ASTON ROWANT
Aston Rowant is a pretty little brick and flint village
lying at the foot of the Chiltern Hills. The village is
just off the B4009 although there has been some ribbon
development along the main road. Aston means the eastern
farmstead or estate, whilst the name 'Rowant' is from Rohant family,
lords of the manor in the 14th century
The 12th century church of St Peter and St Paul is in
the oldest part of the village. The church is surrounded
by trees which means there are few places where a good
view of the church is possible. In spring daffodils and
blossom make the bank of the churchyard a pretty sight.
The road winds through the village towards the village
green which is privately owned. The green is dotted with
trees and has attractive daffodils in the spring. Around
the green is a farmhouse and cottages, which were mainly
built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
There used to be a fine manor house in the village said
to have been 'one of the remarkable seats in the county’,
with its park and gardens and a two and a half acre lake.
The house was built in 1352 but eventually burned down
in the mid-20th century. Now the park and walled kitchen
garden have been built on and there is no sign of the
lake.
To the east of the village is the village school and
beyond that the village is linked to nearby Kingston Blount
by a footpath known as the Coffin Path. The village at
one time was served by the Watlington to Princes Risborough
branch line (now no longer there), and the station was
used for the films My Brother Jonathan and The Captive
Heart in the 1950s.
Aston Rowant is just off the B4009 about 4.5 miles south of Thame.
