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Coordinates: 51°42′15″N 00°42′28″W / 51.70417°N 0.70778°W / 51.70417; -0.70778
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|london_distance= {{convert|38|mi|km}}
|london_distance= {{convert|38|mi|km}}
|population= 10,138
|population= 10,138
|population_ref= (Census 2011.Civil Parish)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=11123940&c=great+missenden&d=16&e=62&g=6404226&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1359814249446&enc=1|title=Area: Great Missenden CP (Parish)|work=Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=2 February 2013}}</ref>
|population_ref= (Census 2011.Civil Parish)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=11123940&c=great+missenden&d=16&e=62&g=6404226&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1359814249446&enc=1|title=Area: Great Missenden CP (Parish)|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=2 February 2013|archive-date=26 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626085018/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=11123940&c=great+missenden&d=16&e=62&g=6404226&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1359814249446&enc=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
|civil_parish= Great Missenden
|civil_parish= Great Missenden
| static_image_name = Church of St Peter and St Paul, Great Missenden, April 2020 01.jpg
| static_image_name = Church of St Peter and St Paul, Great Missenden, April 2020 01.jpg
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|website= {{URL|http://www.greatmissendenpc.co.uk/|Great Missenden Parish Council}}
|website= {{URL|http://www.greatmissendenpc.co.uk/|Great Missenden Parish Council}}
}}
}}
'''Great Missenden''' is a village and [[civil parish]] in the [[River Misbourne|Misbourne]] Valley in the [[Chiltern Hills]] in [[Buckinghamshire]], England, situated between the towns of [[Amersham]] and [[Wendover]]. It adjoins the village of [[Little Kingshill]], and is a mile from [[Little Missenden]] and the village of [[Prestwood]].
'''Great Missenden''' is an affluent village and [[civil parish]] in the [[River Misbourne|Misbourne]] Valley in the [[Chiltern Hills]] in [[Buckinghamshire]], England, situated between the towns of [[Amersham]] and [[Wendover]]. It adjoins the village of [[Little Kingshill]], and is a mile from [[Little Missenden]] and the village of [[Prestwood]].


The narrow and historic High Street is bypassed by the main [[A413]] London to Aylesbury Road. It is located in the centre of the Chilterns [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|url=http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/article/2496/The-Chilterns-Area-of-Outstanding-Natural-Beauty|website=www.chiltern.gov.uk|language=EN}}</ref> 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]]. The village is now best known as home to the late [[Roald Dahl]], the world-famous adult and children's author.<ref name=GIPS>Lynn F. Pearson [https://books.google.com/books?id=9IaHTin6y2wC&dq=roald+dahl+gipsy+house&pg=PA16 Discovering Famous Graves] Osprey Publishing, 2008</ref>
The narrow and historic High Street is bypassed by the main [[A413]] London to Aylesbury Road. It is located in the centre of the Chilterns [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|url=http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/article/2496/The-Chilterns-Area-of-Outstanding-Natural-Beauty|website=www.chiltern.gov.uk|language=EN|access-date=18 March 2016|archive-date=27 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327022158/http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/article/2496/The-Chilterns-Area-of-Outstanding-Natural-Beauty|url-status=live}}</ref> 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]]. The village is now best known as home to the late [[Roald Dahl]], the world-famous adult and children's author.<ref name=GIPS>Lynn F. Pearson [https://books.google.com/books?id=9IaHTin6y2wC&dq=roald+dahl+gipsy+house&pg=PA16 Discovering Famous Graves] Osprey Publishing, 2008</ref>


