Aston Clinton Area Guide
On the edge of the Chilterns, close to Tring, Wendover and Aylesbury, the lovely Buckinghamshire village of Aston Clinton has given rise to a Great British Icon of the car manufacturing world and, on a very different note, an 80s rock band. In the centre of the village is the Anthony Hall, an attractive concert venue that was donated to the village by the widow of Anthony Nathan de Rothschild.
About Aston Clinton
Aston Clinton feels like a modern and spacious village and has seen a number of new housing developments in recent years. Around ten minutes by car from the neighbouring towns of Tring, Wendover and Aylesbury, it is a great place to experience the variety and culture of some of the best towns in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.In the village you will find a doctor's surgery, convenience store, primary school, church, park with its own cafe and a further selection of well-regarded places to eat and drink: The Bell, The Oak, and Partridge Arms pubs, and the more exotic Indian cuisine at Mela and Chinese cooking at China Water.
Choose from three mainline stations with direct trains to London: Tring (Euston in approx. 35 mins), Wendover and Stoke Mandeville (Marylebone in around 50 and 55 mins respectively), or pick up the A41 about 1.5 miles away for a dual carriageway link to the M25 (Junction 20).
The market towns of Tring and Wendover have a good line in independent shops and coffee houses, while Aylesbury’s shopping centres and department stores are accompanied by a multiplex cinema and recently completed £42 million theatre.
Alongside the excellent Aston Clinton Primary School, the village falls within the Grammar Schools catchment area in Aylesbury.
In your free time you can explore the forest canopy at Go Ape in nearby Wendover Woods, or keep both feet on the ground at Chiltern Forest Golf Club.
The Aston Clinton Parish Council website has a full run down of facilities within the village along with a comprehensive local directory. It is one of the best community websites locally and a great resource for knowing what’s what.
History
Aston Clinton goes right back to Roman times when a settlement is thought to have started at the crossing of two Roman roads, Akeman Street and Icknield Way, both of which are still main roads in the village today.The Domesday Book records the village as Estone, meaning "eastern estate", that was under the control of King Henry I standard-bearer, Edward de Salisbury, for a short period after 1100. The manor was later owned by the de Clinton family; hence the name at the time of Aston de Clinton.
In 1572, one of England's earliest pop star incarnations was born here: the composer and lutenist Daniel Bacheler is now widely regarded as being the most successful in his own lifetime.
Coming more up to date, car manufacturer Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by talking one half of its name from the village, and the other half from its co-founder Lionel Martin. He took on the Aston Clinton Hill Climb race in his latest creation, and won! A plaque now marks the site.
More recently, 1980s band Marillion was formed in Aston Clinton and The TV programme Hotel Babylon was filmed here.
We Recommend
- Explore Wendover Woods and take a picnic
- If you're feeling energetic, sample the treetop adventure at "Go Ape!" in Wendover Woods
- Grab a hot drink at Coffee at 108, or Café in the Park
- Take a walk up to the Aston Hill viewpoint, and see the Aston Martin monument
- Take in a show at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury