Great Missenden
Encyclopedia
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne
River Misbourne
The River Misbourne rises in a field on the outskirts of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, and flows down the Misbourne valley to join the River Colne just north of where the latter is crossed by the A40 Western Avenue....

 Valley in the Chiltern Hills
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...

 in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....

, England, situated between the towns of Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....

 and Wendover
Wendover
Wendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...

. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden
Little Missenden
Little Missenden is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, about three miles south east of Great Missenden, three miles west of Amersham.The toponym "Missenden" is derived from the Old English for "valley where marsh plants grow"...

 and Prestwood
Prestwood
Prestwood is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, about a mile west of Great Missenden, four miles north of High Wycombe.-Early history and creation of parish:...

. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to Aylesbury Road. The source of the Misbourne is to be found just north of the village, although the upper reach of the river runs only in winter and the perennial head is in Little Missenden
Little Missenden
Little Missenden is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, about three miles south east of Great Missenden, three miles west of Amersham.The toponym "Missenden" is derived from the Old English for "valley where marsh plants grow"...

. The village is now best known as home to the late Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...

, the internationally famous children's author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

.

Great Missenden lay on a major route between the Midlands and London and several coaching inns, particularly the Red Lion (now an estate agency) and The George (which still exists) provided rest and refreshment for travellers and their horses. The first railway line in the area was, however, routed alongside the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...

 to the east. Once the coaches stopped running Great Missenden declined in importance and prosperity, becoming an agricultural village. Following the arrival of the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

, (later the London Underground Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...

) in 1892, Great Missenden became a commuter village for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 with writers, entertainers and even Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

s among the passengers. Great Missenden railway station
Great Missenden railway station
Great Missenden railway station serves the large village of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, as well as the villages of Prestwood, Little Hampden and Little Missenden. The station lies on the London Marylebone-Aylesbury line and is served by Chiltern Railways trains...

 is now on the Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...

 line and offers services running into London Marylebone
Marylebone station
Marylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...

.

The village is overlooked by the medieval parish church of St. Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...

 and St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...

. Its position away from the village suggests an earlier settlement round the church with a move to its present location in the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

. In the twelfth century Great Missenden was granted a charter allowing it to hold an annual Fair in August. Missenden Abbey
Missenden Abbey
Missenden Abbey was an Augustinian monastery founded in 1133 in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. It was ruined in the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the ruins later incorporated into a Georgian mansion.The abbey has been owned by Buckinghamshire New University since the mid...

, founded in 1133 as an Augustinian monastery, was ruined following the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...

, and the remains were incorporated into a Georgian mansion which is now a conference centre.

Gipsy House in Great Missenden was the home of author Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...

 from 1954 until his death in 1990, and many local scenes and characters are reflected in his work. Dahl is buried at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church and children still leave toys and flowers at his grave. In June 2005 the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre is in the village of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, England, which was the home of the children's and short story writer Roald Dahl for 36 years until his death in 1990....

 opened in Great Missenden to honour the work of Dahl. Great Missenden was also temporarily home to Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....

, the writer of famous works such as Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...

and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It is currently home to actor Geoffrey Palmer
Geoffrey Palmer (actor)
Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE is an English actor, best known for his roles in sitcoms such as Butterflies and As Time Goes By.-Career:...

, and his wife Sally. Model turned cookery show presenter Sophie Dahl
Sophie Dahl
Sophie Dahl , born Sophie Holloway, is an English author and former model. She was born in London, the daughter of actor Julian Holloway and writer Tessa Dahl. Her maternal grandparents were author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal. Her paternal grandparents were actor Stanley Holloway and...

 (granddaughter of Roald Dahl) and her husband jazz musician Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...

 have also bought a property in the village.

The village is home to the Gateway School, Great Missenden Church of England Combined School and The Misbourne
Misbourne School
The Misbourne School is a co-educational secondary school in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,225 pupils.- History :...

 secondary school.

During 1980, Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...

 filmed a small series of horror films for television, many of them filmed in and around Great Missenden. Of note is the episode Rude Awakening starring Denholm Elliott
Denholm Elliott
Denholm Mitchell Elliott, CBE was an English film, television and theatre actor with over 120 film and television credits...

 who plays an Estate Agent trapped in a recurring nightmare. The location of the premises used as the Estage Agent's office is located on the corner of Station Approach and High St. in the centre of the village. Nowdays the property is a Gentlemen's Hairdresser.

