Mono Monday - Wayside

Today's Mono Monday challenge is WAYSIDE, thanks to Nickimags888 for kindly hosting. This is the wayside about 100m from my house through Shenley Church End village. The war memorial is on the left and carrying on the path to the left of it takes you into the churchyard. I don't know how long the house has been there, but I assume it's a long time.  

Shenley derives from the original name of Scienanleage, meaning bright clearing and may well have indicated a Saxon settlement in the forest, part of which remains as Shenley Wood. About 100m from this photo is Shenley Toot. The Toot (lookout hill) was built around 1066 or during the Anarchy of 1138-1153 when the Empress Matilda was trying to take the English throne from King Stephen. There was a castle which was a large mound of earth (motte) topped with a timber tower. In the main area or Bailey was the living area for the Lord of the Manor, his family and servants. In peaceful times the peasants lived outside this area in their crofts and paid for the protection they received from the Lord with their labour. Nowadays you can clearly see the mound and the remnants of the moat. Milton Keynes Parks Trust are responsible for the upkeep of the area and you can often see cattle grazing it.

Who said there's no history in Milton Keynes!