 The grounds of Great Linford Manor, photographed 1949. Note the thatched building to the rear of the pavilions, once home to the Bucks Otter Hunt, and since replaced by the Radcliffe Building. I can never pass a second-hand bookshop without looking for the local history shelf, and though I always convince myself there is nothing more to be found, occasionally I still chance upon a book that contains some fascinating new insight into Great Linford's past. The latest discovery is a lovely little book by John Hugh Brignal Peel (writing as J. H. B. Peel) called Buckinghamshire Footpaths. This short book of just over 150 pages is, as the title implies, the author's reflections as he walks about the county. Written in 1949, it contains the following wonderful account of a visit to Great Linford, along with several photographs, reproduced here. From Willen take the by-lane to Great Linford, leaving a small covert to your right, and climbing slowly until, at Grange Farm, you stand 300 feet above the sea. Thereafter the way crosses a stream. A mile and a half of pleasant, gentle going awaits you before this lane crosses the canal and bears right into Great Linford. Great Linford is an inland port, not so prosperous now as during last century, when the canal trade was at its zenith, but evidently a place of some importance still, and an attractive village in its own right. It is worth while to spend a little time on the quay, where you will find a good inn alongside the jetty, and some business-like mooring rings. A land-bound mariner will feel at home here, the more especially because sundry gentlemen in peaked caps and blue sweaters lounge against the quayside and, amid puffs from clay pipes, gaze wistfully across the water - several yards of it - to the green bank opposite. From time to time a barge will draw alongside, and her motley crew will leap ashore – father and son in trim caps, to be about their mariners' business; mother, very bronzed and shawled and crisp-tongued; and some children without shoes but with a very healthy glow upon their faces.  If you are fortunate the barge will not be motor-driven, but will have instead a plodding horse for motive power, pleasantly bejangled and brassy about the mane, massively strong and inhumanly patient, gathering depth, as it seems, from the blinkered narrowness of his vision, and manifestly having wise things to utter, had he but the gift of speech. If you care to ask the captain, you may even enjoy the experience of going on board, and then of examining the snug quarters below decks - marvellously clean, as clean as a Dutch merchantman, glowing with bright brass and speckless glass and dazzling paintwork, everything ship-shape-and-Bristol-fashion, neat enough to delight a Pay-master Commander. In 1066 there were two manors in Linforde, each held by Hugh de Bolebec, one of the tenant-in-chief, Walter Giffard, the other of the Crown. These two manors passed to Hugh's son, who founded the Abbey of Woburn in 1145, and thence to many families - the Earls of Ormonde In the Saint Legers, Princess Elizabeth, Richard Campion. The ancient family of Andrewes of Lathbury were at one time lords of the manor of Great Linford. The Church of Saint Andrew has many fine features in the Early Decorated style, but was painfully restored during the last century, when most of the tracery in the windows was spoiled and the ceilings covered by an unlovely plaster. At the eastern end of the churchyard are some quaint grey-stone buildings, each designed to contain seven tenements, one being three storeys high and the others one storey. These buildings were erected by a former lord of the manor, Sir William Pritchard, as almshouses for six of the village poor, the centre home being reserved for a school and its teacher. In the past, before charity came to be nationalized, various picturesque charities were bestowed upon Great Linford by its local gentry. One pound sterling was given to the rector, upon condition that he did not allow any beasts to graze in the churchyard; and the same sum was awarded to the parish clerk, for keeping the pews and windows clean. Six times that amount was given at Christmastime, to be spent upon breeches and a gown for six almsmen, and upon a gown and petticoat for six almswomen. Your sojourn at Great Linford may be prolonged to coincide with the arrival (and subsequently the departure) of the single line railway into Newport Pagnell. 
