England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Great Missenden St Peter & St Paul

The Parish

The parish of Great Missenden lies in southern central Buckinghamshire, within the Chiltern Hills, roughly 6 miles north of the town of High Wycombe. Great Missenden stands on the former route of the A41 road which links London with Aylesbury, that road now bypassing to its east. Great Missenden is a junction settlement formed around the intersection of the A41 with the A4128 arriving from High Wycombe. Great Missenden owes its early development to the foundation of its Abbey in 1133, the monks formalised the agriculture of the area with large monastic farmsteads growing mainly cereals together with cattle pastures along the valley of the River Misbourne. A small town grew up west of the abbey and was granted its market by Henry III in the 13th century such that Great Missenden became a minor market town, small scale industries developed too such as mills and pottery kilns. Following the dissolution of the Abbey much land was transferred into the hands of local landholders with several large estates formed. Great Missenden's position on the newly turnpiked A41 gave it a boom during the coaching era, ideally placed as a horses change-over town it once offered 12 coaching inns. The good communications also made further extractive industries profitable adding brick-works to its portfolio. It was the modern development of the Metropolitan Railway which arrived at Great Missenden in 1892 that transformed the small town into a desirable commuter settlement with wealthy Londoners, professionals, and notable public figures moving to the area, shifting the economic focus away from agricultural labour toward suburban residential services. In modern times Great Missenden's association with the author Roald Dahl has also lead to a mini-literary tourism boom, it is also a popular centre for hikers taking in the attractive landscape of the Chiltern Range. Great Missenden is drained southeastwards by the infant River Misbourne which passes Amersham & the Chalfonts before meeting the Colne, the Colne head south to meet the Thames from where water heads east through the capital to the North Sea. Great Missenden is sited at between 120 & 190 metres above the sea as it climbs out of the valley of the Misbourne, the upper, western end of the town sitting upon some of the highest local ground. Great Missenden parish was extensive, covering close to 5,800 acres it would have supported a population of close to 2,200 parishioners. By way of contrast Great Missenden in Domesday times was a settlement of just 12 households, held by Walter Giffard it offered just 10 ploughs, meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Peter & St Paul's church stands away from the main town, across the A41's bypass and close to the former site of the Abbey. The church is largely a product of the later medieval styles of the Decorated & Perpendicular periods. The chancel and 4-bat arcades represent the earlier Decorated style with the chancel, in particular, showing elaborate detailing typical of the period. The mouldings shown by the arcades are mirrored in both the chancel and transept arches so it is clear they were part of a single build which ran onwards through the fashion change to Perpendicular. The nave, complete with typical clerestory, transepts and tower are all of the later style in flint but with much roughcast covering. The tower received further work in 1732 when it was widened southwards, Pevsner presumes to counter subsidence. The typical Victorian restoration came here at the very end of that reign being conducted between 1899 & 1901, the main element of the work was the rebuilding of the northern aisle and the addition of the extensive vestry range. Church Street lead off the old route of the A41 around 200 yards south of the main junction in the town, there is parking for the church immediately before Church Street crosses the bypass on its bridge and a substantial car park outside the gates making for a relaxed visit. The photographer will find that all of the favoured southern aspects are lost to tight tree cover leaving only a limited set of views with which to work.