Kimbles
Encyclopedia
Great and Little Kimble is a civil parish in Wycombe district, Buckinghamshire
, sitting at the foot of the Chiltern Hills
. It is located to the south of Aylesbury
. It incorporates the villages of Great Kimble, Little Kimble, Kimble Wick and Marsh
and the hamlet of Smoky Row.
There are two main opinions as to the origin of the name Kimble. One theory is that the name Kimble comes from Cymbeline
(also known as Cunobelinus
), who was King of the Catuvellauni
, an ancient Celt
ic tribe of pre-Roman Britain
. Written about by William Shakespeare
in his tragedy of the same name, Cymbeline was able to successfully stave off the planned Roman invasion of Britain led by Emperor Caligula
by supporting the fiercely anti-Roman Druids and offering refuge to exiled fighters from Romanised Gaul
. However an alternative derivation has been put forward by the Oxford Dictionary of Place Names that the name is from the old English words cyne belle meaning 'Royal bell-shaped hill'. This would refer to the Beacon Hill, a man-made fortification neighbouring the parish, that separates Little Kimble from the Chequers
estate.
Earthworks found on Beacon Hill were the foundations of Cymbeline's Castle
. Built during the reign of Cymbeline; coin
s bearing his name have been found in archaeological digs in the area. It is possibly this link that has led some authors to assume that the place is named after Cymbeline, whereas the Oxford English derivation is the more scholarly of the two.
One of the events that culminated in the outbreak of the English Civil War
(1642–51) was reputed to have taken place in Saint Nicholas
's church in Great Kimble. The manor of Great Kimble (along with manors at Kimble Wick and Marsh) had been possessions of the Hampden family since the 14th century. John Hampden
is reported to have been in a parish meeting within the church itself when he refused to pay the ship tax that had been demanded of English parishes by King Charles I
. The church is still in possession of a copy of the roll listing the freeholders who met there to affirm their opposition. However this claim is disputed as nearby Great Hampden
has a stone cross erected on the spot where Hampden refused to pay the tax. It is possible that both claims have some element of truth as Great Kimble and Great Hampden are neighbouring parishes.
Inside the medieval All Saints' Church in Little Kimble are many original wall paintings depicting scenes from the Bible and from English history. This is unusual for churches in this part of England, as these paintings were usually covered up during the Reformation
. One image that has survived very clearly on the north wall of the nave is of a knight
in the Crusades bearing the St George's cross
. The church is accessed just off the main A4010 road
.
In total there are three churches in the parish, St Nicholas in Great Kimble, All Saints in Little Kimble, and Little Kimble Free Church.
cuts straight through the middle of Little Kimble, as does the Chiltern railway line
between Aylesbury
and Princes Risborough
. Where the main road and the railway meet there is Little Kimble railway station
, which has been in operation since 1872. The same railway line also bypasses Marsh, where there is a level crossing.
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....
, sitting at the foot of 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:...
. It is located to the south of 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...
. It incorporates the villages of Great Kimble, Little Kimble, Kimble Wick and Marsh
Marsh, Buckinghamshire
Marsh is a hamlet in the parish of Great and Little Kimble in Buckinghamshire, England. The hamlet name comes from the surname Marshall; this was the name of the man who owned the manor in the 12th century...
and the hamlet of Smoky Row.
There are two main opinions as to the origin of the name Kimble. One theory is that the name Kimble comes from Cymbeline
Cymbeline
Cymbeline , also known as Cymbeline, King of Britain or The Tragedy of Cymbeline, is a play by William Shakespeare, based on legends concerning the early Celtic British King Cunobelinus. Although listed as a tragedy in the First Folio, modern critics often classify Cymbeline as a romance...
(also known as Cunobelinus
Cunobelinus
Cunobeline or Cunobelinus was a historical king in pre-Roman Britain, known from passing mentions by classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and from his many inscribed coins...
), who was King of the Catuvellauni
Catuvellauni
The Catuvellauni were a tribe or state of south-eastern Britain before the Roman conquest.The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and their kings before the conquest can be traced through numismatic evidence and scattered references in classical histories. They are mentioned by Dio Cassius, who implies...