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 History walk ready to depart. The Friends of Great Linford Manor Park enjoyed a great Heritage Open Days event spread over two days, Friday, September 11th, and Saturday 12th. The weather, though occasionally gusty enough to see the team scrambling after scattered paperwork, kept generally bright and pleasant. Pre-HOD preparation On the Wednesday before the HOD, the practical volunteering team set about cleaning the front of the almshouses and schoolhouse of dirt, dust and cobwebs, as well as putting up the HOD bunting and signage around the park.  Practical volunteering team work to clean the Almshouses and Schoolhouse. Friday BSL walk The Friday walk, billed as a British Sign Language-assisted walk, was a little disappointing, with only six people attending, none of whom required signing assistance. Given that there were 40 attendees at the last BSL walk. and it received rave reviews, a better turnout was anticipated. However, the attendees were very happy with the walk Setup on Saturday On Saturday morning, team members were in the park bright and early to meet with Parks Trust rangers, who kindly delivered the loan of a marquee, tables, and chairs. With their help, the marquee was soon set up and the team ready to greet visitors.  The Friends ready to greet visitors. Talks and cake St. Andrew’s Church once again kindly hosted our talks in the afternoon, both of which were well attended. I delivered two talks, one on the history of the Almshouses, and the other on a wider history of the village. There was a steady stream of customers buying drinks and delicious cake from the Church team, who, as always, put on a wonderful spread.  Audience watches talk on the history of the Almshouses. Meet the lacemaker The Friends were also delighted to once again welcome Wendy Carey, who provided her in-depth knowledge of Lace making in the village.  Wendy Carey in the attire of a Lace maker. Children's activities Though there wasn't an enormous take-up, the Friends did offer a colouring activity in the park, with four fantastic designs created by volunteer Steve. These were designed to complement the suggested theme for this year's HOD: ordinary people. Hence, there were colouring sheets for a butcher, baker, lacemaker and photographer. These were accompanied by brief bios of real people who once lived and worked in the village.  Above, some completed colouring. Continuing our outreach with a new leaflet As part of the Friends' continuing outreach to the community, they distributed a new leaflet, which celebrates the recent excellent news about the Almshouses, but also raised concerns felt about the future of the Courtyard Buildings.  Leaflet produced for the HOD. Conclusion and plaudits In conclusion, the heritage Open Days were very well received, as illustrated by the following comments made on Facebook.
“My friends and I joined the 11am History Walk today, enjoyed Tea and Cakes in the church and listened to the talk about Great Linford Alms Houses at 1pm. I have to say we had a wonderful time and found the walk and talk to be very interesting and informative. Well done to everyone involved.” “We also joined and found it very interesting and well organised. Well done and thank you.” “A lovely walk learning about the history of Great Linford. Thank you.” The Friends of Great Linford Manor Park, in partnership with The Parks Trust and St. Andrew's Church, will be holding Heritage Open Day events on Friday, September 11th and Saturday, September 12th. On Friday, a history walk, accompanied by a British Sign Language interpreter, will take place, departing at 10.30 am from Parklands car park. On Saturday, there will be two further history walks and two illustrated talks in St. Andrew's Church: one on the history of the Almshouses and one on the wider history of the village. Visitors will be able to meet a lace maker, and those with children can take part in colouring activities. Tea and cake will be served throughout the afternoon in St. Andrew's Church.  Friends of Great Linford Manor Park secure extension to Courtyard Buildings sale moratorium.2/9/2026 At a meeting of Milton Keynes City Council's delegated decisions committee, held on Tuesday, August 25th, the Friends of Great Linford Manor Park raised concerns about the process that led to the proposed sale of the Courtyard Buildings and, along with other public speakers, called for the delegated decisions committee to defer their approval of the plan to add the buildings to the Council's asset disposal list.
While the Council ultimately took the decision to place the buildings on the disposal list, the Friends also asked that the moratorium on the sale (intended to give time for the Friends, or another community-led initiative, to step in) be extended from six months to twelve. This request was agreed to, so the heritage and cultural community in Milton Keynes now has more time to develop a plan for the buildings. The Friends are continuing to explore options and invite anyone with ideas or relevant expertise to get in touch.  The Friends of Great Linford Manor Park have received a letter from Milton Keynes City Council, outlining their plans for the Courtyard Buildings in Great Linford Manor Park. The headline news is that the Council, having commissioned a specialist report to investigate options, are currently intending to place the Pavilions, Barn and Radcliffe Building on their disposal list. It should be noted that the land encompassing the Courtyard Buildings is not presently believed to be included in the sale, and assurances have been provided that the right of way via Parklands through the parking area will be protected. The preference will also be to sell the buildings together as a single lot. A sale is not a foregone conclusion, and the Council have indicated they would be happy to receive any alternative proposals, with a six-month pause provided before they accept any offers, allowing interested parties to make proposals. The Barn and Pavilions are listed buildings, and so will enjoy significant protections, so any potential buyer will be prevented from interfering significantly with their fabric. The Radcliffe Building will enjoy much less protection. The concern, of course, is what purpose any potential buyer may envisage for the buildings and how this would impact on the wider park, but the Friends have received assurances that the Council will take this into account in approving any sale. However, once out of the oversight of the Council, it must be acknowledged that any future transfers of ownership will make it much harder to prevent actions detrimental to the future of these buildings. Given the recent history of the courtyard buildings, it would be preferable that they are revitalised for community use, but given the estimated cost and difficulty of bringing them up to modern standards (£1.5 million), the Council had concluded there was no clear path to achieving this goal. The recent acquisition of the almshouses by The Parks Trust has been rightly applauded. As they are already the custodians of the park's green spaces, we can be confident that the almshouses (which are so central to the park's setting) are in safe hands. However, the uncertainty now introduced as to the future of the other estate buildings is of great concern, and it is to be hoped that the local community and wider heritage interests keep a close eye on the situation. The letter from Milton Keynes City Council can be viewed below.  After several years of uncertainty, the Parks Trust has signed a lease with Milton Keynes City Council for the Almshouses and Schoolhouse. This is a hugely important development and will be welcomed by all those who have watched the gradual deterioration of these historic buildings.
