West Wycombe
West Wycombe has a very interesting history as this is Francis Dashwood’s (the controversial 18th-century baron and politician), former home and stomping ground.
The village is a particularly pretty place to visit in Buckinghamshire and is only a 15-minute drive from Orchard View Farm. It's now mostly owned by the National Trust. It was once an important coaching stop and today it still displays its perfectly preserved 16th – 18th-century buildings and pubs as well as a few traditional shops and cafes.
Just outside West Wycombe village you’ll find West Wycombe Park and Hill (an amazing place for walks, stunning views, and picnics) where St Lawrence’s Church which has a tower with a mysterious Golden Ball Spire at the top.
Near by is West Wycombe House set in 45 acres of charming landscaped park land, which was the home for the Dashwood family for over 300 years, the menacing Mausoleum which sits strikingly on top of West Wycombe Hill, and the creepy West Wycombe Caves which were said to house the notorious Hellfire Club and are available to be visited.
Latimer
Latimer is a typical beautiful English village surrounded by an area of outstanding beauty. It’s a hamlet buried deep in a network of stunning country lanes this is the ‘Shire’ counties at its tranquil finest. The real draw is the stunning surroundings, it looks out over the beautiful Chess Valley and The Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and there are numerous walks and cycling paths here. Nearby is Chenies Manor – a wonderful Tudor Manor House and gardens, and Little Chalfont Nature Park. Sit back and absorb the peace, tranquillity and atmosphere of England.
Old Amersham
This charming Buckinghamshire town is a 30 minute, picturesque drive from Orchard View Farm and it’s new campsite, its full of character and was made famous by the popular film, Four Weddings and a Funeral. Old Amersham is the historic hub of the town of Amersham, nestled in the foot of the Chiltern Hills and steeped in history.
Whilst picturesque and quaint it has religious significance, there is even a street devoted to several people who were burnt at the stake in this village in the 16th century. The famous romantic hotel scene in Four Weddings and a Funeral was filmed in The Crown Inn in Old Amersham (Room 101 to be precise).
You will notice that Old Amersham is in a fairly straight line from London to the north of England. For this reason, it is packed with historical coach houses, for the 16th - 18th travellers to stop for a meal and a drink before continuing their journey.
Great Missenden
This gorgeous place lies on a major route between the Midlands and London and is about 20 minutes drive from Orchard View Farm. 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.
Following the arrival of the Metropolitan Railway, (later the London Underground's Metropolitan line) in 1892, Great Missenden became a commuter village for London with writers, entertainers and even Prime Ministers, Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson were among the resident. For example Gipsy House was the home of author Roald Dahl. The house is situated on Whitefield Lane, an old drovers' road on the outskirts of the village. From 1954 until his death in 1990, it still remains in the family and many local scenes and characters are reflected in his work. A Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre is situated on the main road through the village.
Great Missenden was home to the late actor Geoffrey Palmer (Butterflies; As Time Goes By), and his wife Sally still lives there. Model turned cookery show presenter Sophie Dahl (granddaughter of Roald Dahl) and her husband jazz musician Jamie Cullum also own a property in the village.
The village has been used extensively as a filming location for TV drama Midsomer Murders. 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. The location of the premises used as the Estate Agent's office is located in the centre of the village. Nowadays the property is a barbers.
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