Olney, Buckinghamshire

Olney is thought to have been an important Romano-British township,{{Cite book |last=Baines |first=A. H. J. |title=The Olney Charter of 979. |publisher=Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society |year=1979 |pages=154-184}} with remains located north-east of the current town, where in 2023 archaeologists uncovered a villa mosaic considered "remains of high significance".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64918113|title=Olney: Roman villa mosaic found under Aldi supermarket site|publisher=BBC NEWS|date=17 March 2023}}

Olney is mentioned as Ollanege (Olla's island) in 932 CE.{{cite book| title=Oxford Dictionary of Placenames|editor= A.D. Mills and Adrian Room|year= 2002|publisher= Oxford University Press}} According to the Domesday Book the place later called Olnei had been held in 1066 by Burgred, a descendent of the King of Mercia, but by 1086 its overlord was Geoffrey de Montbray, Bishop of Coutances.{{Cite web |title=Olney {{!}} Domesday Book |url=https://opendomesday.org/place/SP8851/olney/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=opendomesday.org}}{{Cite web |title=OLNEY - A POTTED HISTORY - |url=https://www.mkheritage.org.uk/odhs/about/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |language=en-GB}}

The "L" in Olney came long ago not to be pronounced, at least by local people.

In 1643, during the English Civil War, the Battle of Olney Bridge saw Prince Rupert's force attack Col. Harvey's Parliamentarians, with 60 killed.{{Cite web |title=The Battlefields Trust - Civil War Memorial Database |url=https://www.battlefieldstrust.com/memorial/memorial.asp?MemorialID=242 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.battlefieldstrust.com}}{{Cite web |title=Olney - Civil War Skirmish |url=https://www.mkheritage.org.uk/archive/jt/tw/docs/208.html |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.mkheritage.org.uk}}

The town was a centre of the Buckinghamshire lace-making industry,{{Cite web |title=History Of Lace-making |url=https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/lacemaking/ |access-date=2025-03-06 |language=en-GB}} with Armstrong's Lace Factory prominent in the High Street, ornamented as "the Bucks Lace Industry".{{Cite web |title=A BRIEF HISTORY OF OLNEY LACE FACTORY (1928 to 1943) - |url=https://www.mkheritage.org.uk/odhs/summary-blog-no-xx-olney-lace-factory-1928-1943/ |access-date=2025-03-06 |language=en-GB}}

In the late 18th century, the poet William Cowper and anti-slavery campaigner and cleric John Newton collaborated here on what became known as the Olney Hymns, which include Amazing Grace. The town has the Cowper and Newton Museum dedicated to them, adapted from Cowper's former residence, given to the town in 1905 by the publisher William Hill Collingridge (who had been born in the house). Newton was succeeded as curate in Olney by the biblical commentator Thomas Scott (1747–1821).

The hamlet of Olney Park Farm to the north of the town derives its name from a park established in 1374 by Ralph, Lord Basset.{{cite book |chapter-url= https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol4/pp429-439 | chapter = Parishes : Olney with Warrington

|series = Victoria History of the Counties of England | title= A History of the County of Buckingham | volume= 4 | date=1927 | pages = 429{{ndash}}439 |editor-first= William |editor-last=Page |publisher= Constable & Co. Ltd. | location = London }} In 1861 it attained civil parish status, but was subsequently incorporated into an enlarged Olney civil parish around 1931.{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10009844 |title= Olney Park Farm |access-date= 1 August 2014 |series=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth}}

The 1841 census gave the population as 2,362.The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol.III, London (1847) Charles Knight, p.898

File:UK Olney (Pancake Sign).jpg

Since 1445, a pancake race has been run in the town on many Pancake Days, the day before the beginning of Lent.[http://www.olneyparish.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=73 Olney pancake race] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913070156/http://www.olneyparish.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=73|date=13 September 2011 }}, Olney Parish Tradition records that in 1445 on Shrove Tuesday, the "Shriving Bell" rang out to signal the start of the Shriving church service. On hearing the bell a local housewife, who had been busy cooking pancakes in anticipation of the beginning of Lent, ran to the church, frying pan still in hand, tossing the pancake to prevent it from burning, and dressed in her kitchen apron and headscarf.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/lent_1.shtml |title=The origin of pancake racing |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=28 February 2014}}[http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Ideas/Album/Olney-Pancake-Race.htm Pancake races in Olney]

