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Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, lies on the A40 20 miles
north west of central London, close to the M25/M40 motorway
intersection and with a fast rail connection to London
Marylebone provided
by
Chiltern
Railways.
It lies 80 metres above sea level. To the south the terrain
slopes down gently to the Thames at Eton.
Gerrards Cross is one of the larger settlements (population
7352) in South Bucks District, a predominantly rural (89%
green belt) area immediately outside Greater London. It is
widely regarded as a very desirable place to live because of
its high quality residential accommodation set in a
spacious, leafy environment with excellent communications.
At the heart of the village, alongside the A40 is Gerrards
Cross Common, much loved by residents and intensively used
for recreation and for dog walking. The children’s play area
is always busy and the football pitch is well used at
weekends.
The Common and the houses immediately adjacent to it are
recognized for their special character by having
conservation area
status. An equally large area of public open space is
available on The Camp (Bulstrode
Camp), whose Iron Age defensive ramparts are still
discernible around the flat grassy interior. In addition to
these open spaces, residents make use of a dense network of
local footpaths.
Many residents are particularly attracted by the excellent
schools, primary and secondary, public and private, in
Gerrards Cross and in easily accessible nearby areas.
Buckinghamshire County Council operates selection at 11 for
public secondary education. Approximately 30% of pupils are
offered places at (mostly) single-sex grammar schools.
Although many residents are daily commuters to employment in
London, Gerrards Cross is not just a dormitory village. It
has a thriving village centre (traders’ association) with shops, banks,
restaurants, hotels, estate agents, solicitors, a
cinema and many other
facilities. To the north, Gerrards Cross is adjacent to the
larger community of Chalfont St Peter which also has
extensive facilities used by Gerrards Cross residents and in
particular the excellent local hospital and associated GP
surgery.
Of particular benefit to Gerrards Cross is the
Memorial Centre – a
community centre created to honour the memory of residents
who lost their lives in two World Wars. The Memorial centre
has rooms for educational and recreational activities, a
large hall for public meetings and a bar. It also hosts
Gerrards Cross’ active youth
club.
Gerrards Cross not only has good access to London by road
and rail but also to Heathrow Airport, 12 miles away with an
hourly
bus service
during the working day. There are many other places of
interest to the
tourist,
including Beaconsfield (Bekonscot
Model Village),
Burnham
Beeches (ancient woodlands owned by the Corporation
of London with public access),
Eton,
Windsor
and
other charming riverside locations upstream such as
Maidenhead,
Cookham and
Marlow on the way to
Henley and
Oxford beyond.
Gerrards Cross Parish Council
is not responsible for the content of external internet
sites
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