==Etymology==
==Etymology==
The name ''Missenden'' is first attested in the [[Domesday Book]] as ''Missedene'', with other early attestations including the spellings ''Messedena'' and ''Musindone''.<ref name=":0">A. D. Mills, ''A Dictionary of English Place Names'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 330.</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Page |editor-first=WH |editor-link=William Henry Page |date=1908 |chapter=Little Missenden |title=A History of the County of Buckingham |volume=II |series=[[Victoria County History]] |place=London |publisher=[[Archibald Constable]] & Co |pages=354–360 |url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol2/pp354-360 }}.</ref> The ''-den'' element probably comes from [[Old English]] ''denu'', meaning 'valley', but the etymology of the first element is uncertain. It is thought to occur in the name of the [[River Misbourne]], which rises in Great Missenden, and also in the [[Hertfordshire]] place-name [[Miswell]]. [[Frank Stenton]] and [[Allen Mawer]] guessed that it came from a hypothetical Anglo-Saxon personal name ''Myrsa'', which they also supposed to be found in the name of [[Mursley]].<ref>A. Mawer and F. M. Stenton, ''The Place-Names of Buckinghamshire'', English Place-Name Society, 2 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1925).</ref> [[Eilert Ekwall]] suggested that it came from a lost Old English word related to English ''moss'', and to Danish ''mysse'' and Swedish ''missne'' (which denote plants of the genus ''[[Calla]]'', such as water arum).<ref>Eilert Ekwall, ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names'', 4th edn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1960), p. 328 (s.v. ''Misbourne'').</ref> Recent researchers have tentatively preferred Ekwall's guess, in which case the name ''Missenden'' would once have meant something like 'valley where water-plants/marsh-plants grow'.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Hough, Carole, 'Place-Name Evidence for Anglo-Saxon Plant-Names', in ''From Earth to Art, the Many Aspects of the Plant-world in Anglo-Saxon England: Proceedings of the First ASPNS Symposium, University of Glasgow, 5–7 April 2000'', ed. by Carole Hough, Costerus New Series, 148 (Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi, 2003), pp. 41-78 (pp. 54-55).</ref>
The name ''Missenden'' is first attested in the [[Domesday Book]] as ''Missedene'', with other early attestations including the spellings ''Messedena'' and ''Musindone''.<ref name=":0">A. D. Mills, ''A Dictionary of English Place Names'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 330.</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Page |editor-first=WH |editor-link=William Henry Page |date=1908 |chapter=Little Missenden |title=A History of the County of Buckingham |volume=II |series=[[Victoria County History]] |place=London |publisher=[[Archibald Constable]] & Co |pages=354–360 |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol2/pp354-360 |access-date=16 July 2020 |archive-date=14 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814112817/https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol2/pp354-360 |url-status=live }}.</ref> The ''-den'' element probably comes from [[Old English]] ''denu'', meaning 'valley', but the etymology of the first element is uncertain. It is thought to occur in the name of the [[River Misbourne]], which rises in Great Missenden, and also in the [[Hertfordshire]] place-name [[Miswell]]. [[Frank Stenton]] and [[Allen Mawer]] guessed that it came from a hypothetical Anglo-Saxon personal name ''Myrsa'', which they also supposed to be found in the name of [[Mursley]].<ref>A. Mawer and F. M. Stenton, ''The Place-Names of Buckinghamshire'', English Place-Name Society, 2 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1925).</ref>
[[Eilert Ekwall]] suggested that the name ''Missenden'' came from a lost Old English word related to English ''moss'', and to Danish ''mysse'' and Swedish ''missne'' (which denote plants of the genus ''[[Calla]]'', such as water arum).<ref>Eilert Ekwall, ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names'', 4th edn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1960), p. 328 (s.v. ''Misbourne'').</ref> Recent researchers have tentatively preferred Ekwall's guess, in which case the name ''Missenden'' would once have meant something like 'valley where water-plants/marsh-plants grow'.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Hough, Carole, 'Place-Name Evidence for Anglo-Saxon Plant-Names', in ''From Earth to Art, the Many Aspects of the Plant-world in Anglo-Saxon England: Proceedings of the First ASPNS Symposium, University of Glasgow, 5–7 April 2000'', ed. by Carole Hough, Costerus New Series, 148 (Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi, 2003), pp. 41-78 (pp. 54-55).</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
Great Missenden lay on a major route between the Midlands and London. Several [[coaching inn]]s, particularly the Red Lion (now an estate agency) and The George (with new owners), provided rest and refreshment for travellers and their horses. The first railway line in the area was, however, routed alongside the [[Grand Union Canal]] to the east. Once the coaches stopped running Great Missenden declined in importance and prosperity, becoming an agricultural town. Following the arrival of the [[Metropolitan Railway]], (later the [[London Underground]]'s [[Metropolitan line]]) in 1892. Great Missenden became a village where writers, entertainers and even Prime Ministers resided. [[Great Missenden railway station]] is now on the [[Chiltern Railways]] line and offers fast connecting services running into [[Marylebone station|London Marylebone]]; it is the first station on the line that does not fall into a London Zone.
Great Missenden lay on a major route between the Midlands and London. Several [[coaching inn]]s, particularly the Red Lion (now an estate agency) and The George (with new owners), provided rest and refreshment for travellers and their horses. The first railway line in the area was, however, routed alongside the [[Grand Union Canal]] to the east. Once the coaches stopped running Great Missenden declined in importance and prosperity, becoming an agricultural town. Following the arrival of the [[Metropolitan Railway]], (later the [[London Underground]]'s [[Metropolitan line]]) in 1892. Great Missenden became a village where writers, entertainers and even Prime Ministers resided. [[Great Missenden railway station]] is now on the [[Chiltern Railways]] line and offers fast connecting services running into [[Marylebone station|London Marylebone]]; it is the first station on the line that does not fall into a London Zone.


