Just north of Slough in Buckinghamshire, lies the village and civil parish of Farnham Royal. Flanked by ancient woodland and the metropolitan belt of Slough to the south, Farnham Royal is well known as one of the more affluent enclaves of the Slough periphery - littered with dozens of grand country style manor homes - with one such contemporary home on the market for over £13.5 million! Farnham Royal is an ancient locale stretching back to medieval Britain - benefitting from the urban proximity of Slough to London and the lush woodland of the Burnham Beeches just a stone’s throw away.

Whilst no major archaeological excavations have been ordered in the Farnham Royal locale; accidental finds have been recorded by workers digging in the area - including a cineary urn and pottery found in 1926 from the local gravel pit. Dated to approximately 500 BC, the finds imply some form of Iron Age homestead was located in Farnham Royal! Farnham Royal was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book survey ordered by William the Conquerer, following the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066. The suffix, ‘royal’, began following the coronation of William the Conquerer in the 11th century. The land at Farnham Royal was personally gifted to Bertram of Verdun, who physically supported the King’s right hand during his coronation. This royal connotation persisted for several centuries up to King Henry VIII, when it fell under his ownership during the 16th century.

Farnham Royal is unusual for one main reason - it is not a commuter town. Although wrapped in the contiguous belt of Slough, less than 20% of the working population of Farnham Royal commute more than 15 miles for work!

Designated under a conservation area and containing many grand country manors, the area of Farnham Royal has not yet been a targeted site for large-scale development. The railway expansions, particularly the ELizabeth Line’s rail stations in Slough, has created an impulse of development throughout Slough’s locale - except Farnham Royal. The flanking of green belt territory separates Farnham Royal from Slough, and partially prevents wide-scale developmental changes to the area. However, the Slough Urban Renewal Scheme has been providing a mass of new homes across the Slough area - with over 420 new homes developed so far!