The women of Olney recreate this race every Shrove Tuesday (known in some countries as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) by running from the market place to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, a distance of over 400 yards. The traditional prize is a kiss from the verger. In modern times, Olney competes with the town of Liberal, Kansas in the United States for the fastest time in either town to win the "International Pancake Race". There is also a children's race, run by children from the local schools. The children have to run a distance of about 20 yards. This competition has been run every year since 1950.

{{clr}}

The parish has one Grade I listed building, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul;{{NHLE|desc=Church of Saints Peter and Paul |num=1125308}} four Grade II*,{{NHLE |num=1332279 |desc=OLNEY WINE BAR AND CROSS KEYS HOUSE, 9 AND 11 HIGH STREET SOUTH}}{{NHLE |num=1158059 |desc=THE VICARAGE INCLUDING ATTACHED COACHHOUSE, CHURCH STREET}}{{NHLE |num=1125295|desc=GILPIN HOUSE 29 MARKET PLACE}}{{NHLE |num=1222060 |desc=ORCHARD HOUSE INCLUDING FRONT RAILINGS, 67 AND 69 HIGH STREET}} and a further 114 at Grade II.{{cite web |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/results/?searchType=NHLE+Simple&search=Olney%2C+Milton+Keynes |title= Search Results for 'Olney, Milton Keynes' | publisher=Historic England |access-date=2 January 2023}} (Note: the 144 results returned by the search include sites in Emberton, Lavendon, Newton Blossomville, etc.) The church is 14th century, with later additions. There is a scheduled monument, a Romano-British settlement, on the northern outskirts of the town.{{NHLE |num=1006918|desc=Roman site at Olney}}

In July 2022, following the securing of funding from MK City Council, the MK Community Foundation, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, the town's Cowper and Newton Museum launched the "Amazing Grace 250" project to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Amazing Grace hymn, featuring a host of exhibitions and special events in Olney, the wider Milton Keynes UA, and beyond.{{cite web|url=https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/people/milton-keynes-looks-back-on-amazing-year-of-celebrations-to-mark-250th-anniversary-of-hymn-amazing-grace-4359282|title=Milton Keynes looks back on amazing year of celebrations to mark 250th anniversary of hymn Amazing Grace|work=Milton Keynes Citizen|date=6 October 2023}}

File:UK Olney (Sign1 SideA).jpg, depicting a women's pancake race]]

The A509 road runs into the wide High Street bordered by historic townhouses. The Market Place is the site of a general market on Thursdays and a farmers' market on the first Sunday of each month. The vast majority of Olney shops are independent, attracting shoppers from further afield to find the galleries, antique, rug and furniture sellers, as well as boutiques for interior design, fashionable clothes and perfumery. There are restaurants, pubs, cafés and takeaways offering a wide variety of British and international food.

As Olney expanded with new housing estates, a secondary-level satellite campus, Ousedale School, opened in 2007 for pupils from year 7 to year 11. Olney Infants School is for reception to year 2 children and Olney Middle School takes the children up to year 6, at the age of 11.

Olney is the northernmost town in the Milton Keynes UA, Buckinghamshire and the South East England region, close to the boundary with Northamptonshire (and the East Midlands), and Bedfordshire (and the East of England).