The following is a statement from the Parks Trust. “The Parks Trust has now completed the transfer of ownership of the Great Linford Almshouses, and we are pleased to be moving forward with plans for their restoration and future use. While some minor repairs may be needed in the short term, our structural engineer has advised that there are no urgent major works required at present. We are excited to share more about our plans as they take shape and look forward to keeping the community updated. In the meantime, please direct any questions to The Parks Trust or the Friends of Great Linford Manor Park. Please note that the Pavilions, Radcliffe Building and Barn remain with Milton Keynes City Council.” Local volunteer group, the Friends of Great Linford Manor Park, have voiced their thanks and support to the Parks Trust, and will continue to offer any assistance they can provide as the project progresses. However, as noted in the above statement, the Pavilions, Radcliffe Building and Barn are not part of the agreement made with MKCC, and going forward, campaigners will need to pivot toward engaging with the council to ensure these buildings are also preserved and revitalised, to secure them the lasting future that they too deserve. When we think of the plague, our first thought is likely to be “the great plague” which famously struck in 1665/1666, with particularly deadly consequences for London. However, various strains of the disease had flared up periodically before this, most notably the so-called “black death”, which arrived in 1348 and is thought to have wiped out up to half the country’s population. There appear to be no records that specifically reference the impact of the Black Death on Buckinghamshire in the 1300s, but we do know that when the plague struck again in the mid-1660s, Newport Pagnell, only a little less than two miles to the north-east of Great Linford, became a hotbed of infection. What was the plague?Though the plague of 1348 is now generally referred to as the “Black Death”, the term was not actually coined until the 17th century, and at the time of the outbreak, it was commonly referred to as the “Great Pestilence" or the "Great Mortality.” We now know that two main variants of the disease were prevalent, bubonic and pneumonic plague. The Yersinia pestis bacteria that caused the illness was spread by fleas that were carried by infected rats, while pneumonic plague was spread from person to person. Originating in Asia, the plague arrived by ship, the first case generally thought to have been brought to the Dorset coast from Gascony in France. Pneumonic plague has a mortality rate of near 100%, but though the bubonic plague was only half as lethal, its symptoms were by far the more terrifying, characterised by painful swellings called buboes that erupted in the lymph nodes found in the armpits, groin and neck. Sufferers could also exhibit headaches, vomiting, fever and black fingertips. Lacking any understanding of the cause of the plague, there was little chance of arresting the remorseless advance of the disease, and it seems entirely likely that the plague of 1348 would have claimed victims in and around the area we now think of as Great Linford. What effect did the plague of 1666 have on Great Linford?The figures for deaths in Newport Pagnell, as calculated from the parish burial records, are truly sobering. In 1665, there were 33 burials recorded; the following year, the figure leapt up to an astounding total nearing 700 persons. Just as it is possible to calculate the excess deaths in Newport Pagnell from parish burial records, so we can attempt the same for Great Linford, except for the surprising fact that, with one notable exception (see later in this blog post), the village appears to have emerged unscathed from the plague of 1665/66. Looking at the tally of yearly deaths in the village throughout much of the 1660s, we find an average of just four deaths per year, which in itself provides an interesting insight into the minuscule population of the parish compared to Newport Pagnell. As there was no spike in deaths in Great Linford when other towns and villages, including Newport Pagnell, were being ravaged, the obvious question arises: how did Great Linford avoid the same fate? Possibly, the village benefited from its relative isolation compared to Newport Pagnell, which, as a major coaching town, would have been far more susceptible to travellers spreading the contagion. Another possibility is that the parish was placed under quarantine. The rector at the time was John Fountaine, and the Lord of the Manor Sir Richard Napier. Conceivably, one or both of these men