imported>Stortford: reword lead so as not to describe "former civil parish" in present tense

2025-10-05T06:00:18Z

reword lead so as not to describe "former civil parish" in present tense

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{{Short description|Former civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name = Luffield Abbey
| civil_parish = [[Lillingstone Dayrell with Luffield Abbey]]
| country = England
| region = South East England
| coordinates = {{coord|52.071|-1.026|display=title|region:GB_scale:5000}}
| os_grid_reference =
| post_town =
| postcode_area =
| postcode_district =
| dial_code =
| unitary_england = [[Buckinghamshire (district)|Buckinghamshire]]
| lieutenancy_england = [[Buckinghamshire]]
| hide_services = Yes
| population =
| population_ref =
| area_total_km2 =
| static_image = Will you take my photograph officer - geograph.org.uk - 4612005.jpg
| static_image_caption =
| website =
}}
'''Luffield Abbey''' was formerly a [[civil parish]] in [[Buckinghamshire]], England, adjoining the border with [[Northamptonshire]]. It had its origins as the estate of [[Luffield Priory]], which was an [[extra-parochial area]] that straddled Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. The Northamptonshire part was added to the parish of [[Silverstone]] in 1844, after which Luffield Abbey was wholly in Buckinghamshire. Such extra-parochial areas were converted into civil parishes in 1858. The civil parish was abolished in 2001 and the area now forms part of the parish of [[Lillingstone Dayrell with Luffield Abbey]].

== Priory of Luffield ==
{{more|Luffield Priory}}
The place takes its name from the [[Benedictine]] [[priory]] of Luffield, founded by [[Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester|Robert, 2nd Earl of Leicester]] some time before 1133. The priory was suppressed in 1494, by which time the priory was in ruins and there were only two monks.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Houses of Benedictine monks: The priory of Luffield|series=[[Victoria County History]]|title= A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 1|editor=William Page|year=1905|pages=347–350|url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol1/pp347-350|access-date= 18 February 2015}}</ref> The lands were then granted to [[Westminster Abbey]].

There was no trace of the ancient abbey in a [[Topographic surveying and mapping|land survey]] conducted in 1732.<ref name=vch4 /> The remains of the abbey were found on the edge of the south east runway of the airfield which is now part of [[Silverstone Circuit]], about 200 metres north east of Stowe Corner. Markings of the foundations can be seen in discolorations in the grass on some aerial images taken in the early 1990s. Human remains were found near the abbey in the 1970s. They were found to be monks who had been sufferers of the plague and buried face down.

Two corners of the circuit are named after the location: turn 1 is known as Abbey and turn 7 as Luffield.<ref>{{cite web|title=What’s in a name? The history behind Silverstone’s iconic corners|url=https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/features/2015/7/what_s-in-a-name--the-history-behind-silverstones-iconic-corners.html|website=Formula 1|access-date=2 June 2016|date=3 July 2015}}</ref>

== Subsequent history ==
In 1551, after the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|Dissolution]], the manor was granted to [[Francis Throckmorton]]. In 1718 it passed to his descendant [[Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham]] of [[Stowe, Buckinghamshire|Stowe]], and passed with the Stowe estates until the mid 19th century.<ref name=vch4>{{cite book|chapter=Parishes : Luffield Abbey|series=[[Victoria County History]]|title=A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 4|editor=William Page|year=1927|pages=197–198|url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol4/pp197-198|access-date=18 February 2015}}</ref>

Luffield Abbey was an [[extra-parochial area]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/place/3285|title=History of Luffield Abbey, in Aylesbury Vale and Buckinghamshire|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=16 May 2024}}</ref> until 1844 partly in Northamptonshire and partly in Buckinghamshire. In 1844 the part in the former county was transferred to the Northamptonshire parish of [[Silverstone]] so that Luffield Abbey was entirely within Buckinghamshire thereafter.<ref name=youngs>{{cite book |last=Youngs |first= Frederic A Jr. |title=Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England |year=1979 |publisher=[[Royal Historical Society]] |pages=29–44 |location=London |isbn=0-901050-67-9}}</ref> In 1858 it became a separate civil parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10096420|title=Relationships and changes Luffield Abbey ExP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=16 May 2024}}</ref>

The parish consisted of a single farm.<ref name=vch4 /> By 1931 the population of the parish had dropped to 2. In 1971 the parish had a population of 0.<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10096420/cube/TOT_POP Vision of Britain website]</ref> On 1 April 2001 the parish was abolished and merged with [[Lillingstone Dayrell]] to form "Lillingstone Dayrell with Luffield Abbey".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/aylesbury%20vale.html|title=Aylesbury Vale Registration District|publisher=UKBMD|accessdate=16 May 2024}}</ref> The name was also given to the northernmost ward of the former [[Aylesbury Vale District Council]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Benedictine houses of England and Wales}}
{{Aylesbury Vale}}

[[Category:Monasteries in Buckinghamshire]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in Buckinghamshire]]

Luffield Abbey - Revision history

imported>Stortford: reword lead so as not to describe "former civil parish" in present tense