Edlesborough

Edlesborough is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury district of Buckinghamshire, England. Edlesborough is also next to the village of Eaton Bray just over the county boundary in Bedfordshire, about 3 miles west-south-west of Dunstable.

As well as the village of Edlesborough itself, the civil parish also includes the hamlets of Dagnall, Northall and part of Ringshall. Hudnall was transferred in 1885 to the parish of Little Gaddesden in Hertfordshire.

The parish church of St Mary the Virgin (Church of England) is built on top of a barrow and is a local landmark. In 1975 the ecclesiastical parish merged with that of Eaton Bray, St Mary's was made redundant and since then it has been vested in the Churches Conservation Trust.

The earliest parts of the church date from the 13th-century. A chantry was added in 1338 and the tower in 1340. The closeness of these construction dates indicates how rich Edlesborough parish was at the time. Much of the church was altered in the 15th-century, including the chantry, which has given the church a very 15th-century character.

On 28 March 1824, the tower was struck by lightning, setting it on fire. The lead of the roof melted, and the molten lead set fire to everything it struck. Villagers fought the fire, which burnt for 12 hours until it was extinguished.

Within the church, the 15th-century rood screen, pulpit with tester and timber roofs are all notable. In the 15th-century six misericords were added to the choir stalls. These include carvings of a bat, a dragon and a mermaid. The misericord of the dragon also has some frog carvings for its supporters. There are some notable brasses. A more modern addition is an Arts and Crafts movement 2-light stained glass window on the theme of the Nativity by M. E. Aldrich Rope.

The village was once a centre for the straw plait industry, providing the raw material for hat makers. RAF Edlesborough was a radio station near Dagnall.

Today, Edlesborough is part of the Aylesbury Vale District within the County of Buckinghamshire. Historically, Aylesbury (being the nearest big town) was the administrative centre for that part of Buckinghamshire and the place where Births, Marriages & Deaths were officially recorded.