may have had the foresight to lock down the village, thereby keeping the epidemic at bay. A curious connection to the plague in Newport PagnellThough a quarantine seems the most likely explanation for Great Linford’s good fortune during the plague years, the theory is called into question by an unusual fragment of a memorial stone nestled in the North Chapel of St. Andrew’s Church. The inscription is clearly the surviving middle third of a much larger memorial, but though only a few isolated words and phrases are now legible, we are lucky that the full text was recorded before the memorial stone was broken up and moved from its original position. The book, A History of Newport Pagnell by Frederick William Bull, published in 1900, provides the following information. "On a cracked freestone under the lowest window on the North side of the North Chapel of Great Linford Church is an inscription commencing with a Greek phrase as to the mortality of mankind." Though the Greek phrase is sadly unrecorded, the balance of the text was noted by Frederick Bull, as follows. Here lyeth the Bodies of Richard and Martha Peter, who as they were here joyned in Marriage, Anno 1636, so it pleased God to lay them together in this Bed of Mould, Anno 1666, both dying in this parish. She on the 14, He on the 16 of Sept: being removed from Newport by Reason of a Raging Plague. Matt. xix. vi. The "Freestone" mentioned previously is defined as a stone that may be cut freely without splitting, while the term "Bed of Mould" in the inscription can be interpreted as a reference to a decorative stone surround. The reference to Matthew 19.6 relates to the biblical passage “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate"  Here then is unequivocal evidence that during the height of the plague of 1666, two persons were removed to Great Linford from Newport Pagnell. That both died within days of each other strongly implies they were already ill upon their arrival, presumably with plague. We also know from the parish records that Martha was interred on September 15th, and Richard on the 19th. There are so many questions we are never likely to answer satisfactorily about Richard and Martha. Why were they “removed” to Great Linford with all the attendant risk implied? Were they the only residents of Newport Pagnell so afforded the opportunity to flee the town, where were they billeted in the village and were any precautions taken to minimise the chance of infection? We can tentatively uncover some information about Richard Peter, as a person of this name is mentioned in a substantial number of legal documents pertaining to land and property sales, mostly in and around Newport Pagnell in the 1600s, though several also concern transactions in Cambridgeshire. Most of these documents describe him as a draper of Newport Pagnell, though one document also connects him to London. As a draper, he would have been involved in the buying and selling of cloth. One intriguing document, concerning the deeds of Moulsoe’s Farm in Great Linford, includes a conveyance between Richard Peter and George Smith to a Ralph Smith of Milton Keynes village. Does this imply a familial connection? Certainly, given that the inscription states that Richard and Mathea “were here joyned in Marriage, Anno 1636,” implies that the couple had a firm connection to Great Linford. Might it be that Martha’s maiden name was Smith, and might we even speculate that it was to Moulsoe’s Farm that the couple had fled? The various legal documents that mention Richard Peter frequently cite considerable sums of money, running into the thousands of pounds. Coupled with the description of the impressive memorial stone when it was intact, and the fact of their internment within the Church, leads to the conclusion that the couple must have been quite wealthy by the standards of the time. Were there ever any plague cases in Great Linford?While the evidence points to Great Linford having avoided the plague in and around 1666, there is one interesting outlier to be found in the parish records that reveals a period of abnormally high mortality rates The earliest date we have for burials in the parish is 1653, when five burials are recorded, though it should be noted that the first internment is dated October, suggesting the parish records were established on or perhaps a little before that date, hence the total for the year may have been higher. What is clear, however, is that something unusual happened between 1657 and 1660, with a gradual but statistically intriguing uptick in burials, reaching a high of 20 in 1658, before declining back to the normal average of four per year in 1661.
