During Roman Britain, an area NE of the current town was occupied by a Roman settlement.[5] In 2023, archaeologists uncovered a villa mosaic which were declared "remains of high significance".[6]
Olney is mentioned as Ollanege (Olla's island) in 932,[7] the town has a history as a lace-making centre. According to the Domesday Book the place, later called Olnei, was held in 1086 by Geoffrey de Montbray, Bishop of Coutances, as its overlord.
In the late 18th century, William Cowper and John Newton collaborated here on what became known as the Olney Hymns, which include Amazing Grace. The town has the Cowper and Newton Museum dedicated to them. The museum was adapted from Cowper's former residence, which was given to the town in 1905 by the publisher William Hill Collingridge (who had been born in the house). Newton was succeeded as curate in Olney by the biblical commentator Thomas Scott (1747–1821).
The hamlet of Olney Park Farm to the north of the town of Olney derives its name from a park established in 1374 by Ralph, Third Baron Bassett of Sapcote in Leicester. In 1861 it attained civil parish status, but was subsequently incorporated into an enlarged Olney civil parish around 1931.[9][10]
Since 1445, a pancake race has been run in the town on many Pancake Days, the day before the beginning of Lent.[12] Tradition records that in 1445 on Shrove Tuesday, the "Shriving Bell" rang out to signal the start of the Shriving church service. On hearing the bell a local housewife, who had been busy cooking pancakes in anticipation of the beginning of Lent, ran to the church, frying pan still in hand, tossing the pancake to prevent it from burning, and dressed in her kitchen apron and headscarf.[13][14]
The women of Olney recreate this race every Shrove Tuesday (known in some countries as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) by running from the market place to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, a distance of over 400 yards. The traditional prize is a kiss from the verger. In modern times, Olney competes with the town of Liberal, Kansas in the United States for the fastest time in either town to win the "International Pancake Race". There is also a children's race, run by children from the local schools. The children have to run a distance of about 20 yards. This competition has been run every year since 1950.
In July 2022, following the securing of funding from MK City Council, the MK Community Foundation, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, the town's Cowper and Newton Museum launched the "Amazing Grace 250" project to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Amazing Grace hymn, featuring a host of exhibitions and special events in Olney, the wider Milton Keynes UA, and beyond.[21]
The A509 road runs into the wide High Street bordered by historic townhouses. The Market Place is the site of a general market on Thursdays and a farmers' market on the first Sunday of each month. The vast majority of Olney shops are independent, attracting shoppers from further afield to find the galleries, antique, rug and furniture sellers, as well as boutiques for interior design, fashionable clothes and perfumery. There are restaurants, pubs, cafés and takeaways offering a wide variety of British and international food.
As Olney continues to expand with new housing estates, a secondary-level satellite campus, Ousedale School, has opened for pupils from year 7 to year 11. Olney Infants School is for reception to year 2 children and Olney Middle School takes the children up to year 6, at the age of 11.
The town is bisected by the Central Milton Keynes-Kettering A509 road, which runs southbound towards the M1 at Junction 14 (roughly 7 miles (11 km) distant), and northbound towards the A428 (which runs westbound towards Northampton and eastbound towards Bedford, and Cambridge further afield).
Bus
Bus 21 (Red Rose) connects the town with Lavendon to the north-east, and Newport Pagnell and Central Milton Keynes to the south running approximately every hour from Monday to Friday. Bus 41 (Stagecoach) connects the town with Lavendon, Bedford and Northampton, formerly running approximately every 30 minutes from Monday to Friday.[23] In October 2022, service 41 was reduced to one service to and from Olney per day.[24] However, in April 2023, Milton Keynes City Council stated intent to increase the frequency of the service by providing subsidised fares and discretionary funding using the UK Government's Bus Recovery Grant scheme, with the support expected to come into effect by June 2023.[25]
The City Council also operates an on demand bus service known as "MK Connect", which serves the whole MK unitary authority area, including Olney.[26]
Developments
Olney is identified by MK City Council (in local planning documents) as one of the three "Key Settlements" in the Milton Keynes UA outside of the 1967 "designated area" of the New Town,[27] with the town's complementary Neighbourhood Plan, adopted in May 2017, allocating a total of 300 homes for the town between then and 2031, with 30% of dwellings planned to be affordable.[28]
Olney has been part of the Borough (now City) of Milton Keynes since 1974, which has been a unitary authority since 1997.[31] This gives Milton Keynes City Council the responsibility for the provision of most local government services. Voters registered in the town are represented on MK City Council, which has (since 2014) been divided into 19 wards each carrying 3 councillors with Olney being part of the larger ward of the same name.[32][33]
At the parish level, Olney has a town council based at the Olney Centre on the town's high street.[34]
The town also has a junior football club, Olney Town Colts FC. The FA Charter Standard club has 27 teams ranging from U5s to U18s and an adult development team ensuring local players can continue playing beyond youth football.
Others
Other sports activities are supported by clubs for cricket, tennis and bowls, and a hockey club for juniors.
^"Search Results for 'Olney, Milton Keynes'". Historic England. Retrieved 2 January 2023. (Note: the 144 results returned by the search include sites in Emberton, Lavendon, Newton Blossomville, etc.)
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