Loughton, Milton Keynes

Loughton is bordered by the Loughton Valley Park, a linear park that follows the course of Loughton Brook through the district. The park is part of Milton Keynes's green infrastructure and provides traffic-free walking and cycling routes connecting to nearby areas such as Bradwell and Shenley Church End. The park includes woodland, open meadows, and wetlands that support local biodiversity. {{cite web |url=https://www.theparkstrust.com/parks/loughton-valley-park/ |title= Loughton Valley Park |publisher=Milton Keynes Parks Trust|access-date=30 May 2025}}

Local education is served by Loughton School, which caters to junior-aged pupils, and Loughton Manor First School, which serves early years and Key Stage 1 students. Both schools are situated within the district and have strong links with community organisations. {{cite web |url= https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-and-lifelong-learning/school-admissions/find-school |title=Find a School |publisher=Milton Keynes City Council |access-date=30 May 2025}} For secondary education, most children attend nearby institutions such as Shenley Brook End School or Denbigh School in Shenley Church End.

Loughton features a blend of historical and modern housing stock. The area closest to The Green contains several listed buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, while the rest of the district includes mid- to late-20th century developments and newer infill housing. The population is diverse, comprising long-term residents, families, and professionals who commute to nearby employment centres including Central Milton Keynes. {{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/ |title=Census 2021: Milton Keynes |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=30 May 2025}}{{not in citation given|date=May 2025}}

Loughton enjoys good transport connectivity due to its location just west of Milton Keynes Central railway station. The station offers frequent services to London Euston, Birmingham, and Northampton. Several local bus routes also pass through or near the area, linking it with Central Milton Keynes and the wider urban area. Additionally, the district is served by the Milton Keynes Redway system, a network of dedicated pedestrian and cycle paths. {{cite web |url=https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/highways-and-transport/redway-system |title=Redway Network Overview |publisher=Milton Keynes Council |access-date=30 May 2025}}

Loughton maintains a strong community identity, with events and initiatives led by the Loughton and Great Holm Parish Council.{{cite web |url=https://www.loughtonandgreatholm-pc.gov.uk/ |title=Community Projects and Events |publisher=Loughton and Great Holm Parish Council |access-date=30 May 2025}}{{better source|date=May 2025}} The historic All Saints Church, a Grade II listed building, remains active as a religious and social centre. The district also features a local equestrian centre, which preserves aspects of the medieval field pattern including ridge-and-furrow earthworks and an ancient fish pond.

The village name is an Old English language word, and means 'Luhha's estate'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the village was recorded as Lochintone.[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62604 'Parishes : Loughton'], Victoria History of the Counties of England, A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 4 (1927), pp. 395–401. Date accessed: 14 September 2010 All Saints Church is the oldest surviving building in Loughton{{spaced ndash}}the chancel and nave probably date from the first years of the 13th century, though all the original details have been removed during subsequent alterations.

The original village has now been incorporated into the modern 'grid square' of Loughton. However much of the character of the old village remains; to the north-east of Bradwell Road the area bounded by School Lane and Church Lane contains the Church and remnants of the original parish of Great Loughton. To the south-west of Bradwell Road, around The Green there is a cluster of several sixteenth century buildings (Manor Farm, Manor Farm Cottages and Cell Farm) which constitute the remains of the original parish of Little Loughton.{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}

Today Loughton is a mainly residential area but is also home to a large Equestrian Centre, in the grounds of which the medieval field pattern and fish pond can still be seen.{{Cite web |title=North Loughton Moated Site |url=https://www.theparkstrust.com/our-work/heritage/north-loughton-moated-site/ |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=www.theparkstrust.com |language=en-GB}}

The district is bounded by the A5 to the east, H5 Portway to the north, V4 Watling Street to the west and H6 Childs Way to the south.

The Received Pronunciation of Loughton is {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|aʊ|t|ən}} (the "ou" rhymes with "ouch", the "gh" is silent), in contrast to the similarly-spelt neighbouring areas of Broughton {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|ɔː|t|ən}} and Woughton {{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ʊ|f|t|ən}}.

• John Athawes (born 1837), cricketer

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Archival photos and recorded interviews with long-term residents of Loughton are available in [http://clutch.open.ac.uk/schools/loughmid99/home.html 'Living Memories of London Road'] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20050324000741/http://clutch.open.ac.uk/schools/loughman99/home.html 'The Story of Loughton National School']

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Category:Villages in Buckinghamshire

Category:Areas of Milton Keynes