Olney, Buckinghamshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Olney |
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 High Street, Olney |
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 Olney
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| Population | 6,477 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SP889513 |
| • London | 59 miles (95 km) |
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| District |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Olney |
| Postcode district | MK46 |
| Dialling code | 01234 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Buckinghamshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Olney (pronounced "OH-nee") is a historic market town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is part of the City of Milton Keynes. In 2011, about 6,477 people lived there. Olney is located on the left bank of the River Great Ouse. It's about 8 miles (13 km) from Central Milton Keynes and 10 miles (16 km) from Bedford, Northampton, and Wellingborough.
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Olney's History
During the time of Roman Britain, there was a Roman settlement northeast of where Olney is today. In 2023, archaeologists found a beautiful mosaic from a Roman villa. They said these finds were "very important."
Olney was first mentioned in 932 as Ollanege, which means "Olla's island." The town has a long history of making lace. The Domesday Book from 1086 also mentions Olney, then called Olnei.
During the English Civil War, Olney was the location of the Battle of Olney Bridge.
In the late 1700s, two famous people, William Cowper and John Newton, lived in Olney. They worked together to write many hymns, which are now known as the Olney Hymns. One of the most famous hymns they wrote is "Amazing Grace." You can learn more about them at the Cowper and Newton Museum in Olney. This museum is in Cowper's old house, which was given to the town in 1905.
The area called Olney Park Farm, north of the town, gets its name from a park created in 1374. In 1861, it became its own parish, but later joined with Olney around 1931. In 1841, Olney had a population of 2,362 people.
The Famous Olney Pancake Race
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Since 1445, Olney has held a special pancake race on Pancake Day. This day is also known as Shrove Tuesday, and it's the day before Lent begins. The story goes that in 1445, a housewife was busy cooking pancakes when the "Shriving Bell" rang. This bell called people to a church service. The housewife ran to the church, still holding her frying pan and tossing her pancake so it wouldn't burn. She was even wearing her kitchen apron and headscarf!
Today, the women of Olney still recreate this race every Shrove Tuesday. They run from the market place to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, which is over 400 yards (about 365 meters). The traditional prize for winning is a kiss from the verger (a church official).
Olney also competes with a town in the United States called Liberal, Kansas. They have their own pancake race, and the fastest time between the two towns wins the "International Pancake Race." There's also a children's race for local school kids, where they run about 20 yards (18 meters). This children's race has been held every year since 1950.
Historic Buildings and Monuments
Olney has many old and important buildings. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is a very old church from the 14th century, with parts added later. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered very important historically. There are also four Grade II* buildings and 114 Grade II buildings. These buildings are protected because of their special history and architecture.
On the northern edge of town, there's a scheduled monument which is a Romano-British settlement. This means it's a protected archaeological site from the Roman period in Britain.
Celebrating Amazing Grace
In July 2022, the Cowper and Newton Museum in Olney started a project called "Amazing Grace 250." This project celebrates the 250th anniversary of the famous hymn "Amazing Grace." It includes many exhibitions and special events in Olney and the wider Milton Keynes area.
About Olney Today
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The A509 road runs through Olney, becoming the wide High Street. This street is lined with historic townhouses. The Market Place hosts a general market every Thursday and a farmers' market on the first Sunday of each month. Most of Olney's shops are independent, meaning they are not big chain stores. People come from other towns to find unique galleries, antique shops, rug and furniture sellers, and boutiques for clothes and perfumes. There are also many restaurants, pubs, cafés, and takeaways offering different kinds of food.
As Olney grows, new homes are being built. To help with this growth, a secondary school campus, Ousedale School, has opened for students from Year 7 to Year 11 (ages 11-16). Olney Infants School is for younger children (ages 4-7), and Olney Middle School teaches children up to Year 6 (age 11).
Olney is the northernmost town in the Milton Keynes area of Buckinghamshire. It is close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.
Getting Around Olney
Train Travel
The closest train station for passengers is at Wolverton, about 8 miles (13 km) away. For longer journeys, you can use Milton Keynes Central or Bedford railway stations, both about 11 miles (18 km) away. Olney used to have its own train station, but passenger services stopped in 1962.
Roads
The A509 road goes right through Olney. If you drive south, it leads to the M1 motorway at Junction 14, which is about 7 miles (11 km) away. If you drive north, it connects to the A428 road, which goes west towards Northampton and east towards Bedford and Cambridge.
Bus Services
Bus 21 (Red Rose) connects Olney with Lavendon to the northeast, and Newport Pagnell and Central Milton Keynes to the south. This bus runs about once an hour from Monday to Friday.
Bus 41 (Stagecoach) connects Olney with Lavendon, Bedford, and Northampton. In April 2023, the Milton Keynes City Council planned to increase how often this bus runs.
The City Council also has an "on-demand" bus service called "MK Connect." You can book this bus when you need it, and it serves the whole Milton Keynes area, including Olney.
Future Plans for Olney
The Milton Keynes City Council sees Olney as one of the three main towns outside the original "new city" area of Milton Keynes. The town has a plan to build about 300 new homes between 2017 and 2031. About 30% of these new homes are planned to be affordable housing.
Local Media
For local news and TV, Olney is served by BBC East and ITV Anglia. Local radio stations include BBC Three Counties Radio, Heart East, and MKFM. The local newspaper for the town is the Milton Keynes Citizen.
How Olney is Governed
Olney has been part of the City of Milton Keynes since 1974. Since 1997, Milton Keynes has been a unitary authority. This means the Milton Keynes City Council is in charge of most local services. People who live in Olney vote for councillors to represent them on the City Council. Olney is part of a larger ward (an election area) with the same name.
At a local level, Olney also has a town council. This council is based at the Olney Centre on the High Street.
Sports in Olney
Rugby
Olney has a rugby team called Olney Rugby Football Club, which started in 1877.
Football
The town used to have a football club called Olney Town F.C., which played in the United Counties Football League. However, this club closed down in 2018.
Olney also has a junior football club called Olney Town Colts FC. This club has 27 teams for players aged 5 to 18, and an adult team. This helps local players keep playing football as they get older.
Other Sports
Other sports in Olney include cricket, tennis, and bowls. There is also a hockey club for junior players.
Famous People from Olney
- Thomas Armstrong, a musician and college leader.
- William Cowper, a famous poet and hymn writer.
- Clem Curtis, a musician and TV personality from the band The Foundations.
- Henry Gauntlett, a musician and composer.
- John Newton, a clergyman who used to be involved in the slave trade but later became a strong supporter of ending it. He wrote "Amazing Grace".
- John Sutcliff, a Baptist minister who lived in Olney for 39 years and helped restart the Baptist mission.
- Dan Wheldon (1978–2011), a racing driver who won the IndyCar Series in 2005 and the Indianapolis 500 twice. He used to live in Olney.
- Albert William Wise (1886-1964), known as Micky Wise, was born in Olney and played as a goalkeeper for Bradford City.
Images for kids
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High Street, Olney
See also
In Spanish: Olney (Buckinghamshire) para niños
