The town is thought to be of Saxon origin, a church of wooden construction stood on the site of the present Parish Church from about 900 AD. The town´s site was probably chosen because it was halfway between London and Oxford, a fact that was to become increasingly important.
The first written reference to Beaconsfield dates from 1185 where it is spelt Bekenesfeld, although this is popularly thought to mean the ¨field by the beacon¨ it may alternatively mean the ¨clearing in the beeches¨ and the town´s icon is indeed a beech tree. Although the name has been spelt with an ´A´ during modern times the locals still pronounce the name as Beckensfield.
In the thirteenth century the area came under the authority of Richard Earl of Cornwall and brother to King Henry III, Richard obtained a royal grant to hold a weekly market on the Tuesday of every week in 1255. The market closed early in the nineteenth century but was revived in 1982. In 1266 the town became part of the endowment of Burnham Abbey and in 1269 a further grant allowed an annual fair on the 10th May. The tradition continues to this day.
The Abbey derived substantial fees from these events, and jealously protected the four 'ends' at the centre of town from any encroachment. That is why London, Windsor, Wycombe and Aylesbury ends (or streets) which form the crossroads are so broad and spacious. The Parish Church which stands at this historic junction was rebuilt in stone around 1470, and survived until it was again rebuilt and enlarged, on the same site, in 1869.
After the dissolution of Burnham Abbey the town and surrounding lands became divided into three great estates Halbarne (later Hall Barn), Gregories and Whiltones (now Wilton Park), all forming part of the manor of Beaconsfield.
Following the purchase of the Manor of Beaconsfield by the Waller family in 1624 Hall Barn became famous as the home of Edmund Waller, a leading poet of his day. He played a prominent part in the Civil War, which led to him being tried for treason and condemned to death, but his sentence was commuted to exile abroad and a heavy fine. He was later allowed to return to Beaconsfield where he was responsible for building the present house probably between 1675 and 1680. It was later extended and in 1972 restored to its original size.
In 1768 Gregories passed into the ownership of Edmund Burke, who extended the house by the addition of two wings. Here Burke entertained many of the leading personalities of the day, including Dr. Johnson, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Goldsmith, Garrick and Charles James Fox. It was Burke who renamed the house 'Butler's Court' and it was from here that he wrote about the American War of Independence and the French Revolution. He lies buried in St. Mary's Church at his own request, and the bicentenary of his death occurs in 1997. Butlers Court was burned down in 1813, the present house of that name, built by Lord Grenfell on a different site, dates from 1891.
Wilton Park, was built in the early part of the eighteenth century, and acquired in about 1779 by Josias Du Pre, a former Governor of Madras, India. His monument survives in the north aisle of St. Mary's Church. The Du Pre family lived in the house for some 170 years until it was taken over by the War Office in 1939. It was used as a centre for the interrogation of the senior prisoners of war, including Rudolph Hess. The fine Palladian mansion with its Adam interior was demolished in 1967 to make way for the present assembly of military buildings.
The eighteenth century brought an era of prosperity to the town due to rapid growth in the coaching trade with travellers from London to Oxford and beyond making overnight stops in the town. Highwaymen also found the surroundings convenient for their activities, and Holtspur Hill was a favourite site for robbing affluent passengers.
The prosperity of the town continued through the eighteenth century when some of its finest houses were built. However, by the middle of the 19th century agriculture fell into decline and the town was severely affected by railways ruining the coaching trade, formerly busy inns became idle. Plans to build a railway through Beaconsfield proved to be uneconomic because of the high ground and a line did not arrive until 1906.
It took a great deal of fund-raising during this depression to finance the enlargement of the Parish Church in 1869, the restoration of the tower with new pinnacles and bells had to be deferred for 15 years after funds ran out.
Beaconsfield´s railway station was built nearly a mile to the north of the original town, on farmland formerly part of the Gregories and Wilton Park estates. It quickly became the focal point for the development of the New Town and there are now more than 11,000 inhabitants in the town as a whole. The Old Town has become a Conservation Area and coupled with tight control by the Hall Barn Estate development is strictly regulated to preserve its traditional character. Modern residential and business development continues to take place in the New Town.
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