The village is overlooked by the [[medieval]] [[Church of England]] parish church, the [[Church of St Peter and St Paul, Great Missenden|Church of St Peter and St Paul]], whereas the High Street itself is home to the Catholic Church of The Immaculate Heart of Mary,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ihmmissenden.org.uk/|title=The Catholic community of Great Missenden|website=The Catholic community of Great Missenden}}</ref> one of the largest Catholic churches in the Chiltern District. The position of the parish church away from the town centre suggests an earlier settlement around the church with a move of the village's heart to its present location in the early [[Middle Ages]]. In the twelfth century Great Missenden was granted a charter allowing it to hold an annual Fair in August. [[Missenden Abbey]], founded in 1133 as an [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] monastery, was ruined following the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]], and the remains were incorporated into a Georgian mansion which is now a conference centre.
The village is overlooked by the [[medieval]] [[Church of England]] parish church, the [[Church of St Peter and St Paul, Great Missenden|Church of St Peter and St Paul]], whereas the High Street itself is home to the Catholic Church of The Immaculate Heart of Mary,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ihmmissenden.org.uk/|title=The Catholic community of Great Missenden|website=The Catholic community of Great Missenden|access-date=5 November 2019|archive-date=5 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105111719/http://www.ihmmissenden.org.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> one of the largest Catholic churches in the Chiltern District. The position of the parish church away from the town centre suggests an earlier settlement around the church with a move of the village's heart to its present location in the early [[Middle Ages]]. In the twelfth century Great Missenden was granted a charter allowing it to hold an annual Fair in August. [[Missenden Abbey]], founded in 1133 as an [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] monastery, was ruined following the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]], 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]] from 1954 until his death in 1990, and still remains in the family,<ref name=GIPS/> and many local scenes and characters are reflected in his work.{{cn|date=May 2020}} Dahl is buried at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church and children still leave toys and flowers at his grave.<ref>{{cite news|title=A giant peach of a property in Dahl country|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/property/article3946352.ece|work=The Times|date=14 July 2015}}</ref> In June 2005 the [[Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre]] opened in Great Missenden to honour the work of Dahl.<ref>Clarie Heald (11 June 2005) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4079720.stm Chocolate doors thrown open to Dahl] ''[[BBC News]]''</ref>
[[Gipsy House]] in Great Missenden was the home of author [[Roald Dahl]] from 1954 until his death in 1990, and still remains in the family,<ref name=GIPS/> and many local scenes and characters are reflected in his work.{{cn|date=May 2020}} Dahl is buried at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church and children still leave toys and flowers at his grave.<ref>{{cite news|title=A giant peach of a property in Dahl country|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/property/article3946352.ece|work=The Times|date=14 July 2015|access-date=14 July 2015|archive-date=14 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714170137/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/property/article3946352.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2005 the [[Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre]] opened in Great Missenden to honour the work of Dahl.<ref>Clarie Heald (11 June 2005) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4079720.stm Chocolate doors thrown open to Dahl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829053758/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4079720.stm |date=29 August 2007 }} ''[[BBC News]]''</ref>


