footpath_signs_beside_the_River_Colne_at_Iver_Lane_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1754526.jpg |
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|static_image_caption=Iver's three similar settlements form a jointly administered community. Footpaths run to the [[Colne Valley regional park]], the train station and branch into the [[Chiltern Hills]], [[London]] and the [[London Loop]]. |
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|population = 11,119 |
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|population_ref = (2011)<ref name=ons>[http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11125052&c=iver&d=16&e=62&g=6404579&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1359841185487&enc=1 Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 census] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052704/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11125052&c=iver&d=16&e=62&g=6404579&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1359841185487&enc=1 |date=4 March 2016 }}, Accessed 2 February 2013</ref> |
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|area_total_km2=20.1 |
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|unitary_england = [[Buckinghamshire Council|Buckinghamshire]] |
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|lieutenancy_england = [[Buckinghamshire]] |
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|region = South East England |
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|constituency_westminster = [[Beaconsfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Beaconsfield]] |
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|post_town = IVER |
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|postcode_district = SL0 |
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|postcode_area = SL |
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|dial_code = 01753 |
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|os_grid_reference = TQ0381 |
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}} |
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'''Iver''' {{IPAc-en|'|aɪ|.|v|ə|r}} is a [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in [[Buckinghamshire]], England. In addition to the central [[nucleated village|clustered village]], the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of '''Iver Heath''' and '''Richings Park''' and the hamlets of [[Shreding Green]] and '''Thorney'''.<ref name="The Ivers Parish Council">{{cite web |title=The Ivers Parish Council |url=https://www.iversparishcouncil.gov.uk/ |website=www.iversparishcouncil.gov.uk}}</ref> |
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==Geography, transport and economy== |
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== The Parish of Iver == |
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Part of the 43-square-mile [[Colne Valley regional park]], with woods, lakes and land by the [[Grand Union Canal]]. Most of the open land is classified as [[Metropolitan Green Belt]]. |
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The Parish of Iver covers about eight square miles (21 km²) and it includes the [[village]]s of '''Iver Heath''' and '''Iver'''. To their south is '''Richings Park'''. The center of [[London]] is located approximately twenty miles (30 km) away. The parish flanks the [[Greater London]] border in the vicinity of [[Uxbridge]] for several miles and it is located to the east of the [[town]] of [[Slough]]. Iver Heath, Iver and Richings Park straddle the [[M25 motorway|M25]] [[motorway]] which is intersected to the north above Iver Heath by the [[M40 motorway|M40]], and to the south beneath Richings Park, by the [[M4 motorway|M4]]. |
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Surrounding the Ivers are neighbouring villages and towns of [[Fulmer]], [[Denham, Buckinghamshire|Denham]], [[Gerrards Cross]] and [[Wexham]]. Also nearby are [[Colnbrook]], [[Langley, Berkshire|Langley]], [[Uxbridge]], [[Cowley, London|Cowley]], [[Yiewsley]] and [[West Drayton]]. |
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== History of the parish == |
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The village name '''Iver''' is [[Anglo Saxon]] in origin and means (place by) ''the brow of the hill''. In the [[Domesday Book]] of [[1086]] the whole area was recorded as ''Evreham'' or ''homestead by the brow of a hill'' and it was in the possession of a man called Robert Doiley. |
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The Ivers have public transport and motorway links. The [[M25 motorway]] and [[M4 motorway]], including the [[Thorney Interchange]], are nearby, while to the north of the Ivers is the [[M40 motorway]] as well as the [[A40 road|A40]], which is parallel to the M40. |
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It has been suggested by some that the area is actually named after a contemporary of Doiley, Roger de Iveri, also a [[Normans|Norman]] gentleman who arrived in [[England]] with [[William the Conqueror]]. However there are no records to suggest that Iveri ever owned the [[manor]] here, although he did own property elsewhere in Buckinghamshire. |
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Also situated on the [[Elizabeth line]], Iver, Richings Park and Thorney are less than {{convert|0.5|mi}} from [[Iver railway station]], with [[Langley railway station]] and [[Uxbridge tube station]] nearby for other villages across the Iver's. |
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The area was (in [[1351]]) granted a [[Royal charter]] to hold a weekly [[market]]. This charter was confirmed 110 years later in [[1461]]. At that time Iver was a place of some importance. |
