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There has been a settlement at Newport Pagnell since before the Iron Age, it being inevitable that a community should spring up at the junction of two rivers, the Ouse and the Lovat, both fordable at this point. It was a town of some importance at the time of the Doomsday survey and by the end of the 12th century was known by its present name--Newport (new town) Pagnell (after Fulk Paynell who was given ownership of the land by William the Conqueror).

The Paynells founded Tickford Priory and through this the town grew in importance. By 1394 local burgesses had taken over the responsibility for maintenance of the town market.

During the Civil War, Newport was first a Royalist stronghold. The King's men were routed and the Parliamentary forces took charge, fortifying the town with earthworks, some of which can still be seen on the town Common, Bury Field. John Bunyan was said to have served in the Commonwealth forces here. There is a rumour that Oliver Cromwell's second son, Oliver, died of smallpox in the town in 1644 but this has never been proven. Civil War Map The map shown in the link is reproduced by the kind permission of Paul Woodfield and comes from the publication called "Stony Stratford the Last Skirmish" produced in 1994. Paul's map shows the Civil War defences superimposed over a modern day map but with the river as it was in 1644 ( note the length of the river bridge at Tickford) . At that time there were buildings in the middle of the High Street (the town shambles) and it was here that the Parliamentary forces had their headquarters close to the Swan.The original map of 1644 is held at the Bodlean Library but a copy can be seen in town museum Chandos Hall.

Newport Pagnell was at one time the centre of the lace industry, but it was through its importance as a transport centre that the town grew, being on direct routes between Leicester and London and Cambridge and Oxford. By the late 17th century over 180 goods and coach services a week passed through the town and it was well provided with coaching inns. Such was the importance of the coaching trade to the town that the Iron Bridge and the stone North Bridges were in the 1810 to cater for the heavy traffic.

The coming of the branch of the Grand Union Canal in 1817 reduced the reliance on road traffic for heavy goods, but the railways dealt a death blow to coaches and narrow boats. The waterway link had already fallen into disuse when the branch railway line from Wolverton was opened in 1865. The town was by then a busy centre with a thriving coachworks owned by Salmons (now the home of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd), a focal point for the local farming industry and to some extent a dormitory for workers at the railway works at Wolverton.

Newport Pagnell's next major expansion took place in the 1950's when big housing estates were built to cope with the post-war population surge. This fact, coupled with the coming of the M1 in 1959 and the establishment of the new city of Milton Keynes, has seen the town's population rise from 4,500 to 16,000.

Starting our Trail from the North Bridge Toll House (1), built in the 1810, we get a pleasant view of the town from the eastern approach on the Northampton / Bedford road. The Parish Church is on the highest point of the High Street and, to the right, is a panorama of small houses backing on to the River Ouse as it leaves the Mill race of the former corn mills, the last of which was destroyed by fire in 1899.

On the left, on the site of an ancient manor house, is the Royal British Legion Club (2), housed in a 17th century building which in it's time has been home to prominent local families, a private girls' school, a public library, and a doctors' surgery. The gardens of this lovely house are now publicity owned and if you walk down to the river you will find, on your left, the remaining stone arch of the medieval north bridge.

The Parish Church (3) of St Peter and St. Paul was built in the 14th century. The tower was added in the 16th century and crenelations in the 19th century.

If you turn left by the north porch, the oldest part of the church, you will come across a row of almshouses, built in 1763 by John Revis a Charing cross draper.

The interesting building with a spire that you can see in the background is Cemetery Lodge (4) , built by local architect Richard Sheppard in 1860. Now called Spire Cottage it is a private house.

Back in the High Street, Odells restaurant (5), near the Church, is an early victorian building that was for over 150 years an ironmongers' shop and workshops in the hands of the Odell family. Note the wonderful curved doors. On the opposite side of the road you will see the former Barclays Bank (6), now the Post Office, built in 1872 for the oldest banking concern in Buckinghamshire (Bassetts).

On the left hand side is the Swan Revived Hotel (7), once one of the towns principal coaching inns dating back to at least 1597, it has had many famous guests over the years including the diarist Samuel Pepys.

Almost opposite is an early 17th century half-timbered shop, Upstairs Downstairs (8), formerly an antique dealer's premises.

At Cannon Corner (named after a cannon believed to have been left there after the civil war) we turn left into St. John Street, so named after a medieval hospital. The western side has altered little over the centuries, but similar buildings on the opposite side were demolished in a road widening scheme in the 1950s.

Facing you as you turn the corner into Pandora's pet shop which was for almost 130 years, the offices of the town's newspaper, the Bucks Standard. Next door is the entrance to an arcade of shops, built in the town's only cinema, The Electra, which was opened in 1912 by the proprietor of Salmons Coachworks to provide entertainment for his employees and their families.

A little further down on the same side we come to what is one of Newport Pagnell's oldest houses, now Ye Olde Kiosk (9). This narrow-fronted building of timber and brick infill is certainly early 16th century and was occupied for many years by a cobbler.

A few doors down at No. 32 (10) , is the stone house that was the Vicarage until 1875. Next door is another group of almshouses known as Queen Anne's Hospital, the fourth hospital on this sight (the original being medieval). There is an interesting plaque above one of the windows dated 1615 dedicating the hospital to the people of the town from Queen Anne, wife of James I .

