THE HISTORY OF LONG CRENDON Situated roughly 12 miles from Bicester, just over the border in Buckinghamshire, is the village of Long Crendon. It was so-named due to the shape of the village ('long'), and 'Crendon' is an Old English term, meaning 'Creoda's Hill'. Fun fact: the nearby village of Grendon Underwood was also once known simply as 'Crendon'! Therefore, it is possible that the 'long' part was added in order to distinguish between the two! In 1218, the village was awarded a Royal Charter, giving official permission for a weekly market to be held there. During this period, Long Crendon was quite famous, as it was one of only two locations in the whole of England (the other being the nearby town of Aylesbury) where needles were manufactured! Later on, the Charter was rescinded, leading to the market being moved to Thame. The village church, dedicated to St Mary, was originally built sometime during the 12th century, although it has und...