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Two significant employers in the parish are the Ridgeway trading and warehousing estate in Richings Park and [[Pinewood Studios]] in Iver Heath. |
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The [[family name]]s '''Eure''' and '''Ewer''' are said to originate from this area. |
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==History== |
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== Village of Iver Heath == |
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In the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 the whole area was recorded as ''Evreham'' or ''homestead by the brow of a hill'' and it was in the possession of a man called [[Robert D'Oyly (Oxford)|Robert Doiley]]. |
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'''Iver Heath''' is the location of [[Heatherden Hall]], a [[Victorian estate]] with spectacular grounds. It was purchased by Lt. Col. [[Grant Morden]], a [[Canada|Canadian]] financier, who transformed the mansion by adding a huge ballroom and [[Turkish bath]]. During the [[1930s]] it became a retreat and private meeting place for politicians and diplomats. The agreement to form the [[Irish Free State]] was signed at Heatherden Hall. |
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[[Image:Iver3.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Postcard of Iver Village]] In 1351 the area was granted a [[Royal charter]] to hold a weekly [[Market (place)|market]]. This charter was confirmed 110 years later in 1461. |
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===Iver=== |
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When Grant Morden died in [[1934]] the estate was purchased at auction by [[Charles Boot]] who had recently inherited a large construction firm from his father [[Henry Boot]], who died in [[1931]]. Within twelve months Charles Boot transformed Heatherden Hall into the office building for a new [[movie complex]] which occupied the grounds. He based his new studios upon the latest [[Hollywood]], [[United States|USA]] designs of that era. Charles Boot named it [[Pinewood Film Studios]] after seeing the large number of pine trees that surrounded the area. The entrance to the studio is located on Pinewood Road. |
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Iver village on the [[Uxbridge]] to [[Langley, Slough|Langley]] road has a pre-''[[Domesday]]'' foundation and [[Neolithic]] pottery fragments and other artefacts have been discovered. The village church has shards of a [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] window, and elements dating from the 15th century, 16th century and 17th century can be seen. The village has numerous houses from the 16th and 17th centuries. |
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===Thorney=== |
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Adjoining the studio complex is Black Park with a lake that extends over 530 acres (2.1 km²). It was used by Pinewood Film Studios for outdoor sequences in the filming of the [[Hammer Films]]' [[Dracula]] horror movies. |
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In the spring of 893 a [[Viking]] raiding army plundered through [[Kent]] and [[Sussex]]. After reaching [[Farnham]] in [[Surrey]] it was intercepted by [[Alfred the Great|Alfred the Great's]] son [[Edward the Elder|Edward]] with his [[Wessex|West Saxon]] [[Fyrd]]. The Danes were routed, fleeing over the [[River Thames]] into [[Mercia]] with the West Saxon army in pursuit. Having reached the [[Colne, Hertfordshire|River Colne]] the Danes mounted a defence on what was known as Thorney Island, believed to be land between the Colne and an offshoot channel of the river between Thorney and Iver. Edward began a siege of the island and was joined by [[Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians|Æthelred of Mercia]] with soldiers from the Mercian garrison in London. After a prolonged stalemate an agreement was reached with the Danes that they would to leave the Angle and Saxon controlled lands peacefully and go directly to the lands in the east under Danish control which they duly did, without any of their plundered spoils.<ref name="Through the centuries">{{cite book |last1=Cox |first1=A.H. |title=West Drayton & Yiewsley through the centuries |date=1983 |publisher=Hillingdon Borough Libraries |isbn=0907869033 |pages=9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Merkle |first1=Benjamin |title=The White Horse King, The life of Alfred the Great |date=2009 |publisher=Thomas Nelson, Nashville |isbn=9781595552525 |pages=210–221}}</ref> |
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===Iver Heath=== |
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To the south, Black Park is separated from Langley Park by the A412 road. Langley Park covers 130 acres (0.53 km²) and is known for its rhododendron and azalea-filled Temple Gardens. |
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Iver Heath is the location of [[Heatherden Hall]], a [[Victorian era|Victorian]] estate with spectacular grounds. It was purchased by Lt. Col. [[Walter Grant Morden|Grant Morden]], a Canadian financier, who transformed the mansion by adding a huge ballroom and [[Turkish bath]]. During the 1930s it became a retreat and private meeting place for politicians and diplomats. The agreement to form the [[Irish Free State]] was signed at Heatherden Hall. The Church of St Margaret was built in 1862. Iver Heath itself is centred on a triangle of roads. The village post office was on the Slough Road to the south, but closed in September 2020, while a parade of shops used to be found along Church Road to the north. Slough Road and Church Road are connected by Bangors Road North to the east. |