[[Robert Louis Stevenson]], the writer of famous works such as ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and the ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'', stayed a night at The Red Lion, now 62 High Street, in Great Missenden in October 1874, which he wrote in an essay called "An Autumn Effect".
[[Robert Louis Stevenson]], the writer of famous works such as ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and the ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'', stayed a night at The Red Lion, now 62 High Street, in Great Missenden in October 1874, which he wrote in an essay called "An Autumn Effect".
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The espionage novelist David Cornwell, who wrote as [[John le Carré]], noted in a posthumously published introduction to a 2021 reissue of his first novel, [[Call for the Dead]], that "I lived in Great Missenden in those days and commuted to Marylebone station".<ref>{{cite news|title=John le Carré on the real characters behind George Smiley|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/john-le-carre-on-the-real-characters-behind-george-smiley-m6s7gw5t2|work=The Sunday Times|date=2 May 2021}}</ref>
The espionage novelist David Cornwell, who wrote as [[John le Carré]], noted in a posthumously published introduction to a 2021 reissue of his first novel, [[Call for the Dead]], that "I lived in Great Missenden in those days and commuted to Marylebone station".<ref>{{cite news|title=John le Carré on the real characters behind George Smiley|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/john-le-carre-on-the-real-characters-behind-george-smiley-m6s7gw5t2|work=The Sunday Times|date=2 May 2021}}</ref>


The village is home to the private Gateway School,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gatewayschool-bucks.co.uk|title=Gateway School}}</ref> Great Missenden Combined School and [[Misbourne School|The Misbourne]] [[Secondary education#England, Wales and Northern Ireland|secondary school]]. Many children attend the local grammar schools in nearby Amersham, Chesham, Little Chalfont and High Wycombe, as well as leading local preparatory schools such as Chesham Prep,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheshamprep.co.uk/|title=Chesham Preparatory School|website=Chesham Preparatory School}}</ref> which consistently makes The Tatler list of Best Prep Schools in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tatler.com/school/chesham-prep-tatler-school-guide|title=Chesham Prep|website=Tatler|date=16 October 2020 }}</ref><ref name="auto"/>
The village is home to the private Gateway School,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gatewayschool-bucks.co.uk/|title=Gateway School|access-date=14 January 2012|archive-date=22 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122190725/http://www.gatewayschool-bucks.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> Great Missenden Combined School and [[Misbourne School|The Misbourne]] [[Secondary education#England, Wales and Northern Ireland|secondary school]]. Many children attend the local grammar schools in nearby Amersham, Chesham, Little Chalfont and High Wycombe, as well as leading local preparatory schools such as Chesham Prep,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheshamprep.co.uk/|title=Chesham Preparatory School|website=Chesham Preparatory School|access-date=9 March 2018|archive-date=9 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709124116/https://www.cheshamprep.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> which consistently makes The Tatler list of Best Prep Schools in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tatler.com/school/chesham-prep-tatler-school-guide|title=Chesham Prep|website=Tatler|date=16 October 2020|access-date=5 November 2019|archive-date=5 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105111307/https://www.tatler.com/school/chesham-prep-tatler-school-guide|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>


