Boveney

Human settlement in England

Dorney

Unitary authority

Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire

Region

South East

CountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townWindsorPostcode districtSL4Dialling code01753PoliceThames ValleyFire Buckinghamshire Ambulance South Central UK Parliament

Beaconsfield

List of places: UK; England; Buckinghamshire

51°29′25″N 0°38′53″W / 51.490414°N 0.648069°W / 51.490414; -0.648069

Boveney is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Dorney, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated near Windsor, between the villages of Eton Wick in Berkshire, and Dorney and Dorney Reach in Buckinghamshire. Since boundary changes in 1974 and 1995, Boveney is the southernmost village in Buckinghamshire. In 1931 the parish had a population of 630.^[1]

Origin of name

The village name is Anglo-Saxon in origin and means "above island". This refers to the island in the River Thames next to the village. The Anglo-Saxon name for the village was Bufanege.

History

Boveney was once a hamlet within the parish of Burnham, though it has long since been considered a separate village, particularly since the urban growth of nearby Slough. It became a separate civil parish in 1866, having been a chapelry before,^[2] and was part of Eton Rural District from 1894 to 1934. On 1 April 1934 the parish of Boveney was abolished, under a County Review Order, with the more urbanised part being added to Elton in Eton Urban District, and a larger, less populous part being added to the parish of Dorney.^[3]

The Church of St Mary Magdalene is in a remote part of the village by the River Thames. In 1983 the church was declared redundant and vested in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches, who repair and conserve it for visitors and local people to enjoy.^[4] In 2004 a major campaign was undertaken to repair the 14th century timber-framed tower and a further programme of repairs was planned for 2007, so the church was closed to visitors.

Dorney Common, which borders the village, is one of several locations to view Windsor Castle from outside the town of Windsor itself; the large open space affords panoramic views of the castle as well as parts of Eton.

In literature

The village is twice briefly mentioned in Jerome K. Jerome's book Three Men in a Boat (1889).^[5]

Filming location

Many TV and film companies use the village as a location.

The Church of St Mary Magdalene was used as a location for many Hammer Horror movies which were made at nearby Bray Studios. The Inspector Morse episode Silent World of Nicholas Quinn and the Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves were partly filmed here. The signpost for the village appeared very briefly in the 1976 Sweeney episode "I Want the Man" as a white Mercedes Benz limousine turns left towards the village (06m 48secs standard Freemantle DVD).

References

^ "Population statistics Boveney ParLib/Ch/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
^ "History of Boveney, in South Bucks and Buckinghamshire". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
^ "Relationships and changes Boveney ParLib/Ch/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
^ "St Mary's Boveney". Friends of Friendless Churches. Archived from the original on 1 July 2011.
^ Jerome, Jerome K. (1889). Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog). J. W. Arrowsmith. OCLC 4020252. This really happened once to my own knowledge. It was up by Boveney, one rather windy morning. We were pulling down stream, and, as we came round the bend, we noticed a couple of men on the bank.