Willen

Willen is a district of Milton Keynes, England and is also one of the ancient villages of Buckinghamshire to have been included in the designated area of the New City in the 1960s. The original village is now a small but important part of the larger district that contains it and to which it gives its name.

Environment and amenities

The tiny parish church (1680) at Willen contains the only unaltered building by the architect and physicist Robert Hooke still in existence, and is a classic of the early English Baroque period.

Further around the lake, there is a Buddhist Temple/monastery and a large stupa, a 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 nearby.

Willen Lake

There is a large balancing lake to capture flash floods before they cause problems down stream. The north basin is a wild-life sanctuary and a favourite of migrating aquatic birds. The south basin is for leisure use, favoured by wind surfers and dinghy sailors. The circuit of the lakes is a favoured "fun run".

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

History

The village was recorded in manorial records of 1189 as "Wily". The name Willen is probably from Anglo-Saxon or Old English meaning (at the) 'willows': the River Ouzel meanders through land ideal for willows.

Miscellaneous

The parish church was dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. It is reputed to be the point where several major ley lines converge.Fact|date=June 2007The district is also home to Willen Cricket Club formed in the mid 1990s and Willen Juniors FC who both play at Willen Fields on Portland Drive.

External links

* [http://www.mkweb.co.uk/mkmap/home.asp?X_Coord=487616&Y_Coord=240682&bg
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* [http://www.mkbuddhism.org.uk/ The official website for the Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda]
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