Demography

Great Missenden compared
2001 UK Census Great Missenden ward Chiltern borough England
Population 2,192 89,228 49,138,831
Foreign born 9.4% 9.3% 9.2%
White 98.1% 95.5% 90.9%
Asian 0.5% 2.8% 4.6%
Black 0.5% 0.3% 2.3%
Christian 77.7% 74.7% 71.7%
Muslim 0.1% 1.9% 3.1%
Hindu 0.2% 0.5% 1.1%
No religion 14.2% 15% 14.6%
Unemployed 1.9% 1.7% 3.3%
Retired 19% 14.6% 13.5%

As of the 2001 UK census, the Great Missenden electoral ward had a population of 2,192. The ethnicity was 98.1% white, 0.7% mixed race, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% black and 0.2% other. The place of birth of residents was 90.6% United Kingdom, 1.5% Republic of Ireland, 2.8% other Western European countries, and 5.1% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 77.7% Christian, 0% Buddhist, 0.2% Hindu, 0.1% Sikh, 0% Jewish, and 0.1% Muslim. 14.2% were recorded as having no religion, 0.3% had an alternative religion and 7.4% did not state their religion.

The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 35.7% in full-time employment, 11.3% in part-time employment, 14.9% self-employed, 1.9% unemployed, 1.9% students with jobs, 3.8% students without jobs, 19% retired, 8% looking after home or family, 2% permanently sick or disabled and 1.6% economically inactive for other reasons. The industry of employment of residents was 13.3% retail, 11.6% manufacturing, 5.5% construction, 24.1% real estate, 9.7% health and social work, 8.8% education, 4.7% transport and communications, 3.6% public administration, 4.2% hotels and restaurants, 4.3% finance, 1.9% agriculture and 8.3% other. Compared with national figures, the ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in agriculture and real estate. There were a relatively low proportion in public administration, transport and communications. Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 35.8% had a higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

 qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.

Places

Places in Great Missenden parish include
  • Ballinger
    Ballinger, Buckinghamshire
    Ballinger is a hamlet and common in the parish of Great Missenden, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated in the nearby Chiltern Hills, close to the border with the parish of Chesham....

    , located to the north east of Great Missenden, between Lee Common and Ballinger Common
  • Ballinger Bottom
    Ballinger Bottom
    Ballinger Bottom is a hamlet in Buckinghamshire, England. It is a small quiet village with a large park small church and small village hall....

    , located to the north east of Great Missenden, near South Heath
  • Ballinger Common, located to the north east of Great Missenden, near Ballinger
  • Bryant's Bottom, located to the west of Prestwood, near Speen
    Speen, Buckinghamshire
    Speen is a village in the parish of Princes Risborough, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, about three miles south east of the main town.The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'wood chips'...

  • Frith-hill, located to the east of Great Missenden, on the road to Chesham
    Chesham
    Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...

  • Heath End
    Heath End, Buckinghamshire
    Heath End is a hamlet in the parish of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, England. During the 20th century, it became attached to Great Kingshill to the south west...

    , located near the border with Hughenden
    Hughenden
    Hughenden may refer to:*Hughenden, Queensland, a town in Australia*Hughenden, Alberta, a village in central Alberta, Canada*Hughenden Valley, a village in Buckinghamshire, England*Hughenden Manor, a mansion in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England...

     parish, near Great Kingshill
    Great Kingshill
    Great Kingshill and Little Kingshill are small villages in the parishes of Hughenden and Little Missenden respectively in Buckinghamshire, England. They are located in the Chiltern Hills, about five miles west of Amersham and two and a half miles south of Great Missenden.The village name...

  • Hotley Bottom, located to the north of Prestwood
  • Hyde End
    Hyde End
    Hyde End is a small hamlet, in the civil parish of Great Missenden. it is located between the hamlets of Hyde Heath and South Heath along the B485 road between Chesham and Great Missenden, in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire. It comprises a small number of dwellings, including a row of early...

    , located between South Heath and Hyde Heath
  • Hyde Heath
    Hyde Heath
    Hyde Heath is a village in the parish of Little Missenden, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, near Little Missenden.The hamlet name refers to the value of the estate that once stood there...

    , located near Little Missenden
    Little Missenden
    Little Missenden is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, about three miles south east of Great Missenden, three miles west of Amersham.The toponym "Missenden" is derived from the Old English for "valley where marsh plants grow"...

  • Little Wood Corner, located to the south of South Heath
  • Mobwell, located in Great Missenden itself
  • Prestwood
    Prestwood
    Prestwood is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, about a mile west of Great Missenden, four miles north of High Wycombe.-Early history and creation of parish:...

    , a large village to the west of Great Missenden
  • South Heath, located to the north east of Great Missenden

External links

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