Little Missenden
Encyclopedia
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". In the Domesday Book
of 1086 the two villages are recorded as Missedene and Little Missenden is clearly identifiable by two hides
owned between three landlords. One of these hides belonging to the Count of Mortain (around Town Farm) expanded after Domesday to become the manor
of Holmer whence the village of Holmer Green
was born. Other hamlets
which are in the ancient parish of Little Missenden are Beamond End
, Mop End
, Spurlands End
, Little Kingshill, Brays Green and Hyde Heath
.
Like much of Little Missenden village, the Saxon
parish church was built next to the River Misbourne
. The church was extended in several stages for at least 1000 years, the oldest part being built in circa 975 AD. Some ancient wall paintings survive inside the church on the north wall.
The main London
-Aylesbury
road used to run through the centre of Little Missenden and past the two pubs – The Red Lion and The Crown. In the early 19th century, a new by-pass road was built to the north and this now forms part of the modern A413 road
.
The village has been used in many films and television programmes over the years, particularly as one of the more frequent ITV
Midsomer Murders
filming locations. Despite being a small village, in recent times it has also hosted acclaimed comedy and arts festivals. The children of Little Missenden school performed the premiere of John Tavener
's Celtic Requiem
in 1970 and continue to perform annually at the renowned Little Missenden Festival of Music and Arts.
The nearest railway station is at .
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is 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:...
, about three miles south east of Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
, three miles west 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....
.
The toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
"Missenden" is derived from the Old English for "valley where marsh plants grow". In the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 the two villages are recorded as Missedene and Little Missenden is clearly identifiable by two hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
owned between three landlords. One of these hides belonging to the Count of Mortain (around Town Farm) expanded after Domesday to become the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Holmer whence the village of Holmer Green
Holmer Green
Historically, Holmer Green was a small hamlet in the parish of Little Missenden, in Buckinghamshire, England. Today it is considered a village in its own right even though it looks to the casual observer like a far corner of High Wycombe...
was born. Other hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
which are in the ancient parish of Little Missenden are Beamond End
Beamond End
Beamond End is a small hamlet in the parish of Little Missenden, in Buckinghamshire, England.‘Beamond’ is derived from the old French ‘Beau mont’ meaning ‘beautiful hill’....
, Mop End
Mop End
Mop End is a small hamlet in the parish of Little Missenden, in Buckinghamshire, England.It is best known as the location of the Amersham Field Centre sited at the National Grid substation in nearby woodland....
, Spurlands End
Spurlands End
Spurlands End is a hamlet in the parish of Little Missenden, in Buckinghamshire, England.For most of its history, it consisted of just five neighbouring farms along Spurlands End Road - Wycombe Heath Farm, Bramble Farm, Spurlands End Farm, Nortons Farm, and Copes Farm...
, Little Kingshill, Brays Green and 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...
.
Like much of Little Missenden village, the Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
parish church was built next to the River 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....
. The church was extended in several stages for at least 1000 years, the oldest part being built in circa 975 AD. Some ancient wall paintings survive inside the church on the north wall.
The main 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...
-Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
road used to run through the centre of Little Missenden and past the two pubs – The Red Lion and The Crown. In the early 19th century, a new by-pass road was built to the north and this now forms part of the modern A413 road
A413 road
The A413 is a major road in England that links Gerrards Cross to Towcester. It passes through various towns and villages including Buckingham, Aylesbury, Wendover, Winslow, Great Missenden and Amersham....
.
The village has been used in many films and television programmes over the years, particularly as one of the more frequent ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
filming locations. Despite being a small village, in recent times it has also hosted acclaimed comedy and arts festivals. The children of Little Missenden school performed the premiere of John Tavener
John Tavener
Sir John Tavener is a British composer, best known for such religious, minimal works as "The Whale", and "Funeral Ikos"...
's Celtic Requiem
Celtic Requiem
A Celtic Requiem is a requiem by the English composer John Tavener, written in 1969. It is written for soprano, children's choir and orchestra....
in 1970 and continue to perform annually at the renowned Little Missenden Festival of Music and Arts.
The nearest railway station is at .
Notable residents
- Herbert AustinHerbert AustinHerbert 'Pa' Austin, 1st Baron Austin KBE was an English automobile designer and builder who founded the Austin Motor Company.-Background and early life:...
was born in Little Missenden to a farming family. He moved to RotherhamRotherhamRotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, South YorkshireSouth YorkshireSouth Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
at an early age. - Dr Benjamin BatesBenjamin BatesDr. Benjamin Bates was a physician, art connoisseur, and a member of the Sir Francis Dashwood's Hellfire Club, The Monks of Medmenham.-Biography:Details of Bates early life are sketchy...
- Sir Francis Dashwood's physician and also a senior member of the Hellfire ClubHellfire ClubThe Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century, and was more formally or cautiously known as the "Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe"...
. - John Gardner WilkinsonJohn Gardner WilkinsonSir John Gardner Wilkinson was an English traveller, writer and pioneer Egyptologist of the 19th century. He is often referred to as "the Father of British Egyptology".-Childhood and education:...
- traveller, writer and pioneer Egyptologist of the 19th century.