Was this an earlier visitation of the plague? Looking in detail at the records of 1660, with 15 burials recorded, one family in particular stands out, the Sansoms. On January 23rd, a Thomas Sansom was buried, followed on the 28th by a Mary Sansom and her infant son, the entry noting that both were buried in the same grave. This does imply that something had torn through a single household, and there are several other instances that same year of closely spaced deaths of people with the same surname. The increase in deaths might easily be dismissed as a statistical anomaly, the result of happenstance and bad luck, except that, turning back to the burial records for Newport Pagnell, we do find an intriguing synchronicity with Great Linford. Between 1653 and 1656, the average number of burials in Newport Pagnell stood at around 65 per year, but in 1657, there was a marked jump to 175, followed by 123 in 1658. Unfortunately, the burial records for 1659 and 1660, as extracted from the familyhistory.org website, appear to be fragmentary, presumed largely lost, so we do not know if burials continued to be abnormally high for these years, though it is clear that from 1663 the normal cadence of burials had resumed. However, the available evidence does seem to strongly imply that beginning in 1657, both Great Linford and Newport Pagnell were in the grip of an epidemic, presumably the plague. Perhaps it was this earlier brush with the disease that convinced the village leaders to take a firmer approach to protecting the population when the Great Plague struck less than a decade later. Great Linford Manor Park Almshouses and School House added to Historic England's at risk register6/11/2025  Picture credit: Historic England. Historic England has announced the publication of their updated At Risk Register for 2025, which highlights those sites across the country judged to be in urgent need of safeguarding for future generations.
The Almshouses and Schoolhouse in Great Linford Manor Park are a new addition to the At Risk Register. The Friends of Great Linford Manor Park have been campaigning for some time for emergency repairs to be carried out, so it is hoped that the inclusion of the site on the At Risk Register will spur the stakeholders to take the urgent action needed. To keep up-to-date with news on the Almshouses, School House and other estate buildings, you can join the Friends of Great Linford Manor Park by clicking here. To view the Historic England At Risk entry for the Almshouses and Schoolhouse, click here. Volunteers from The Friends of Great Linford Manor Park were out in force at the 2025 Heritage Open Day on September 20th, offering history walks, a talk in St. Andrew’s Church, fun activities for children and an important message concerning the deterioration of the beloved Almshouses in the park. Save the AlmshousesA display set up in front of the Almshouses drew a steady stream of visitors concerned to hear that the Almshouses, as well as the Great Barn, Pavilions and Radcliffe Building, are facing an uncertain future. We had some great conversations with members of the public, handed out leaflets and gained new members, with our focus being the need for emergency funding to stabilise the deteriorating fabric of the Almshouses.  Our display highlighting our concerns for the future of the estate buildings. As part of our outreach, we produced a leaflet which provided visitors with a short summary of the situation and encouraged them to join the Friends group. The leaflet explains that the estate buildings need a sustainable plan for their future use, and that delays in securing and allocating funding for emergency repairs put the Almhouses at risk.  Leaflet given out at the 2025 Heritage Open Day. Pictures of the AlmshousesThe following selection of photographs demonstrates the fragile state of the Almshouses, both internally and externally.  Supports holding up an Almshouse roof.  Signs of damp.  Facia board rotting and tiles covered with vegetation.  Rear of almshouses showing damage to roof.  Rear of almshouses showing damage to roof.  A recently collapsed garden wall. Heritage Open Day activitiesAlongside raising public awareness about the estate buildings, the Friends ran several events and activities throughout the afternoon. Walk for Bucks VisionA well-received history walk was provided under the auspices of Bucks Vision, a charity whose "mission is to make a positive difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted people in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes." We provided our regular walk with the addition of descriptive and tactile aspects for the participants.  Bucks Vision walk participants in front of the Old Rectory, whose owners kindly allowed access to their gardens for the Heritage Open Day. In total, we conducted four history walks on the day, three of which were led by guides in historic costume.  Our village school teacher, Andrew White, leads a history walk. From our marquee, kindly provided by The Parks Trust, we offered quill writing, Georgian costume colouring sheets, and a selection of reproduction historic photographs and documents about the village.  Visitors examine local history documents. Our costumed volunteers were on hand throughout the day, including our school-master, and lord and lady of the manor.  Our village school-master. Alongside our costumed characters, we also deployed our newly arrived tabards featuring the Friends of Great Linford Manor Park logo on front and back, continuing our mission to make the Friends a highly recognisable presence in the park and wider community.  John Gosling delivered a talk, A brief history of Great Linford, one of a number of talks offered throughout the day, both in St. Andrew's Church and in the talks tent in the manor grounds.  John Gosling delivers his talk, A brief history of Great Linford. Other partners in the parkThe day could not have been the success it was without the involvement of a great many other stakeholders, participants and partners, first and foremost The Parks Trust, who organised, managed and promoted the day to their usual high standard. The turnout, despite the threat of rain (which eventually arrived toward the end of the afternoon), was considerable, and people appeared to have been well satisfied by the wide variety of attractions on offer.
