Slad Lane
From Lacey Green History
Research by Joan West
In 1823 Slad Lane did not exist as such. Click Princes Risborough Common to see two maps.
The first map shows the full area of Princes Risborough Common.
The map below that shows the changes made in 1823 when the Enclosures of Princes Risborough took place.
In 1823 Slad Lane is referred to as Daws Lane.
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In April 1980 Miles Marshall wrote the following piece for Hallmark -
Watching cars speeding along the New Road it is hard to believe that little more than thirty years ago all traffic heading south from the village for Walters Ash and Naphill was obliged to follow the tortuous route of Slad Lane as it wound its way from the bottom of the Main Road to the beeches in Smalldean Lane, where it turned sharp left and continued its serpentine journey to Walters Ash. For, as senior residents will remember, it was only in the middle of the last war that a brave new road was commenced across the Grymsdyke meadows for the sake of Bomber Command only to remain unopened to traffic until long after hostilities ceased.
'Slad' or 'Slade' is Anglo-Saxon for a small valley or dell and such a fold in the land does cut across the lane near Speen Farm Lodge
carrying away from the village surface water after heavy rain and on frosty nights the cold air. Despite this diversion of its traffic, the lane has grown a little wider since its retirement from duty as the main thoroughfare through the gradual encroachment of fresh tar and stones upon the verges, whilst the tufts of grass, which at one time sprouted along the central line, have long since disappeared. Today, apart from the twice-daily flush of school mums and the crashing progress of an occasional too-big lorry as it tears its way through the over-hanging holly, oak and wild cherry, it remains surprisingly peaceful during many hours of the day and is still a favourite retreat for many of us who enjoy a brief constitutional along its quiet half mile.
Its hedgerows, now neatly if somewhat severely trimmed, remain a delight, especially in Spring and early Summer, and there is plenty of wild life to be seen and heard throughout the year. Since we came to live in the lane (eight years ago) besides all the usual small birds which are here in profusion, we have seen : skylarks, sparrowhawks, fieldfares, lapwings, green and spotted woodpeckers, partridges and pheasants as well as squirrels, stoats, shrews, muntjacs and one Sunday morning at breakfast - a fox.
God bless New Road - Miles Marshall.