Willen is a district of

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and is also one of the ancient villages of

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

to have been included in the designated area of the New City in 1967. The original village is now a small but important part of the larger district that contains it and to which it gives its name. It is in the

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

of Campbell Park.

History

The village was first recorded as ''Wilinges'' (12th century) and later as ''Wylie'', ''Wilies'' (13th century); ''Wilne'', ''Wylyene'' (14th century); and ''Wyllyen'', ''Wyllyn'' (15th century). Willen is not recorded by name in the Domesday Survey, but it can be identified with the 4 hides 1 virgate assessed under Caldecote, part of the neighbouring parish of Moulsoe, and held under the Count of Mortain by Alvered. The name Willen is probably from Anglo-Saxon or Old English meaning (at the) 'willows', the adjacent

River Ouzel The River Ouzel , also known as the River Lovat, is a river in England, and a tributary of the River Great Ouse. It rises in the Chiltern Hills and flows north to join the Ouse at Newport Pagnell. It is usually called the ''River Ouzel'', e ...

meanders through land ideal for willows. In 1931 the civil parish had a population of 57. On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished and merged with Great and Little Woolstone to form "Woolstone cum Willen".

Environment and amenities

Religious

The parish church (1680), was designed by the architect and physicist

Robert Hooke Robert Hooke (; 18 July 16353 March 1703) was an English polymath who was active as a physicist ("natural philosopher"), astronomer, geologist, meteorologist, and architect. He is credited as one of the first scientists to investigate living ...

and is a classic of the early

English Baroque English Baroque is a term used to refer to modes of English architecture that paralleled Baroque architecture in continental Europe between the Great Fire of London (1666) and roughly 1720, when the flamboyant and dramatic qualities of Baroque ...

period. Further around the lake, there is a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Temple/

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

and a large

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

, the Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda built in 1980 by the monks and nuns of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji. It was the first to be built in the western hemisphere. There is a grass

labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

nearby. St Michael's Priory is small

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

house in the village.

Willen Hospice

Overlooking the lake, Willen Hospice provides specialist care for people whose illness no longer responds to curative treatment (also known as specialist

palliative care Palliative care (from Latin root "to cloak") is an interdisciplinary medical care-giving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating or reducing suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Man ...

).About us
(Willen Hospice)

Willen Lake

One of the more important features of the district is a large balancing lake on the

, designed to capture

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...

s lest they cause problems down stream. The lake is split into two halves. The north lake is a wild-life sanctuary and a favourite of migrating aquatic birds, overlooked by the Peace Pagoda and the Hospice. The south lake is for leisure use, with a full watersports and boat hire centre, as well as inflatable aqua park and wakeboarding facility. There are many paths around the lake suitable for walking, running or cycling. The south lake also comprises a children's splash park and a high ropes course, as well as playing host to various events throughout the year.

Bird Life

In its history, many rare and scarce migrating birds have turned up on the north side of the lake. The island is primarily for bird life. Many common bird species breed on the spit that can be viewed from the only hide on the lake, the north hide.

Sports

The district is also home to Willen Cricket Club and to Willen Juniors FC, who both play at Willen Fields on Portland Drive.

References

External links

*
The official website for the Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda
by Peter Loud {{authority control Villages in Buckinghamshire Areas of Milton Keynes Former civil parishes in Buckinghamshire Willen Church Parks and open spaces in the Borough of Milton Keynes