Given its quaint and historic high street, the village has been used extensively as a filming location for TV drama ''[[Midsomer Murders]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bridget Jones film crew moved on after chaos in town car park|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/prestwood_great_missenden/13872236.Bridget_Jones_film_crew_moved_on_after_chaos_in_town_car_park|website=Bucks Free Press|language=en}}</ref> During 1980, [[Hammer Film Productions]] filmed a small series of horror films for television, many of them filmed in and around Great Missenden. Of note is the episode "[[Hammer House of Horror#Notable episodes|Rude Awakening]]" starring [[Denholm Elliott]] who plays an Estate Agent trapped in a recurring nightmare.
Given its quaint and historic high street, the village has been used extensively as a filming location for TV drama ''[[Midsomer Murders]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bridget Jones film crew moved on after chaos in town car park|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/prestwood_great_missenden/13872236.Bridget_Jones_film_crew_moved_on_after_chaos_in_town_car_park|website=Bucks Free Press|language=en}}</ref> During 1980, [[Hammer Film Productions]] filmed a small series of horror films for television, many of them filmed in and around Great Missenden. Of note is the episode "[[Hammer House of Horror#Notable episodes|Rude Awakening]]" starring [[Denholm Elliott]] who plays an Estate Agent trapped in a recurring nightmare.


==Demography==
==Demography==
{{update|section|date=November 2023}}
{| class="wikitable" id="toc" style="float: centre; margin-left: 2em; width: 40%; font-size: 90%;" cellspacing="3"
{| class="wikitable" id="toc" style="float: centre; margin-left: 2em; width: 40%; font-size: 90%;" cellspacing="3"
!colspan="4"|'''Great Missenden compared'''
!colspan="4"|'''Great Missenden compared'''
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|Retired||19%||14.6%||13.5%
|Retired||19%||14.6%||13.5%
|}
|}
At 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.<ref name=Stat>{{cite web |title= Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher= Statistics.gov.uk |url= http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=5948332&c=Great+Missenden&d=14&g=424677&i=1001x1003&m=0&r=1&s=1208774848406&enc=1&domainId=16 |access-date= 20 April 2008}}</ref>
At 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.<ref name=Stat>{{cite web |title= Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher= Statistics.gov.uk |url= http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=5948332&c=Great+Missenden&d=14&g=424677&i=1001x1003&m=0&r=1&s=1208774848406&enc=1&domainId=16 |access-date= 20 April 2008 |archive-date= 26 May 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110526015812/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=5948332&c=Great+Missenden&d=14&g=424677&i=1001x1003&m=0&r=1&s=1208774848406&enc=1&domainId=16 |url-status= live }}</ref>


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 qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.<ref name=Stat/>
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 qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.<ref name=Stat/>
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* [[Heath End, Buckinghamshire|Heath End]], located near the border with [[Hughenden Valley|Hughenden]] parish, near [[Great Kingshill]]
* [[Heath End, Buckinghamshire|Heath End]], located near the border with [[Hughenden Valley|Hughenden]] parish, near [[Great Kingshill]]
* Hotley Bottom, located north of Prestwood
* Hotley Bottom, located north of Prestwood
* [[Hyde End]], located between South Heath and Hyde Heath
* [[Hyde End, Buckinghamshire|Hyde End]], located between South Heath and Hyde Heath
* [[Hyde Heath]], located near [[Little Missenden]]
* [[Hyde Heath]], located near [[Little Missenden]]
* Little Wood Corner, located south of South Heath
* Little Wood Corner, located south of South Heath
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== Governance ==
== Governance ==
There are two tiers of local government covering Great Missenden, at [[civil parish|parish]] and [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] level: Great Missenden Parish Council and [[Buckinghamshire Council]].
⚫
Great Missenden civil parish is part of the [[Buckinghamshire Council|Buckinghamshire Unitary Area]] and is within the Chesham and Amersham parliamentary constituency, represented since 2020 by [[Sarah Green (politician)|Sarah Green]], (Liberal Democrat).

⚫
Great Missenden is within the Chesham and Amersham parliamentary constituency, represented since 2020 by [[Sarah Green (politician)|Sarah Green]], (Liberal Democrat).


