Great Missenden - village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England

Great Missenden is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. Its environs include the separate, nearby settlements of Prestwood, South Heath and Ballinger.

Understand

Great Missenden and its environs are mentioned in the Domesday Book. Missenden Abbey (founded in 1133) was a major local influence until the dissolution.

In 2011, The Guardian described Great Missenden as having been "prime stockbroker belt for over a century". The Daily Telegraph put Great Missenden on its "List of Britain's richest villages" and ranked it highly in its "Best Places to Raise a Family in the UK" in 2015.

Claims to fame:

• Used extensively for location shoots for the British TV detective series Midsomer Murders.
• The Gateway School, one of the leading preparatory schools in the South East.
• Home of author Roald Dahl for 36 years until his death in 1990.

Get in

By car

Great Missenden is signposted from the A413 linking Aylesbury with Amersham.

There are 2 small "pay and display" parking facilites off Link Road.

By rail

Great Missenden Railway Station, Station Approach, Great Missenden, HP16 9AZ , 51.704°, -0.709°. Located centrally in the village, it is served by mainline services between London Marylebone and Aylesbury. Station managed by and services are operated by Chiltern Railways. 2017-06-18

By bus

• Arriva Bus Service 48 runs Lane End to Great Missenden.
• Red Line Buses Service 55 (dead link: January 2023) runs Aylesbury - Wendover - Great Missenden - Amersham - Chesham.

By bicycle

• National Cycle Route 57. Passes through the town. Cycle route runs Farmington, Gloucestershire near Northleach to Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire 2017-06-18
• The Chiltern Cycleway. A 170-mile circular cycle trial running through Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire, runs through the town. 2017-06-18

Get around

Being a small village, most of Great Missenden can be reached on foot. However, some locations are further out.

The main commercial centre in Missenden is on the High Street.

See

• The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, 81-83 High Street, Great Missenden, Bucks. HP16 0AL, 51.702°, -0.706°, +44 1494 892192. Tu-Su 11AM-5PM. A small museum and interactive exhibits inspired by the life and works of children's author Roald Dahl (who lived near Great Missenden). Adults £6.60, children £4.40, under 5's free 2017-06-17
• River Misbourne. A chalk steam which runs alongside the town. 2017-05-30
• The Malt Brewery Tours, Collings Hanger Farm, Wycombe Rd, Prestwood Great Missenden HP16 0HW (2½ miles W of Great Missenden), 51.6931°, -0.7402°, +44 1494 865063, tours@maltthebrewery.co.uk. 4th Sa of month 3PM. £15/person 2017-06-26
• St Peter & St Paul Church, Church Lane, Great Missenden HP16 0BA, 51.7009°, -0.6987°. 2017-06-26

Do

Great Missenden is in the heart of the Chilterns and so is the starting point for a number of brisk local walks, of varying difficulty.

• Chiltern Heritage Trail Hampden Route (25-mile Circular Cycle Route). 2017-06-18
• Missenden Abbey, 51.7008°, -0.702853°. Country house on the site of the original abbey, now a conference, wedding and event location. 2017-06-24
• Chiltern Steam Rally, Honor End Lane, Prestwood. A small steam rally held in nearby Prestwood, featuring working traction engines. On-site catering provided. Early July.

Learn

Missenden Abbey runs courses and weekends for adult students in conjunction with Bucks New University (in High Wycombe). These tend to be booked up fairly quickly.

Buy

The main commercial centre in Missenden is on the High Street, whereas that in nearby Prestwood is centered on the modern precinct adjoining Wycombe Road in that village's centre.

• The Malt Brewery Shop, Collings Hanger Farm, Wycombe Rd, Prestwood Great Missenden HP16 0HW (2½ miles W of Great Missenden), 51.6931°, -0.7402°, +44 1494 865063, hello@maltthebrewery.co.uk. M-W 10AM-5:30PM, Th F 10AM-7PM, Sa 10AM-5:30PM. Brewery shop, and tasting (ends at 6PM Th & F) 2017-06-26
• Co-op, Station Approach, Great Missenden HP16 9AZ, 51.7039°, -0.7085°, +44 1494 864052. M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Convenience Store 2017-06-26
• St Andrews's Bookshop (Christian Bookstore), 61/65 High Street , Great Misssenden, +44 1494 862168. Small Christian bookstore, carrying books, cards and recordings. 2017-06-26
• Sainsbury's, 9-11 Wycombe Rd, Prestwood HP16 0NZ (2 miles W of Great Missenden), 51.69867°, -0.74260°, +44 1494 867683. Daily 7AM-10PM. Convenience store. 2017-06-26
• A farmers market is held at the garden centre in Prestwood, on Friday mornings 8AM-1PM.

