Newport Pagnell offers different ways to experience history and landscape: the engineering history of Tickford Bridge, the Civil War earthworks on Bury Field and the wet meadow of Bury Common. Other points of interest include the Church of St Peter and St Paul, the museum in Chandos Hall and local walks. You can focus your stay on buildings and historic structures, or include walks and landscape.
Tickford Bridge and the earthworks on Bury Field
Construction of Tickford Bridge began in June 1810; it was completed on 29 September 1810. It is a monument of national importance to the history of civil engineering and the use of cast iron. Its historical significance therefore encompasses both a precise construction period and the development of engineering and the use of a particular material.
Bury Field is home to the Civil War earthworks, a monument of national importance protected as a Scheduled Monument. They include a section of an earthwork fortification with a ditch and bank. The “Mill Hause Bulworcke” and “Stone Bulworcke” bastions are also partially preserved. Tickford Bridge and Bury Field represent different aspects of Newport Pagnell’s heritage: civil engineering and cast iron on the one hand, and military earthworks on the other.
Church, museum and local history
The Church of St Peter and St Paul is listed as a Grade I Listed Building. The Newport Pagnell Museum is located in Chandos Hall. The Newport Pagnell Historical Society organises visits to places of historical interest and local walks. If you prefer to explore history as part of an organised visit or walk, the Society’s work offers a distinct approach alongside exploring individual buildings.
The Parchment Works offer another aspect of local history: they are the last surviving business of their kind in the country. Parchment from the Parchment Works is shipped worldwide for legal documents and diplomas. This adds a craft and industrial dimension to the focus on buildings and monuments; at the same time, the parchment produced there is used beyond Newport Pagnell.
Walks and landscape
The Newport Pagnell Heritage Trail Walks offer a clear starting point for a walk. Printed copies are available from the Town Council office, 80 High Street, Newport Pagnell, MK16 8AQ; the walks can also be downloaded using the links provided there. Check local print and download information before your trip.
The former Newport Pagnell branch railway line is now part of Milton Keynes’s cycling and walking network. This offers a different approach to planning than the Heritage Trail Walks: it focuses on the present-day role of a former railway line within the cycling and walking network, while the Heritage Trail Walks are designated walks. As path conditions can change, check the latest conditions before setting out.
Bury Common in Newport Pagnell is a 74-hectare wet meadow. At Bury Common, you can walk through the plantation; local conditions may vary. The landscape therefore offers two different points of reference for your stay: the size and character of the wet meadow, and a specific walking activity.
Dates for the Strawberry Fayre
The Newport Pagnell Strawberry Fayre takes place annually on Father’s Day. Dates and programme may vary. If you’d like to plan your stay around the Fayre, check both in advance.
Discover more destinations: Woolstone, Broughton, Milton Keynes, Moulsoe, Sherington, Bletchley, Cold Brayfield, Olney.
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