== Notable residents ==<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->
== Notable people ==<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->
*[[Clement Attlee]], former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom<ref name="missenden">{{cite web|title=Great Missenden|url=http://www.greatmissendenpc.co.uk|website=www.greatmissendenpc.co.uk}}</ref>
*[[Clement Attlee]], former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom<ref name="missenden">{{cite web|title=Great Missenden|url=http://www.greatmissendenpc.co.uk/|website=www.greatmissendenpc.co.uk|access-date=13 July 2010|archive-date=14 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314192835/http://greatmissendenpc.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref>
*David Cornwell ([[John le Carré|John le Carre]]), English novelist<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dwcp6|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.bbc.co.uk|title=BBC Four - Mark Lawson Talks To..., John le Carre }}</ref>
*David Cornwell ([[John le Carré]]), English novelist<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dwcp6|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.bbc.co.uk|title=BBC Four - Mark Lawson Talks To..., John le Carré|archive-date=24 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124011320/http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00dwcp6/Mark_Lawson_Talks_To..._John_le_Carre/|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Jamie Cullum]], English musician<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/world/europe/museum-in-great-missenden-england-devoted-to-matilda-writer-roald-dahl-is-aimed-squarely-at-children/news-story/ec1dd6c8b794fd0c958cb644d49fb34d|title=Museum in Great Missenden, England, devoted to Matilda writer Roald Dahl is aimed squarely at children}}</ref>
*[[Jamie Cullum]], English musician<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/world/europe/museum-in-great-missenden-england-devoted-to-matilda-writer-roald-dahl-is-aimed-squarely-at-children/news-story/ec1dd6c8b794fd0c958cb644d49fb34d|title=Museum in Great Missenden, England, devoted to Matilda writer Roald Dahl is aimed squarely at children|access-date=25 April 2016|archive-date=29 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329051457/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/world/europe/museum-in-great-missenden-england-devoted-to-matilda-writer-roald-dahl-is-aimed-squarely-at-children/news-story/ec1dd6c8b794fd0c958cb644d49fb34d|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Roald Dahl]], British novelist
*[[Roald Dahl]], British novelist
*[[Sophie Dahl]], English author{{cn|date=May 2020}}
*[[Patricia Neal]], American actress{{cn|date=November 2023}}
⚫
*[[Geoffrey Palmer (actor)|Geoffrey Palmer]], English actor<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/18853793.looking-back-james-bond-tv-star-geoffrey-palmers-time-bucks/|title=Looking back at James Bond and TV star Geoffrey Palmer's time in Bucks|work=Bucks Free Press|last=Sheth Trivedi|first=Shruti|date=6 November 2020|access-date=17 November 2020|archive-date=17 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117035930/https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/18853793.looking-back-james-bond-tv-star-geoffrey-palmers-time-bucks/|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Patricia Neal]], American actress
⚫
*[[Robert Louis Stevenson]], Scottish novelist<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://robert-louis-stevenson.org/chiltern-hills/|title=Chiltern Hills - Robert Louis Stevenson|website=Robert Louis Stevenson|language=en-GB|access-date=25 April 2016|archive-date=9 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409134539/http://robert-louis-stevenson.org/chiltern-hills/|url-status=live}}</ref>
⚫
*[[Geoffrey Palmer (actor)|Geoffrey Palmer]], English actor<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/18853793.looking-back-james-bond-tv-star-geoffrey-palmers-time-bucks/|title=Looking back at James Bond and TV star Geoffrey Palmer's time in Bucks|work=Bucks Free Press|last=Sheth Trivedi|first=Shruti|date=6 November 2020|access-date=17 November 2020}}</ref>
⚫
*[[Robert Louis Stevenson]], Scottish novelist<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://robert-louis-stevenson.org/chiltern-hills/|title=Chiltern Hills - Robert Louis Stevenson|website=Robert Louis Stevenson|language=en-GB|access-date=25 April 2016}}</ref>
*[[Harold Wilson]], former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom<ref name="missenden" />
*[[Harold Wilson]], former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom<ref name="missenden" />


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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Commons category-inline}}
*
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[http://www.maltthebrewery.co.uk Malt The Brewery - Micro Brewery in Prestwood making real ales, website]
*[http://www.missendenchurch.org.uk/ Great Missenden Parish Church website]
*[http://www.greatmissendenschool.co.uk/ Great Missenden CofE Combined School website]
*[http://www.greatmissendenschool.co.uk/ Great Missenden CofE Combined School website]
*[http://www.roalddahlmuseum.org/ Roald Dahl Museum official site]
*[http://www.roalddahlmuseum.org/ Roald Dahl Museum official site]

Latest revision as of 11:29, 2 May 2024

"South Heath" redirects here. For the hamlet in Essex, see South Heath, Essex.