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===Richings Park=== |
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Iver Heath village itself is centred around a triangle of roads. The village post office is located on the Slough Road to the south, whilst a parade of shops can be found along Church Road to the north. Slough Road and Church Road are connected by Bangors Road North to the east. |
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Richings Park was once the estate of [[Earl Bathurst|Lord Bathurst]]. In the 1630s, the Richings estate was owned by the Salter family, who in 1678 sold it to Sir Peter Apsley. His daughter Catherine married her cousin, [[Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst]].<ref name="vch">{{cite web |title=Parishes: Iver Pages 286–294 A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3. |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol3/pp286-294 |website=British History Online |publisher=Victoria County History, 1925 |access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref> Around 1740, the estate was sold to the Earl of Hertford, and in 1776 to Sir John Coghill, 1st Baronet of Richings.<ref name="vch"/> |
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In the 1780s, the house was burned down and rebuilt. It was later the home of the Sullivan and Meeking families.<ref name="vch"/> Ironically, in 1924, [[Violet Bathurst, Lady Apsley|Viola Meeking]] married into the Bathurst family who had held the Richings Park estate two centuries earlier. |
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The Church of St Margaret was built in 1862. |
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The new Richings Park mansion, very briefly the home of [[RAF Bomber Command]], was destroyed during [[World War II]], and its site is now a residential area with its own shopping facilities. Local street names reflect the history of the estate. The cellars of the house are still visible in fields now overlooking the [[M4 motorway|M4]]. |
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== Village of Iver == |
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'''Iver''' village on the [[Uxbridge]] to [[Langley, Slough|Langley]] road has a pre-[[Domesday]] foundation in which [[Neolithic]] potsheds and other artifacts have been discovered. The village church has fragments of a [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] window and elements dating from the [[15th century]], [[16th century]] and [[17th century]] are to be seen. The village has numerous houses from the 16th and 17th centuries. |
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Richings Park is the location of [[Iver railway station]] on the [[Elizabeth Line]]. |
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== Richings Park == |
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'''Richings Park''' was once the estate of [[Lord Bathurst]]. Richings Park mansion was destroyed during [[World War II]] and its site is now a residential area with its own shopping facilities. Richings Park was very briefly the home of [[Bomber Command]], and the cellars of the house are still visible in fields now overlooking the [[M25 motorway|M25]]. |
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==Black Park Country Park and Langley Park Country Park== |
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[[Black Park]] adjoins the Pinewood Studio complex. It has a lake that extends over {{convert|13|acre|ha}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=51.5394&lon=-0.5491&layers=168&b=3|title=Explore georeferenced maps – Map images – National Library of Scotland|website=maps.nls.uk|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref> Due to its proximity to Pinewood Studios, Black Park was used for outdoor sequences in some of [[Hammer Films|Hammer]]'s ''[[Dracula (Hammer film series)|Dracula]]'' films, a number of ''[[Carry On (film series)|Carry On]]'' films, the [[Gerry Anderson]] Sci Fi series [[UFO]] and in the 1964 [[James Bond]] film ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]''. |
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To the south, Black Park is separated from [[Langley Park, Buckinghamshire|Langley Park]] by the A412 / Uxbridge Road. Langley Park covers 130 acres (0.53 km<sup>2</sup>) and is known for its rhododendron and azalea-filled Temple Gardens. |
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==Pinewood Studios== |
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{{main|Pinewood Studios}} |
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Pinewood Studios is a major British [[film studio]] to the immediate west of the developed land of Iver Heath, which is in all other respects residential. The studios have hosted many productions from blockbuster films to UK television shows, commercials and pop music promos. The Superman and James Bond film franchises have used the film studios which provides tours of its museum. |
