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Olney
Olney shown within Buckinghamshire
Population	6,032 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	SP889513
Unitary authority	Milton Keynes
Ceremonial county	Buckinghamshire
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	OLNEY
Postcode district	MK46
Dialling code	01234
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Buckinghamshire
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	North East Milton Keynes
European Parliament	South East England
List of places: UK • England • Buckinghamshire

Coordinates: 52°09′11″N 0°42′00″W / 52.153, -0.7

Olney is a small market town in the Borough of Milton Keynes and ceremonial Buckinghamshire, England, with a population of around 6,000 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse, very close to the borders with Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and equidistant from Northampton, Bedford and Milton Keynes itself. It has easy access to the M1 at Junction 14 (approximately seven miles) and with fast and frequent train links to London from Milton Keynes Central or Bedford (each approximately twelve miles distant).

It is perhaps best known for the Olney Pancake Race and for the Olney Hymns by William Cowper and John Newton.

First mentioned as Ollanege in 932,^[1] the town has a history as a lace-making centre, and as the place where the Olney Hymns were written. John Newton, author of the hymn Amazing Grace was curate of Olney and is buried here. His guest was William Cowper (English poet and hymnodist (1731 – 1800)) and the town hosts the Cowper and Newton museum dedicated to them. The museum was Williams Cowper's actual house. Newton was succeeded as curate here by the biblical commentator Thomas Scott (1747-1821).

Since 1445, a pancake race has been run in the town every Pancake Day. Tradition records that back in 1445, on Shrove Tuesday the "Shriving Bell" rang out to signal the start of the Shriving church service. On hearing the bell a local housewife, who had been busy cooking pancakes in anticipation of the beginning of Lent, ran to the church, frying pan still in hand, still in her apron and headscarf. The women of Olney recreate this race every Shrove Tuesday (better known outside of the United Kingdom as "Mardi Gras" or Fat Tuesday) by running from the market place to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The traditional prize is a kiss from the verger. In modern times, Olney competes with the town of Liberal, Kansas in the United States for the fastest time in either town and winner of the "International Pancake Race". There is also a children's race, run by children from the local schools. The children have to run a distance of approx. 20 metres. This competition has been run every year since 1950.

The town is divided by the A509 road and the wide High Street adds to the charm of this historic market town. Market day is Thursday with traders selling fruit and vegetables and other foodstuffs as well as clothing and hardware. A farmer's market also takes place on the first Sunday each month. In recent years Olney has become a popular destination for Sunday afternoon shoppers, with many antique shops and fashion boutiques. The route for an A509 by-pass may continue to be an issue for the residents of the town, as are the various wind farm sites proposed in the locality.

As Olney continues to expand with new housing estates and its third school completed in 2007, a secondary level satellite campus of Ousedale School in Newport Pagnell. The Ousedale Olney campus is now in full use with students from year 7 to year 11 studying and taking their year 9 SATs and their GCSEs.

At the 2001 Census, the population of the parish was recorded^[2] as 6,000.