- Burnham, Buckinghamshire
infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 51.53
longitude= -0.66
official_name= Burnham
shire_district=South Bucks
shire_county =Buckinghamshire
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Beaconsfield
post_town= SLOUGH
postcode_district = SL
postcode_area= SL
dial_code= 01628
population= 11,512 [ [http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=792134&c=Burnham&d=16&e=15&g=424848&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1215979026093&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 Neighbourhood Statistics 2001 Census] ]
os_grid_reference= SU9282Burnham lies north of the
River Thames , and sits on the border withBerkshire , between the towns ofMaidenhead andSlough . It is served by Burnham railway station in the west of Slough on the main line betweenLondon andReading, Berkshire . The M4motorway passes through the south of the parish.The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'homestead on a
stream '. It was first recorded in theDomesday Book of 1086 as "Burneham", when the manor belonged to "Walter Fitz-Other".Burnham was once a very important village. The road from
London to Bath (now the A4) passed through the extensiveparish of Burnham and as a result, in 1271, it received aRoyal charter to hold a market and an annual fair. However, when the bridge crossing the Thames in Maidenhead opened the road was diverted away from Burnham, which fell into relative decay. The market was then transferred to Maidenhead.Today the village is contiguous with Slough due to urban spread, though it retains some of its own character. Although the
civil parish has a population of around 11,500, Burnham's residents usually continue to consider Burnham to be avillage .In 1265 a
Benedictine abbey was founded near the village by Richard, King of the Romans. This was, however, disbanded by King Henry VIII in theDissolution of the Monasteries . Since 1916, a contemplative order ofAnglican Augustinian nuns has been based in the restored remains of the original abbey.Burnham parish church is dedicated to St Peter. The current building dates in part from the twelfth century but has been substantially expanded, refurbished and altered, with major restorations in 1863-4 and 1891 and the construction of the Cornerstone Centre in 1986. [ [http://www.stpetersburnham.org/history.asp St. Peter's Church Burnham – a brief history] ]
Burnham Beeches is an area of 540 acres of protected ancient woodland, and sits just north of the village.Dorneywood lies within the parish.The parish of Burnham once included the hamlets of
Boveney ,Cippenham ,Britwell andEast Burnham , though these are now separate communities in their own right.Burnham Grammar School andBurnham Upper School provide secondary education to the children of Burnham and the surrounding area. Many students, however, commute to the nearby secondary schools in Sloughfact|date=June 2008. Priory School is the largest primary school in the area and provides primary education for many of the local childrenfact|date=June 2008Burnham is the home of Burnham Football Club.
Owing to its proximity to Pinewood Film & TV Studios, Burnham and its surrounding areas (in particular Burnham Beeches) feature in numerous films, notably a number of the
Carry On films from the 1960s and 70s.Notable people
*Mike Ashley – billionaire businessman
*Susan Cooper – author
*Tracey Ullman –comedienne [ [http://www.unionsquaremusic.co.uk/titlev4.php?ALBUM_ID=85&LABEL_ID=3 Tracey Ullman biography on album webpage – 'The Best of Tracey Ullman'] ]External links
* [http://www.burnhambucks.co.uk/ Burnham Bucks community Website]
* [http://www.burnhamparish.gov.uk/ Parish Council Website]
* [http://www.stpetersburnham.org/ Parish Church Website]
* [http://www.burnhamabbey.org/ Society of the Precious Blood at Burnham Abbey]Notes and References
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