Amazing Grace was written by John Newton in Olney — now part of the MK borough. The story behind one of the world’s most famous hymns and its surprising MK connection.
One of the most recognised and beloved hymns in the world — Amazing Grace — was written in Olney, a market town that is now part of the Milton Keynes borough. Few people who sing it realise its connection to MK.
John Newton and William Cowper
Amazing Grace was written by John Newton, a former slave trader who underwent a dramatic religious conversion and became a Church of England curate. He served at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Olney from 1764, where he collaborated with the poet William Cowper to write the Olney Hymns — a collection of 348 hymns published in 1779. Amazing Grace was among them.
Newton’s Remarkable Story
Newton’s journey from slave trader to abolitionist minister is one of the most extraordinary personal transformations in history. He later became a prominent voice in the campaign to abolish the slave trade, testifying before Parliament in 1788. The hymn reflects his own sense of redemption and grace.
Visiting Olney Today
Olney is a beautiful market town on the Great Ouse river, about 12 miles north of central Milton Keynes. The church where Newton served still stands, and the town has a museum dedicated to Newton and Cowper. Olney is also famous for its annual Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday — one of the oldest in the world.
This is part of our Discover MK and Faith in MK series.