The closest passenger rail service is at {{rws|Wolverton}} (approximately {{convert|8|mi}} distant), with inter-city services from {{rws|Milton Keynes Central}} and {{rws|Bedford}} railway stations (each approximately {{convert|11|mi}} distant). Olney formerly had its own railway station on the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway and the Bedford-Northampton line, but passenger services were withdrawn in 1962.[http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/odhs/level3/olneyrailway.html THE NORTHAMPTON – OLNEY- BEDFORD (LMS) RAILWAY: A View from Olney] – Milton Keynes Heritage Association

The town is bisected by the Central Milton Keynes-Kettering A509 road, which runs southbound towards the M1 at Junction 14 (roughly {{convert|7|mi}} distant), and northbound towards the A428 (which runs westbound towards Northampton and eastbound towards Bedford, and Cambridge further afield).

Bus 21 (Red Rose) connects the town with Lavendon to the north-east, and Newport Pagnell and Central Milton Keynes to the south running approximately every hour from Monday to Friday. Bus 41 (Stagecoach) connects the town with Lavendon, Bedford and Northampton, formerly running approximately every 30 minutes from Monday to Friday.{{cite web|url=https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/highways-and-transport-hub/bus-and-taxi/bus-timetables-maps-and-travel-updates|title=Bus and Taxi, Bus Timetables, Maps and Travel Updates|work=Milton Keynes City Council}} In October 2022, service 41 was reduced to one service to and from Olney per day.{{Cite news |date=2023-01-13 |title=Olney: What happens when a town loses bus services? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64252426 |access-date=2023-01-16}} However, in April 2023, Milton Keynes City Council stated intent to increase the frequency of the service by providing subsidised fares and discretionary funding using the UK Government's Bus Recovery Grant scheme, with the support expected to come into effect by June 2023.{{Cite news |date=2023-04-04 |title=Olney: Council pledges to support residents left stranded by bus service cuts in their Milton Keynes town |language=en-GB |work=MK Citizen |url=https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/people/council-pledges-to-support-residents-left-stranded-by-bus-service-cuts-in-their-milton-keynes-town-4092498 |access-date=2023-04-09}}

The City Council also operates an on demand bus service known as "MK Connect", which serves the whole MK unitary authority area, including Olney.{{cite web|url=https://city.ridewithvia.com/mk-connect|title=On-Demand Rideshare in Milton Keynes powered by Via|work=Via}}

Olney is identified by MK City Council (in local planning documents) as one of the three "Key Settlements" in the Milton Keynes UA outside of the 1967 "designated area" of the New Town,{{Cite web |url=https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-05/PlanMK%20Adoption%20Version%20%28March%202019%29.pdf |title=Plan:MK 2016-2031 |access-date=12 December 2023|publisher=Milton Keynes City Council}} with the town's complementary Neighbourhood Plan, adopted in May 2017, allocating a total of 300 homes for the town between then and 2031, with 30% of dwellings planned to be affordable.{{Cite web |url=https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-10/Olney%20Neighbourhood%20Plan%20for%20Referendum%202017.pdf |title=Olney Neighbourhood Plan |access-date=29 December 2023|publisher=Milton Keynes City Council}}

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia. Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio, Heart East and MKFM. {{Cite web |url=https://www.mkfm.com/|title=MKFM - Radio Made in Milton Keynes|access-date=16 October 2023}} The town is served by the local newspaper Milton Keynes Citizen.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-se/milton-keynes-citizen/|title=Milton Keynes Citizen|date=11 March 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=16 October 2023}}

Olney has been part of the Borough (now City) of Milton Keynes since 1974, which has been a unitary authority since 1997.{{cite web|url=https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/your-council-and-elections/councillors-and-committees/parish-and-town-councils/contact-your-parish-or-town-council|title=Contact your parish or town council}} – Milton Keynes Council. This gives Milton Keynes City Council the responsibility for the provision of most local government services. Voters registered in the town are represented on MK City Council, which has (since 2014) been divided into 19 wards each carrying 3 councillors with Olney being part of the larger ward of the same name.{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/22/contents/made| title = The Milton Keynes (Electoral Changes) Order 2014}} {{cite report |title=Local electoral arrangements for Milton Keynes (final recommendations) |url=http://www.lgbce.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/14057/milton-keynes-final-recommendations-final-2013-06-17-1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227124617/http://www.lgbce.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/14057/milton-keynes-final-recommendations-final-2013-06-17-1.pdf |archive-date=27 December 2014 |publisher=Local Government Boundary Commission for England}}