Then we come to one of the town's greatest claims to fame the Iron Bridge(11), the oldest cast Iron bridge in the world, still carrying main road traffic. Details of its history can be read on a plaque erected by the Historical Society. If you have the time carry on down Tickford Street past The Bull Inn and you will find the Victorian coachworks that are now the home of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd (12) , makers of the famous sports cars.

Retrace your steps to the High Street, you will see facing you the Cannon public house, at the rear of which was the Cannon Brewery. Keeping to the left hand side of the street you will notice opposite, at No. 60 (13) , an excellent example of an early 18th century town house, but interior detail indicates a much older property. It has a beautiful door-case with a fanlight above the door, three storeys and a hipped tile roof. It was for most of this century the home of the Newport Pagnell Urban District Council.

A few doors down on the same side are the offices of the Nationwide Building Society a 16th Century building whose timbers are about the only original fabric remaining after an extensive "restoration" in 1969 when the building was totally rebuilt to copy the original frontage.

Just before the pedestrian crossing on the left is No.73, The Old Manse (14) , formerly a solicitor's office but once an academy run by the Rev. William Bull, a friend of the Olney Vicar, The Rev. John Newton.

Through the archway can be seen the United Reformed Church (15) . Built by nonconformists on the site of an ancient meeting barn.

If you cross at the pedestrian crossing you find, set back between Nos. 74 and 76 High Street the Methodist Church (16) . Built in 1815 it has typical chapel architecture of the period--strong and severe, but with a touch of elegance about the frontage.

Two more Buildings on this side are of note. The 16th century Dolphin (17), public house is another of the town's ancient inns.

A real gem is next door Brewery House (18), a Queen Anne period house, seen from the shell porch and door-case. It was home to the owners of the brewery which once stood alongside and whose buildings were used by Cooper's the agricultural engineers, for more than half a century. They were demolished in 1990 and replaced by the present shop and medical centre.

Walk to the other side of the traffic roundabout and across the road you will see Town Hall Chambers (19), a building which has seen many occupants. It was built in the early 19th century as a British School. Later it became the Town Hall and, from 1937 was known as Church House. Though owned by the Parish Church it continued as the main meeting place in the town: the largest room would hold over 200 people. Public meetings, dances, local dramatic and operatic performances, school activities, which overflowed from the Bury Street Schools, all took turns. Several years ago the Parochial Church Council sold Church House to the Baptists and after they moved to their new building at Lovat Hall the property was sold for redevelopment. The building has an interesting frontage designed by local architect Richard Shephard in 1845.

Across the small car park is a similar building also built in 1845 by the same architect, as a local lock up and magistrates court. By 1881 it had become the Temperance Hall home to the Plymouth Bretherin n on conformists of which Shephard was a founder member. The Temperance Hall became the Mission Hall and is now the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to St. Bede (20).

Using the pedestrian crossing, you get to the other side of the High street where you will find in front of you another early 17th Century town building, The Coachmakers Arms, whose brick and timber walls are enormously thick in places.

Continuing down Bury Street with the Cedars school on your right you will reach Silver Street which, if you turn right, will lead you to Caldecote Street, originally part of Green End. It has always been prone to flooding and as recently as 1992 the lower end of Silver Street was under two feet of water for the best part of 24 hours.

Almost opposite the junction you will find Lovat Crest (21), the towns only remaining exposed thatched house and a genuine Tudor Building.

Retracing your steps along Silver Street you will find No. 84 (22), a Georgian house built in brick with stone quoins and a stucco finish. Take a look at the roof , those large slates were specially imported from Belgium. Also on this side is another old pub, The Rose and Crown (23), and opposite is Lovat Bank (24), a Victorian mansion designed by Swinfen Harris and built for Frederick James Taylor, chemist, and member of the family of mustard and mineral water manufacturers in the town. The original weather vane with the initials F.J.T can still be seen on the tower of the building. Lovat Bank in more recent times has been used as council offices but is now private offices.

Just before the Bury Street junction, on the left is the Historical Society's museum, Chandos Hall (25), formerly the chapel of the United Brothers down an alleyway (Chandos Court) between two houses, Nos 52 and 54. Look at the dates in the stone panels on these houses. One number is the construction date, the other is the number of the local Oddfellows Friendly Society branch which built the houses and used the Chandos Hall as its headquarters and chapel.

As you start to climb Silver Street hill there is, on the left, the Workman's Social Club, and opposite, at No 19, The Hermitage (26). This house dates from the 17th century, through it was extensively modified in the 18th and possibly the 19th centuries.

Two 17th century cottages contemporary with The Hermitage adjoin it and have timbered interior rooms and exposed beams.

Next to one of the cottages stands Hatt house (27) . Eighteenth century in date the property in Victorian times was a local doctor's surgery.

Opposite Hatt House, No. 16, is another well preserved 17th century half timbered house that until a few years ago sported a barbers striped pole outside.

The rest of Silver Street hill narrows to one-way and, with Tickford Arcade, on your right, you emerge into St. John Street again and your tour of the oldest part of our town is over. We hope you enjoyed it.

Other places of interest in Newport Pagnell not included in our Town Trail are Tickford Abbey (28), a private nursing home run by the WRVS in Priory Street, on the site of the old Priory; the Parchment Works (29), in Willen Road; and Bury Field - the great 185 acre common whose grazing rights are attached to certain properties in the town.