Little London, Oakley, Bucks
Encyclopedia
Little London is a hamlet
of around 70 houses to the east of Oakley
in Buckinghamshire
. It is first mentioned around the 16th century and is clearly visible on the New College, Oxford
map of Bernwood Forest
of 1590. Originally, the border between Brill
and Oakley would have followed the stream in Oakley meaning that Oakley Church, 'the Nap' and 'Little London Green' would have been within Little London.
The origin of the settlement is not clear, some local thought was that it was built during the Black Death
in the 14th century by Londoners fleeing the capital. The fact that the hamlet is one field distant from the rest of Oakley may support this theory.
In 1934, Buckinghamshire County Council amended parish council boundaries and Little London became part of Oakley. Up to the 1960s, the hamlet even had its own shop. Little London Green is the largest area of common land
within the parish of Oakley.
Little London at Oakley would have been established by the Welsh cattle drovers. There have been at least 70 communities established in England and Wales, many of which still exist. They were temporary "homes" for the long distance drovers, moving their cattle to London, and the great fairs and markets of England. They were located on common land well away from local communities. The drovers had a licence to travel, granted by Elizabeth 1st, and were regarded as "foreigners" by the local parishioners who could not travel without a "settlement certificate".
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of around 70 houses to the east of Oakley
Oakley, Buckinghamshire
Oakley is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England of about 400 households with a population of 1,059 people and an area of...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. It is first mentioned around the 16th century and is clearly visible on the New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
map of Bernwood Forest
Bernwood Forest
Bernwood was one of several forests of the ancient kingdom of England and was a Royal hunting forest. It is thought to have been set aside as Royal hunting land when the Anglo-Saxon kings had a palace at Brill in the 10th century and was a particularly favoured place of Edward the Confessor, who...
of 1590. Originally, the border between Brill
Brill
Brill is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, close to the boundary with Oxfordshire. It is about north-west of Long Crendon and south-east of Bicester...
and Oakley would have followed the stream in Oakley meaning that Oakley Church, 'the Nap' and 'Little London Green' would have been within Little London.
The origin of the settlement is not clear, some local thought was that it was built during the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in the 14th century by Londoners fleeing the capital. The fact that the hamlet is one field distant from the rest of Oakley may support this theory.
In 1934, Buckinghamshire County Council amended parish council boundaries and Little London became part of Oakley. Up to the 1960s, the hamlet even had its own shop. Little London Green is the largest area of common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
within the parish of Oakley.
Little London at Oakley would have been established by the Welsh cattle drovers. There have been at least 70 communities established in England and Wales, many of which still exist. They were temporary "homes" for the long distance drovers, moving their cattle to London, and the great fairs and markets of England. They were located on common land well away from local communities. The drovers had a licence to travel, granted by Elizabeth 1st, and were regarded as "foreigners" by the local parishioners who could not travel without a "settlement certificate".