Great Missenden
Church of St Peter and St Paul, Great Missenden
Great Missenden is located in Buckinghamshire
Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Location within Buckinghamshire
Population10,138 (Census 2011.Civil Parish)[1]
OS grid referenceSP8901
• London38 miles (61 km)
Civil parish
  • Great Missenden
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGreat Missenden
Postcode districtHP16
Dialling code01494
PoliceThames Valley
FireBuckinghamshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
WebsiteGreat Missenden Parish Council
List of places
UK
England
Buckinghamshire
51°42′15″N 00°42′28″W / 51.70417°N 0.70778°W / 51.70417; -0.70778

Great Missenden is an affluent village and civil parish in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It adjoins the village of Little Kingshill, and is a mile from Little Missenden and the village of Prestwood.

The narrow and historic High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to Aylesbury Road. It is located in the centre of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[2] 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. The village is now best known as home to the late Roald Dahl, the world-famous adult and children's author.[3]

Etymology[edit]

The name Missenden is first attested in the Domesday Book as Missedene, with other early attestations including the spellings Messedena and Musindone.[4][5] The -den element probably comes from Old English denu, meaning 'valley', but the etymology of the first element is uncertain. It is thought to occur in the name of the River Misbourne, which rises in Great Missenden, and also in the Hertfordshire place-name Miswell. Frank Stenton and Allen Mawer guessed that it came from a hypothetical Anglo-Saxon personal name Myrsa, which they also supposed to be found in the name of Mursley.[6]

Eilert Ekwall suggested that the name Missenden came from a lost Old English word related to English moss, and to Danish mysse and Swedish missne (which denote plants of the genus Calla, such as water arum).[7] Recent researchers have tentatively preferred Ekwall's guess, in which case the name Missenden would once have meant something like 'valley where water-plants/marsh-plants grow'.[4][8]

History[edit]

Great Missenden lay on a major route between the Midlands and London. Several coaching inns, particularly the Red Lion (now an estate agency) and The George (with new owners), provided rest and refreshment for travellers and their horses. The first railway line in the area was, however, routed alongside the Grand Union Canal to the east. Once the coaches stopped running Great Missenden declined in importance and prosperity, becoming an agricultural town. Following the arrival of the Metropolitan Railway, (later the London Underground's Metropolitan line) in 1892. Great Missenden became a village where writers, entertainers and even Prime Ministers resided. Great Missenden railway station is now on the Chiltern Railways line and offers fast connecting services running into London Marylebone; it is the first station on the line that does not fall into a London Zone.

The village is overlooked by the medieval Church of England parish church, the Church of St Peter and St Paul, whereas the High Street itself is home to the Catholic Church of The Immaculate Heart of Mary,[9] one of the largest Catholic churches in the Chiltern District. The position of the parish church away from the town centre suggests an earlier settlement around the church with a move of the village's heart to its present location in the early Middle Ages. In the twelfth century Great Missenden was granted a charter allowing it to hold an annual Fair in August. Missenden Abbey, founded in 1133 as an Augustinian monastery, was ruined following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, 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 from 1954 until his death in 1990, and still remains in the family,[3] and many local scenes and characters are reflected in his work.[citation needed] Dahl is buried at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church and children still leave toys and flowers at his grave.[10] In June 2005 the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre opened in Great Missenden to honour the work of Dahl.[11]

Robert Louis Stevenson, the writer of famous works such as Treasure Island and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, stayed a night at The Red Lion, now 62 High Street, in Great Missenden in October 1874, which he wrote in an essay called "An Autumn Effect".