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Pinewood was built on the estate of [[Heatherden Hall]], a large, attractive Victorian house with spectacular grounds. The Pinewood estate had previously been purchased by Lt. Col. Grant Morden, a Canadian financier and [[Member of Parliament|MP]] for [[Brentford and Chiswick (UK Parliament constituency)|Brentford and Chiswick]]. He spent a fortune transforming the mansion into a showpiece home, adding refinements such as a huge [[ballroom]], a [[Turkish bath]] and an indoor [[squash court]]. Due to its seclusion, the house was used as a discreet meeting place for high-ranking politicians and diplomats. Here the agreement for the [[Anglo-Irish Treaty]] was signed. When Grant Morden died in 1934 the estate was purchased at auction by [[Charles Boot]], who had recently inherited a large construction firm from his father, [[Henry Boot]], who died in 1931. Within twelve months Charles had formed a partnership with [[J. Arthur Rank]], who transformed the mansion into the office building for a [[Movie studio|film studio]] complex. He based his new studios on the latest Hollywood designs of that era. Charles Boot named the complex Pinewood Film Studios, a reference to the many pine trees in the area. The entrance to the studio is on Pinewood Road. |
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==Activities and facilities== |
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===The Evreham Sports Centre=== |
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The Sports Centre is based in Iver, which is in the south of the District. The centre is run by [[Greenwich Leisure Limited]]. Facilities include a multi purpose sports hall, dance studio, lounge (with adjoining kitchen), sunbed, outdoor floodlit synthetic surface pitch, grass soccer pitches and a changing facility and fitness suite with equipment including a nautilus tread climber. The fitness suite contains pieces of equipment designed to be accessible to those persons with limited mobility. |
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===Evreham Adult Learning Centre=== |
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Adjacent to the Sports Centre on the border of Iver Heath and Iver, this facility is a former secondary school which hosts independent and Council-run events and courses. These include Zumba, Slimming World, Pottery, Guitar and Woodwork. The venue also hosts the Tiny Toes Nursery and a Youth Centre.<ref>[https://www.adultlearningbcc.ac.uk/centre-locations/ Buckinghamshire Adult Learning ]</ref> |
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==Demography== |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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|+ '''2011 Published Statistics: Population, home ownership and extracts from Physical Environment, surveyed in 2005<ref name=ons />''' |
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|- |
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!Output area||Homes owned outright||Owned with a loan||Socially rented||Privately rented||Other||Usual residents ||km<sup>2</sup> |
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|- align=center |
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|Civil parish|| 1462 || 1720 || 569 || 377 || 43 ||11119 || 20.09 |
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|} |
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==Notable people== |
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* [[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent]], member of the [[British royal family]], lived at [[Coppins]], Iver (1935–1972). |
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* [[Prince Michael of Kent]], Edward's younger brother, was born in Iver.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/PrinceandPrincessMichaelofKent/PrinceandPrincessMichaelofKent.aspx|title=Prince and Princess Michael of Kent|work=The Official Website of the British Monarchy|access-date=3 February 2012}}</ref> |
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* [[Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom|Princess Victoria]] (1868–1935), daughter of [[Edward VII]], lived in Iver 1925–1935.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ralphhancock.com/introduction|title=Introduction: Ralph Hancock|access-date=3 February 2012}}</ref> |
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* [[Matty Cash]], is an English football player who grew up in the village. He currently is playing football for [[Aston Villa]] and [[Poland national football team|Poland]]. |
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* [[Linford Christie]], is a British sprinter who lived in Iver. |
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* [[Charles Richard Fairey]] Founder of Fairey aviation, the Fairey factory based in West London creators of the [[Fairey Swordfish|Swordfish]]. The family lived at Woodlands aka Elk Meadows in Iver Heath. |
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* [[John Fairey]] (1935–2009), aviator son of [[Charles Richard Fairey|Charles Fairey]] (founder of the [[Fairey Aviation Company]]), was born in Iver.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/5895456/Captain-John-Fairey.html|title=Obituary: Captain John Fairey|date=23 July 2009|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|work=telegraph.co.uk|access-date=3 February 2012}}</ref> |
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* [[Chris Finnegan]] (1944–2009) British professional boxer of Irish descent born in Iver. |
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* [[Kevin Finnegan]] (1948–2008) British professional boxer of Irish descent born in Iver. |
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* [[James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier|James Gambier]] (1756–1833), notorious [[admiral]] of the [[Royal Navy]], lived in Iver, his gardener invented the modern day pansy<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N043AAAAYAAJ&q=%22james+gambier%22+iver&pg=PA559|title=The Gentleman's magazine, Volume 103, Part 1|page=559|year=1833|access-date=3 February 2012}}</ref> |
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* [[Julian Haviland]] (born 1930), former Political Editor of both [[ITN]] and ''[[The Times]]'' newspaper, was born in Iver Heath. |