Eat

• Sukhotthai, 50 High St, Great Missenden HP16 0AU, 51.7036°, -0.7075°. Daily noon-2:30PM & 6-11PM. Thai restaurant & take-away. 2017-06-26
• Cream Teas at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, 51.7009°, -0.6987°, +44 1494 862352. Small scale cream teas, offered 3-5PM Sunday afternoon May-Sept. Live music sometimes accompanies. 2017-06-26
• La Petite Auberge, 107 High St, Great Missenden HP16 0BB, 51.7018°, -0.7053°, +44 1494 865370. Tu-Sa 7-10PM. Traditional French restaurant. 2017-06-26
• The Polecat Inn, 170 Wycombe Rd, Prestwood HP16 0HJ (3 miles (by road) W of Great Missenden), 51.6875°, -0.7348°, +44 1494 862253, info@thepolecatinn.co.uk. Oct-Mar: M-F 11:30AM-3PM & 6-11PM, Sa all day (food to 9PM), Su noon-6PM (food to 3PM); Apr-Sept: M-Sa 11:30AM-11PM (food to 9PM), Su noon-6PM (food to 3PM). Restaurant & Hotel 2017-06-26

Drink

• The Cross Keys, 40 High St, Great Missenden HP16 0AU​, 51.7039°, -0.7077°, +44 1494 865373, bookings@thecross-keys.com. Pub: M-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight, Su 11AM-10:30PM; Food: M-Th noon-3PM & 6:30-9:30PM, F noon-4PM & 6-9:30PM, Sa noon-9:30PM, Su noon-5PM. Pub & Food 2017-06-26
• Origins Wine Bar, 57 High St, Great Missenden HP16 0AL, 51.7037°, -0.7071°, +44 1494 863696, info@originswinebar.co.uk. Wine bar & tapas restaurant. 2017-06-26
• The Black Horse, Aylesbury Rd, Great Missenden HP16 9AX, 51.7103°, -0.7124°, +44 1494 862537, info@blackhorsegreatmissenden.com. Food: M noon-2PM, Tu-F noon-2:30PM & 6-9PM, Sa noon-3PM & 6-9PM, Su noon-12:30PM & 2-2:30PM. Pub & Food 2017-06-26

Sleep

• Nags Head, London Rd, Great Missenden HP16 0DG, 51.692821°, -0.697213°, +44 1494 862200, goodfood@nagsheadbucks.com. Bar: M-Th 8AM-11PM, F Sa 8AM-midnight, Su 8AM-10:30PM; Food: M-Sa 8AM-10AM & noon-2:40PM & 6:30-9:30PM, Su 8AM-10AM & noon-7PM. AA 4* < Restaurant & Hotel Double from £100/night 2017-06-24
• The Forge House, 10 Church St, Great Missenden HP16 0AX, 51.70204°, -0.70531°, +44 1494 866525. Bed and Breakfast. 2017-06-26
• The Garden Cottages, Umhlanga, Hampden Rd, Great Missenden HP16 0JA (3½ miles (by road) from Great Missenden), 51.6834°, -0.7485°, +44 1494 862862, shelagh@stoneygreen.co.uk. Bed and Breakfast. Single from £60/night, Double from £75/night 2017-06-26

Connect

• Post Office, 35 Station Approach, Great Missenden HP16 9AZ, 51.70422°, -0.70912°. M-Sa 6AM-6PM, Su 6AM-2PM. 2017-06-26

Go next

• Amersham 6 miles to SE
• High Wycombe 7 miles to SW
• Aylesbury 10 miles to NNW
• Wendover 5 miles to NNW
• Tring 10 miles (by road) to NNE
• Chesham 5½ miles to E
• Berkhamsted 10 miles to NE