The following is a far from comprehensive list of the many other things to see and do during the afternoon. Over in the talk tent, Doug Stuckey of Bucks Archaeological Society delivered a presentation on the HaHa excavated in the park, and David Wolfson spoke on the subject of MK Canals: Fenny to Wolverton. Special thanks to St. Andrew's Church, for once again providing a wonderful space to share the history of the park, as well as a copious supply of tea, coffee and cake to visitors, the proceeds of which go to good causes. Lace makers Wendy and Ros were on hand throughout the afternoon to show people this fascinating craft, and to demonstrate how important it once was to the economy of the village, while the team from Electra Community Boat provided a canal history display and invited members of the public to share their own memories and memorabilia. In the park, Deborah Jones ran popular demonstrations in the art of willow weaving, and it was lovely to welcome back Milton Keynes Arts Centre, much missed after their departure earlier in the year from The Great Barn. They provided an activity, making nature prints from leaves. Finally, but certainly not least, an enormous thank-you to the volunteer members of The Friends of Great Linford Manor Park, who always put such effort and enthusiasm into promoting the park. The friends will be continuing their efforts to find a solution to preserve the estate buildings for future generations, and if you would like to add your voice to the debate, please do consider joining for free. You can read more about the Friends of Great Linford Manor park here, and join online. The Friends Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 23rd. There is a change of venue this year, to the Marsh Drive Community Centre, MK14 5HH. What3word reference: undulation.triangles.shampoos. Please arrive for 6.45pm to get seated and help yourself to tea, coffee and biscuits before a prompt start at 7pm.  Previous Heritage Open Day. Located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Great Linford Manor Park was the home of successive Lords of the Manor since medieval times and was recently restored by The Parks Trust. Visitors can now stroll around the Georgian gardens, admiring features such as the cascading ponds, Wilderness and HaHa. This year’s 2025 Heritage Open Day offers an afternoon of fun walks, talks and activities within the grounds of this stunning park. For the 2025 Heritage Open Day, held from 12pm to 5pm, on Saturday, September 20th, you can rub shoulders with the Lord and Lady of the Manor, the Astrological Doctor and the School Master, as well as other costumed characters. Walks will be conducted around the park grounds by knowledgeable guides who will explain the fascinating history of the area. Talks on a variety of subjects will also be held in St. Andrew’s Church and a marquee within the park grounds. There will be live music throughout the afternoon, and a variety of food and craft stalls to browse. Here are just some of the highlights of the day. Venue: St. Andrew’s Church12th-century St. Andrew's Church is the perfect setting for visitors to learn about the history of Great Linford, and tea, coffee and cakes will be served all afternoon. So, pull up a pew and enjoy the following talks and activities. 1 - 2 pm. Talk: Discovering the Newport Pagnell Canal Roger Butler tells the story of this lost Buckinghamshire canal and explores its remains. 3.15 - 4.15 pm. Talk: A brief history of Great Linford John Gosling delves into the history of Great Linford, its notable residents and events. Includes many historic images. 12.00 - 4.30 pm: Down Memory Lane with Electra Boat Canal history display from Electra Boat, and a drop-in session from 2.30 pm, at which you are invited to share your canal memories. Guided history walksJoin the knowledgeable guides from The Friends of Great Linford Manor Park for informative walks around the park. Walks depart at 12.30 pm, 2 pm and 3.30 pm, and last one hour. Meet at the Parklands car park, by the twin Pavilions. Venue: The AlmshousesMeet the lacemakers Lacemaking was an important cottage industry in the village. Meet the lacemakers and learn about this fascinating craft. Willow weaving workshop Deb Jones provides a workshop on this ancient craft. The Friends of Great Linford Manor Park Children can try their hand at writing with a traditional quill and ink in front of the old village school, or do some colouring with one of our Georgian character sheets. You can also view copies of historic photographs and documents from the village and learn about what the Friends do to maintain, protect and promote the park. Venue: Talks Tent12.15 - 12.45 pm: MK Canals, from Fenny to Wolverton
David Wolfson, Chair of MK Canals, presents a talk on canals in Milton Keynes. 2.15 - 2.45 pm: The HaHa excavations at Great Linford Doug Stuckey of Bucks Archaeological Society delivers a talk on the recently completed HaHa excavations. 4.15 - 5 pm: The Myths and Legends of the Skies Talk by Bucks Astronomy on the constellations and what they represent. There's lots more to see and do. Full details can be found on the Parks Trust 2025 Heritage Open Day page. |
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