Loughton, Milton Keynes

Loughton (/ˈlaʊtən/) is an ancient village and modern district in the civil parish of Loughton and Great Holm in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England.[1] The village spreads between Watling Street and the modern A5 road, to the west of, and about 1 mile from, the city centre.

Loughton

All Saints Church
Loughton
Mapping © OpenStreetMap
Loughton
Location within Buckinghamshire
OS grid referenceSP836379
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMILTON KEYNES
Postcode districtMK5
Dialling code01908
PoliceThames Valley
FireBuckinghamshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament

Historic Loughton

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.[2] All Saints Church is the oldest surviving building in Loughton – 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.[2]

Modern Loughton district

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.

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.

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.

Tear-drop lakes

The linear park through the district is an important local leisure amenity for most of the year but its technical purpose is to provide flood control for the Loughton Brook, a tributary of the River Ouzel (itself a tributary of the River Great Ouse). Flooding is controlled by a cascade of tear-drop shaped balancing lakes, though in extreme conditions the neighbouring park land can accept flooding without undue property damage.[3]

Pronunciation

The Received Pronunciation of Loughton is /ˈlaʊtən/ (the "ou" rhymes with "ouch", the "gh" is silent), in contrast to the similarly-spelt neighbouring areas of Broughton /ˈbrɔːtən/ and Woughton /ˈwʊftən/.

References
  1. "Contact your Parish, Town or Community Council". Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  2. '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
  3. Teardrops Lakes – Milton Keynes Parks Trust

Archival photos and recorded interviews with long-term residents of Loughton are available in 'Living Memories of London Road' and 'The Story of Loughton National School'

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