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* [[Sid James]] (1913–1976) South African-born British actor and comedian. Lived at Delaford Park, Iver. |
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* [[Daniel Johnson (journalist)|Daniel Johnson]] (born 26 August 1957) is a British journalist who is the founding editor of ''Standpoint'', lived in Iver. |
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* [[Luke Johnson (businessman)|Luke Oliver Johnson]] (born 2 February 1962), is a British serial entrepreneur, best known for his involvement with [[Pizza Express]]. He is a former chairman of the [[Royal Society of Arts]] and [[Channel 4]]. Lived in Iver. |
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* [[Paul Johnson (writer)|Paul Bede Johnson]] (born 2 November 1928) is an English journalist, historian, speechwriter and author. While associated with the political left in his early career, he is now a conservative popular historian. Lived in Iver. |
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* [[Brian Muir (sculptor)|Brian Muir]], sculptor of [[Darth Vader]]'s helmet and armour and the [[Stormtrooper (Star Wars)|Stormtrooper]] armour in ''[[Star Wars]]'', lives in Iver.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigbaddaddyvader.com/interviewsection.htm|title=Interview with Brian Muir|access-date=3 February 2012}}</ref> |
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* [[John Nash (artist)|John Nash]] (1893–1977), painter of landscape and still-life, grew up in Iver.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookroomartpress.co.uk/biographies/19.html|title=Nash, John Biography|publisher=The Bookroom Art Press|access-date=3 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722122331/http://www.bookroomartpress.co.uk/biographies/19.html|archive-date=22 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> |
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* [[Paul Nash (artist)|Paul Nash]], WW1 and WW2 war artist, older brother of John Nash, moved to Iver Heath aged 3 and is buried in Langley in family plot. |
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* [[David Seaman]] Former England goalkeeper lived in Iver. |
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* [[Martin Secker]] (1882–1978) London publisher who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 30s, lived at Bridgefoot House, Iver. |
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* [[Oli White (YouTuber)|Oli White]] (born 26 January 1995), is an English YouTuber, actor and author, born in Iver. |
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==See also== |
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* [[List of civil parishes in England]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Commons category|Iver}} |
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* [http://www.iverparishcouncil.gov.uk/ Iver Parish Council] |
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{{South Bucks}} |
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{{Buckinghamshire}} |
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{{authority control}} |
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[[Category:Villages in Buckinghamshire]] |
[[Category:Villages in Buckinghamshire]] |
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[[Category:Civil parishes in Buckinghamshire]] |
Latest revision as of 20:16, 7 September 2024
Iver | |
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Iver's three similar settlements form a jointly administered community. Footpaths run to the Colne Valley regional park, the train station and branch into the Chiltern Hills, London and the London Loop. | |
Location within Buckinghamshire | |
Area | 20.1 km2 (7.8 sq mi) |
Population | 11,119 (2011)[1] |
• Density | 553/km2 (1,430/sq mi) |
OS grid reference | TQ0381 |
Civil parish |
|
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | IVER |
Postcode district | SL0 |
Dialling code | 01753 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Buckinghamshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
UK Parliament | |
Iver /ˈaɪ.vər/ is a civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. In addition to the central clustered village, the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park and the hamlets of Shreding Green and Thorney.[2]
Geography, transport and economy
[edit]Part of the 43-square-mile Colne Valley regional park, with woods, lakes and land by the Grand Union Canal. Most of the open land is classified as Metropolitan Green Belt.
Surrounding the Ivers are neighbouring villages and towns of Fulmer, Denham, Gerrards Cross and Wexham. Also nearby are Colnbrook, Langley, Uxbridge, Cowley, Yiewsley and West Drayton.
The Ivers have public transport and motorway links. The M25 motorway and M4 motorway, including the Thorney Interchange, are nearby, while to the north of the Ivers is the M40 motorway as well as the A40, which is parallel to the M40.
Also situated on the Elizabeth line, Iver, Richings Park and Thorney are less than 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from Iver railway station, with Langley railway station and Uxbridge tube station nearby for other villages across the Iver's.
Two significant employers in the parish are the Ridgeway trading and warehousing estate in Richings Park and Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath.
History
[edit]In the Domesday Book of 1086 the whole area was recorded as Evreham or homestead by the brow of a hill and it was in the possession of a man called Robert Doiley.
In 1351 the area was granted a Royal charter to hold a weekly market. This charter was confirmed 110 years later in 1461.