The espionage novelist David Cornwell, who wrote as John le Carré, noted in a posthumously published introduction to a 2021 reissue of his first novel, Call for the Dead, that "I lived in Great Missenden in those days and commuted to Marylebone station".[12]

The village is home to the private Gateway School,[13] Great Missenden Combined School and The Misbourne secondary school. Many children attend the local grammar schools in nearby Amersham, Chesham, Little Chalfont and High Wycombe, as well as leading local preparatory schools such as Chesham Prep,[14] which consistently makes The Tatler list of Best Prep Schools in the UK.[15][14]

Given its quaint and historic high street, the village has been used extensively as a filming location for TV drama Midsomer Murders.[16] During 1980, Hammer Film Productions 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 who plays an Estate Agent trapped in a recurring nightmare.

Demography[edit]

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%

At 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.[17]

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 qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.[17]

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, located at 81–83 High Street, Great Missenden

Parish[edit]

  • Ballinger, located northeast of Great Missenden, between Lee Common and Ballinger Common
  • Ballinger Bottom, located northeast of Great Missenden, near South Heath
  • Ballinger Common, located northeast of Great Missenden, near Ballinger
  • Bryant's Bottom, located west of Prestwood, near Speen
  • Frith-hill, located east of Great Missenden
  • Heath End, located near the border with Hughenden parish, near Great Kingshill
  • Hotley Bottom, located north of Prestwood
  • Hyde End, located between South Heath and Hyde Heath
  • Hyde Heath, located near Little Missenden
  • Little Wood Corner, located south of South Heath
  • Mobwell, located in Great Missenden
  • Prestwood, large village west of Great Missenden
  • South Heath, located northeast of Great Missenden

Governance[edit]

There are two tiers of local government covering Great Missenden, at parish and unitary authority level: Great Missenden Parish Council and Buckinghamshire Council.

Great Missenden is within the Chesham and Amersham parliamentary constituency, represented since 2020 by Sarah Green, (Liberal Democrat).

Notable people[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Area: Great Missenden CP (Parish)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  2. ^ "The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". www.chiltern.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b Lynn F. Pearson Discovering Famous Graves Osprey Publishing, 2008
  4. ^ a b A. D. Mills, A Dictionary of English Place Names (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 330.
  5. ^ Page, WH, ed. (1908). "Little Missenden". A History of the County of Buckingham. Victoria County History. Vol. II. London: Archibald Constable & Co. pp. 354–360. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020..
  6. ^ A. Mawer and F. M. Stenton, The Place-Names of Buckinghamshire, English Place-Name Society, 2 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1925).
  7. ^ Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names, 4th edn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1960), p. 328 (s.v. Misbourne).
  8. ^ Hough, Carole, 'Place-Name Evidence for Anglo-Saxon Plant-Names', in From Earth to Art, the Many Aspects of the Plant-world in Anglo-Saxon England: Proceedings of the First ASPNS Symposium, University of Glasgow, 5–7 April 2000, ed. by Carole Hough, Costerus New Series, 148 (Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi, 2003), pp. 41-78 (pp. 54-55).
  9. ^ "The Catholic community of Great Missenden". The Catholic community of Great Missenden. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  10. ^ "A giant peach of a property in Dahl country". The Times. 14 July 2015. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  11. ^ Clarie Heald (11 June 2005) Chocolate doors thrown open to Dahl Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine BBC News
  12. ^ "John le Carré on the real characters behind George Smiley". The Sunday Times. 2 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Gateway School". Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  14. ^ a b "Chesham Preparatory School". Chesham Preparatory School. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Chesham Prep". Tatler. 16 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  16. ^ "Bridget Jones film crew moved on after chaos in town car park". Bucks Free Press.
  17. ^ a b "Neighbourhood Statistics". Statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  18. ^ a b "Great Missenden". www.greatmissendenpc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 March 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  19. ^ "BBC Four - Mark Lawson Talks To..., John le Carré". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 November 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Museum in Great Missenden, England, devoted to Matilda writer Roald Dahl is aimed squarely at children". Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  21. ^ Sheth Trivedi, Shruti (6 November 2020). "Looking back at James Bond and TV star Geoffrey Palmer's time in Bucks". Bucks Free Press. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Chiltern Hills - Robert Louis Stevenson". Robert Louis Stevenson. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

External links[edit]

Media related to Great Missenden at Wikimedia Commons

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