Towersey was the village I almost missed visiting. My plans for a short day walking were to walk along the Phoenix Trail, a cycle trail built on the disused railway between Princes Risborough and Thame. There are some fascinating sculptures along the trail, including a series that show old railway signals from the earliest years of Railways. I made quite rapid progress along the trail, and decided that I had time to make a short detour from the trail into Towersey, a very rewarding decision.
Towersey is a small village with a population at the last census of 433. It has a long history.
The name Towersey is derived from Old and Middle English. The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as simply Eia, meaning 'island'. This refers to a dry area of land in the marshes of the Aylesbury Vale, on the edge of which the village stands.
Mid-13th-century records refer to Turrisey and Tureseye, which has evolved into Towersey. It means 'island of de Turs', referring to Richard de Turs, who held the manor from 1252.
The earliest part of the Church of Saint Catherine is its 13th-century Early English Gothic chancel. The nave was rebuilt early in the 14th century and is Decorated Gothic in style. In 1850–54 the church was restored under the direction of the architect James Cranston, who added the bell tower in its slightly unusual position on the south side of the nave.
The railway past the village was opened in 1859, but Towersey didn't have a station until 1933. Passenger services ended in 1963 and freight in 1991, when the track was lifted, and the route was later converted to a cycle and walking trail.
Your villages have such interesting history. We saw a few villages when Hans took me to meet his family in Remscheid in 2009 and again the next year, where we also made a side trip into Holland too meet Ina and Ferry.
Thank you for all your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
There is something rather special about villages with thatched roof buildings. There are fewer such villages in the north of England, so I did enjoy my trips south to get photos of some.
Beautiful collage.
My great aunt lived in a beautiful thatched cottage in Ingrave.
Thank you for all your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
There is something rather special about villages with thatched roof buildings. There are fewer such villages in the north of England, so I did enjoy my trips south to get photos of some.
Ian
Thank you both. There are some lovely really small villages in Midsomer country.
Ian