Iver
[edit]Iver village on the Uxbridge to Langley road has a pre-Domesday foundation and Neolithic pottery fragments and other artefacts have been discovered. The village church has shards of a Saxon window, and elements dating from the 15th century, 16th century and 17th century can be seen. The village has numerous houses from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Thorney
[edit]In the spring of 893 a Viking raiding army plundered through Kent and Sussex. After reaching Farnham in Surrey it was intercepted by Alfred the Great's son Edward with his West Saxon Fyrd. The Danes were routed, fleeing over the River Thames into Mercia with the West Saxon army in pursuit. Having reached the River Colne the Danes mounted a defence on what was known as Thorney Island, believed to be land between the Colne and an offshoot channel of the river between Thorney and Iver. Edward began a siege of the island and was joined by Æthelred of Mercia with soldiers from the Mercian garrison in London. After a prolonged stalemate an agreement was reached with the Danes that they would to leave the Angle and Saxon controlled lands peacefully and go directly to the lands in the east under Danish control which they duly did, without any of their plundered spoils.[3][4]
Iver Heath
[edit]Iver Heath is the location of Heatherden Hall, a Victorian estate with spectacular grounds. It was purchased by Lt. Col. Grant Morden, a Canadian financier, who transformed the mansion by adding a huge ballroom and Turkish bath. During the 1930s it became a retreat and private meeting place for politicians and diplomats. The agreement to form the Irish Free State was signed at Heatherden Hall. The Church of St Margaret was built in 1862. Iver Heath itself is centred on a triangle of roads. The village post office was on the Slough Road to the south, but closed in September 2020, while a parade of shops used to be found along Church Road to the north. Slough Road and Church Road are connected by Bangors Road North to the east.
Richings Park
[edit]Richings Park was once the estate of Lord Bathurst. In the 1630s, the Richings estate was owned by the Salter family, who in 1678 sold it to Sir Peter Apsley. His daughter Catherine married her cousin, Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst.[5] Around 1740, the estate was sold to the Earl of Hertford, and in 1776 to Sir John Coghill, 1st Baronet of Richings.[5]
In the 1780s, the house was burned down and rebuilt. It was later the home of the Sullivan and Meeking families.[5] Ironically, in 1924, Viola Meeking married into the Bathurst family who had held the Richings Park estate two centuries earlier.
The new Richings Park mansion, very briefly the home of RAF Bomber Command, was destroyed during World War II, and its site is now a residential area with its own shopping facilities. Local street names reflect the history of the estate. The cellars of the house are still visible in fields now overlooking the M4.
Richings Park is the location of Iver railway station on the Elizabeth Line.
Black Park Country Park and Langley Park Country Park
[edit]Black Park adjoins the Pinewood Studio complex. It has a lake that extends over 13 acres (5.3 ha).[6] Due to its proximity to Pinewood Studios, Black Park was used for outdoor sequences in some of Hammer's Dracula films, a number of Carry On films, the Gerry Anderson Sci Fi series UFO and in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.
To the south, Black Park is separated from Langley Park by the A412 / Uxbridge Road. Langley Park covers 130 acres (0.53 km2) and is known for its rhododendron and azalea-filled Temple Gardens.
Pinewood Studios
[edit]Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio to the immediate west of the developed land of Iver Heath, which is in all other respects residential. The studios have hosted many productions from blockbuster films to UK television shows, commercials and pop music promos. The Superman and James Bond film franchises have used the film studios which provides tours of its museum.
Pinewood was built on the estate of Heatherden Hall, a large, attractive Victorian house with spectacular grounds. The Pinewood estate had previously been purchased by Lt. Col. Grant Morden, a Canadian financier and MP for Brentford and Chiswick. He spent a fortune transforming the mansion into a showpiece home, adding refinements such as a huge ballroom, a Turkish bath and an indoor squash court. Due to its seclusion, the house was used as a discreet meeting place for high-ranking politicians and diplomats. Here the agreement for the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed. When Grant Morden died in 1934 the estate was purchased at auction by Charles Boot, who had recently inherited a large construction firm from his father, Henry Boot, who died in 1931. Within twelve months Charles had formed a partnership with J. Arthur Rank, who transformed the mansion into the office building for a film studio complex. He based his new studios on the latest Hollywood designs of that era. Charles Boot named the complex Pinewood Film Studios, a reference to the many pine trees in the area. The entrance to the studio is on Pinewood Road.
