Oxfordshire Towns: |
Chinnor |
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Chinnor is a large a village nestling at the foot of the beautiful Chiltern Hills. It is a short drive (about 4 miles) from Thame, also close to Princes Riborough and Aylesbury. The history of Chinnor has much in common with the other towns and villages in this area, with a settlement dating back to Saxon times. Chinnor played a part in the English Civil War (1642). Many of Chinnor's ghost stories date from this time and several buildings from the times of the English Civil War are still in use in Chinnor today.
Chinnor grew quickly during the 1960s when its population more than doubled. This was also the location of a cement works, the remains of which can be seen in the form of the large quarry-like indentation in the landscape and the sign and remains of premises behind the Chinnor Steam Railway Station. Other employment in Chinnor included craftsmen supporting High Wycombe's furniture making industry, but no-longer. Today, Chinnor is mainly a dormitory village whose inhabitants work in the surrounding towns such as Thame, Aylesbury, High Wycombe, and even London. Despite its small size Chinnor has many amenities and some tourist attractions. These include The Ridgeway path, which passes through Chinnor to the east of the centre of the village. This is a Bridleway poplar with walkers, cyclists and horse riders. There are also three churches in Chinnor, the most traditional of which is St. Andrews (C of E) Church. The main tourist attraction Chinnor is home to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, also known as "The Icknield Line". This local railway project is the phenomenal achievement of a group of dedicated enthusiasts who have worked to restore a section of railway - complete with station, station facilities, and locomotives. This section of railway was originally opened in 1872 but was closed to passengers in 1957, after which is was used only to convey goods services to/from the Cement Works until 1989. Maintenance of the section of railway track from Chinnor to the junction with the Thame branch of the line near to Princes Risborough was then given to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association in 1990. Since then much work has taken place and progress made. The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway now issues annual timetables with details of services operated at weekends and also on some Bank Holidays. Cream Teas are served in the "Buffet" carriage (shown on the left, below), and Special services include Days Out with Thomas the Tank Engine, and "Santa Special" Services in December. At the time of writing, C&PRR services are to/from Chinnor only but work and fund-raising are in progress to extend the facility to enable passengers to also join and leave the train at Princes Risborough. The nearest mainline railway station is at Princes Risborough (Buckinghamshire), which is on the Chiltern Line between Birmingham Snow Hill and London Marylebone.
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