At the parish level, Olney has a town council based at the Olney Centre on the town's high street.{{cite web |title=Olney Town Council |url=https://www.olneytowncouncil.gov.uk/|access-date=22 December 2022}}

Olney has a rugby team Olney Rugby Football Club dating to 1877.{{Cite web |title=History of Olney RFC |url=https://www.olneyrfc.co.uk/a/about-olney-rugby-club-46616.html |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.olneyrfc.co.uk}}{{Cite web |title=The first Olney RFC team in 1877 |url=https://www.livingarchive.org.uk/content/catalogue_item/olney-rugby-union-football-club/olney-rugby-team-photographs-from-1877-to-date/the-first-olney-rfc-team-in-1877 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Living Archive |language=en}}

The town's football club, Olney Town, played in the United Counties League but closed down in 2018.[https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/sport/football/olney-town-set-to-fold-after-unsuccessful-board-hunt-1-8480776/amp Olney Town set to fold after unsuccessful board hunt] Milton Keynes Citizen, 30 April 2018

The town also has a junior football club, Olney Town Colts FC. The FA Charter Standard club has 27 teams ranging from U5s to U18s and an adult development team ensuring local players can continue playing beyond youth football.

Other sports activities are supported by clubs for cricket, tennis and bowls, and a hockey club for juniors.

{{More citations needed section|date=March 2022}}

• Thomas Armstrong, organist and college administrator
• Moses Browne, poet and clergyman
• William Cowper, poet and hymn writer
• Clem Curtis, musician, television personality, a member of The Foundations.
• Ben Field, convicted murderer.{{cite news |date=9 August 2019 |title='Evil' churchwarden guilty of murdering author |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-49002436 |accessdate=24 July 2023 |publisher=BBC News}}
• Henry Gauntlett, organist and composer
• Susannah Martin, a woman executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials
• John Newton, clergyman, slave trader turned abolitionist and writer of "Amazing Grace".{{Cite news |date=2021-06-01 |title=Olney church to remember slave trader turned abolitionist |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-57320090 |access-date=2022-03-15}}
• Thomas Scott (1747–1821) preacher and biblical commentator.
• John Sutcliff, Baptist minister in town for 39 years, and key figure in the revival of the Baptist mission.{{Cite web |date=2002-09-01 |title=A cloud of witnesses: John Sutcliff (1752-1814) |url=https://www.evangelical-times.org/a-cloud-of-witnesses-17/ |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Evangelical Times |language=en}}
• Dan Wheldon (1978–2011) (former resident), racing driver, winner of the 2005 IndyCar Series and twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.{{Cite web |date=2011-12-15 |title=Dan Wheldon crash findings due to be released by IndyCar officials |url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/dec/15/dan-wheldon-crash-findings-indycar |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}
• Albert William Wise (1886-1964) known as Micky Wise, was born in Olney, and played football as goalkeeper for Chelsea FC, Bedford Town and other clubs.{{Cite web |title=Albert Wise |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/albert-wise/#wac_660x40_top |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=worldfootball.net |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Bedfordoldeagles - Seasons on the Field 1908-14 |url=https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/first-years-1884-39/seasons-on-the-field-1908-14 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=sites.google.com |language=en-US}}

{{Commons category|Olney, Buckinghamshire}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{EB1911 poster|Olney, England}}

• [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62610 'Parishes : Olney with Warrington'], Victoria History of the Counties of England, A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 4 (1927), pp. 429–439.
• {{Official website|https://olney.co.uk/}}

{{Milton Keynes parishes}}

{{Buckinghamshire}}

{{River Great Ouse}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in Buckinghamshire

Category:Populated places on the River Great Ouse

Category:Market towns in Buckinghamshire

Category:Milton Keynes

Category:Civil parishes in Buckinghamshire