Activities and facilities
[edit]The Evreham Sports Centre
[edit]The Sports Centre is based in Iver, which is in the south of the District. The centre is run by Greenwich Leisure Limited. Facilities include a multi purpose sports hall, dance studio, lounge (with adjoining kitchen), sunbed, outdoor floodlit synthetic surface pitch, grass soccer pitches and a changing facility and fitness suite with equipment including a nautilus tread climber. The fitness suite contains pieces of equipment designed to be accessible to those persons with limited mobility.
Evreham Adult Learning Centre
[edit]Adjacent to the Sports Centre on the border of Iver Heath and Iver, this facility is a former secondary school which hosts independent and Council-run events and courses. These include Zumba, Slimming World, Pottery, Guitar and Woodwork. The venue also hosts the Tiny Toes Nursery and a Youth Centre.[7]
Demography
[edit]Output area | Homes owned outright | Owned with a loan | Socially rented | Privately rented | Other | Usual residents | km2 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Civil parish | 1462 | 1720 | 569 | 377 | 43 | 11119 | 20.09 |
Notable people
[edit]- Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, member of the British royal family, lived at Coppins, Iver (1935–1972).
- Prince Michael of Kent, Edward's younger brother, was born in Iver.[8]
- Princess Victoria (1868–1935), daughter of Edward VII, lived in Iver 1925–1935.[9]
- Matty Cash, is an English football player who grew up in the village. He currently is playing football for Aston Villa and Poland.
- Linford Christie, is a British sprinter who lived in Iver.
- Charles Richard Fairey Founder of Fairey aviation, the Fairey factory based in West London creators of the Swordfish. The family lived at Woodlands aka Elk Meadows in Iver Heath.
- John Fairey (1935–2009), aviator son of Charles Fairey (founder of the Fairey Aviation Company), was born in Iver.[10]
- Chris Finnegan (1944–2009) British professional boxer of Irish descent born in Iver.
- Kevin Finnegan (1948–2008) British professional boxer of Irish descent born in Iver.
- James Gambier (1756–1833), notorious admiral of the Royal Navy, lived in Iver, his gardener invented the modern day pansy[11]
- Julian Haviland (born 1930), former Political Editor of both ITN and The Times newspaper, was born in Iver Heath.
- Sid James (1913–1976) South African-born British actor and comedian. Lived at Delaford Park, Iver.
- Daniel Johnson (born 26 August 1957) is a British journalist who is the founding editor of Standpoint, lived in Iver.
- Luke Oliver Johnson (born 2 February 1962), is a British serial entrepreneur, best known for his involvement with Pizza Express. He is a former chairman of the Royal Society of Arts and Channel 4. Lived in Iver.
- Paul Bede Johnson (born 2 November 1928) is an English journalist, historian, speechwriter and author. While associated with the political left in his early career, he is now a conservative popular historian. Lived in Iver.
- Brian Muir, sculptor of Darth Vader's helmet and armour and the Stormtrooper armour in Star Wars, lives in Iver.[12]
- John Nash (1893–1977), painter of landscape and still-life, grew up in Iver.[13]
- Paul Nash, WW1 and WW2 war artist, older brother of John Nash, moved to Iver Heath aged 3 and is buried in Langley in family plot.
- David Seaman Former England goalkeeper lived in Iver.
- Martin Secker (1882–1978) London publisher who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 30s, lived at Bridgefoot House, Iver.
- Oli White (born 26 January 1995), is an English YouTuber, actor and author, born in Iver.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 census Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed 2 February 2013
- ^ "The Ivers Parish Council". www.iversparishcouncil.gov.uk.
- ^ Cox, A.H. (1983). West Drayton & Yiewsley through the centuries. Hillingdon Borough Libraries. p. 9. ISBN 0907869033.
- ^ Merkle, Benjamin (2009). The White Horse King, The life of Alfred the Great. Thomas Nelson, Nashville. pp. 210–221. ISBN 9781595552525.
- ^ a b c "Parishes: Iver Pages 286–294 A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3". British History Online. Victoria County History, 1925. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Explore georeferenced maps – Map images – National Library of Scotland". maps.nls.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ Buckinghamshire Adult Learning
- ^ "Prince and Princess Michael of Kent". The Official Website of the British Monarchy. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ "Introduction: Ralph Hancock". Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ "Obituary: Captain John Fairey". telegraph.co.uk. The Daily Telegraph. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ The Gentleman's magazine, Volume 103, Part 1. 1833. p. 559. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ "Interview with Brian Muir". Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ "Nash, John Biography". The Bookroom Art Press. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.