Wingrave

Wingrave sits on a low ridge in the Vale of Aylesbury, a few miles north-east of Aylesbury itself, in the part of Buckinghamshire where the flat, hedge-lined farmland of the vale begins to give way to the Chiltern Hills further south. It is a small, unhurried place: a cluster of brick and timber-framed cottages, a village green, and the tower of the parish church rising above the rooftops, with the neighbouring hamlet of Rowsham sharing its parish boundary.

The village has been settled for centuries. Its name is thought to derive from Old English, and the parish was recorded in the Domesday Book. At its centre stands the Church of St Peter and St Paul, parts of which date to the late 12th century, with a 13th-century tower and later medieval additions; it is now Grade II* listed. An old local custom of strewing the church with fresh-cut grass on the Sunday nearest St Peter's Day, 29 June, is still kept up today, a small but genuine link to the village's past. Beyond the church and a handful of listed cottages, Wingrave remains largely residential, with the working farmland of the vale stretching away on every side towards Aylesbury, Waddesdon and the villages of the Aylesbury Vale countryside.

Top things to do near Wingrave

Wingrave itself is small, but it sits within easy reach of some of Buckinghamshire's best-known attractions and the market town of Aylesbury.

• Waddesdon Manor — A Rothschild-built 19th-century chateau in the French Renaissance style, set in extensive grounds a few miles west of Wingrave near the A41, with celebrated formal gardens, an aviary and one of the country's finest decorative art collections, cared for by the National Trust.
• Aylesbury town centre — The county town of Buckinghamshire, a short drive south-west, with a historic market square, Georgian streets, the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre and the Buckinghamshire County Museum.
• Buckinghamshire County Museum — In Aylesbury, home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and displays on the county's history, geology and archaeology.
• Grand Union Canal towpaths — The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal runs close to the town, offering level, waymarked walking and cycling routes out into the surrounding countryside.
• Wingrave and Rowsham countryside walks — Quiet public footpaths link Wingrave to neighbouring villages such as Cublington and Aston Abbotts across open Vale of Aylesbury farmland, popular with local walkers.
• Ascott House — Another Rothschild property, a National Trust house and gardens near Wing, a few miles north of Wingrave, with notable topiary and a fine collection of paintings.

Getting to Wingrave

Wingrave lies around five miles north-east of Aylesbury by road, reached via country lanes off the A418 and B-roads that cross the Vale of Aylesbury. Aylesbury itself is the nearest large town and has a mainline railway station with services on the Chiltern Railways route to London Marylebone, making Wingrave feasible as a day trip from London for those happy to combine train and car or taxi for the final few miles. By road, the village is well placed for the M40 (via junction 8a and the A418) and the A41, which links Aylesbury to Bicester and on towards Oxford. There is no rail station in the village itself, so a car is the most practical way to explore the surrounding villages and countryside at your own pace.

Best time to visit Wingrave

Like much of the Vale of Aylesbury, Wingrave is at its best in late spring and summer, when the surrounding farmland and footpaths are easiest walking and the gardens at Waddesdon Manor and Ascott House are in full bloom. Early summer also brings the village's traditional grass-strewing at the parish church around St Peter's Day. Autumn suits those keen on quieter roads and the turning colours along the county's hedgerows and copses, while winter visits tend to focus on Aylesbury's indoor attractions and a warm village pub rather than long walks across open fields.

Where to stay near Wingrave

Wingrave itself has no hotels, so most visitors base themselves in Aylesbury, a short drive away, which has a range of chain and independent hotels, or look further afield to country house and coaching inn accommodation near Waddesdon and Wing. Bed and breakfast stays in the surrounding villages are the most in-keeping option for those wanting a quiet rural base, while self-catering cottages can also be found scattered across the Vale of Aylesbury.

Food and drink near Wingrave

The village's own pub, the Rose & Crown, is a 17th-century inn on the green serving real ale and traditional pub food with a beer garden. The Queens Head in nearby Wing is another well-regarded local. For a wider choice of restaurants, cafes and takeaways, Aylesbury town centre is the closest option, a short drive south-west of the village.