, an ancient Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic tribe of pre-Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
. Written about by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
in his tragedy of the same name, Cymbeline was able to successfully stave off the planned Roman invasion of Britain led by Emperor Caligula
Caligula
Caligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
by supporting the fiercely anti-Roman Druids and offering refuge to exiled fighters from Romanised Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
. However an alternative derivation has been put forward by the Oxford Dictionary of Place Names that the name is from the old English words cyne belle meaning 'Royal bell-shaped hill'. This would refer to the Beacon Hill, a man-made fortification neighbouring the parish, that separates Little Kimble from the Chequers
Chequers
Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
estate.
Earthworks found on Beacon Hill were the foundations of Cymbeline's Castle
Cymbeline's Castle
Cymbeline's Castle is the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle in woods north of Great Kimble, Buckinghamshire, England. The name associates it with the ancient British king Cunobeline , although this may be a Victorian invention...
. Built during the reign of Cymbeline; coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s bearing his name have been found in archaeological digs in the area. It is possibly this link that has led some authors to assume that the place is named after Cymbeline, whereas the Oxford English derivation is the more scholarly of the two.
One of the events that culminated in the outbreak of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
(1642–51) was reputed to have taken place in Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
's church in Great Kimble. The manor of Great Kimble (along with manors at Kimble Wick and Marsh) had been possessions of the Hampden family since the 14th century. John Hampden
John Hampden
John Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...
is reported to have been in a parish meeting within the church itself when he refused to pay the ship tax that had been demanded of English parishes by King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. The church is still in possession of a copy of the roll listing the freeholders who met there to affirm their opposition. However this claim is disputed as nearby Great Hampden
Great Hampden
Great and Little Hampden is a civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, about three miles south-east of Princes Risborough. It incorporates the villages of Great Hampden and Little Hampden, and the hamlets of Green Hailey and Hampden Row...
has a stone cross erected on the spot where Hampden refused to pay the tax. It is possible that both claims have some element of truth as Great Kimble and Great Hampden are neighbouring parishes.
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
. One image that has survived very clearly on the north wall of the nave is of a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
in the Crusades bearing the St George's cross
St George's Cross
St George's Cross is a red cross on a white background used as a symbolic reference to Saint George. The red cross on white was associated with St George from medieval times....
. The church is accessed just off the main A4010 road
A4010 road
The A4010 is an important primary north-south road in Buckinghamshire, Southern England. It runs from High Wycombe at Junction 4 of the M40 motorway to Stoke Mandeville, near Aylesbury on the A413.-High Wycombe:...
.
In total there are three churches in the parish, St Nicholas in Great Kimble, All Saints in Little Kimble, and Little Kimble Free Church.
Education
Ladymede School, an independent co-educational school, is located in Little Kimble. It has a capacity of just over 100 day students from ages 3–11.Notable alumni
- India HicksIndia HicksIndia Amanda Caroline Hicks is a former fashion model, 521st inline to the line of succession to the British Throne.-Early life:...
- Kelly LeBrockKelly LeBrockKelly LeBrock is an American actress and model. Her acting debut was in The Woman in Red co-starring with comedian Gene Wilder. She also starred in the film Weird Science, directed by John Hughes.-Early life:...
- Arabella ChurchillArabella Churchill (charity founder)Arabella Spencer-Churchill was an English charity founder, festival co-founder, and fundraiser.In 1971, Churchill played a major role in the development of the Glastonbury Festival. In 1979, she set up the Children's Area of the Festival and also the Theatre Area. Until her death, she ran the...
Transport
The main A4010 roadA4010 road
The A4010 is an important primary north-south road in Buckinghamshire, Southern England. It runs from High Wycombe at Junction 4 of the M40 motorway to Stoke Mandeville, near Aylesbury on the A413.-High Wycombe:...
cuts straight through the middle of Little Kimble, as does the Chiltern railway line
Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line
The Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line is a rural branch line from Princes Risborough to Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England.The line is single track throughout with a maximum speed of 40 mph....
between 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...
and Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough is a small town in Buckinghamshire, England, about 9 miles south of Aylesbury and 8 miles north west of High Wycombe. Bledlow lies to the west and Monks Risborough to the east. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, at the north end of a gap or pass through the Chilterns,...
. Where the main road and the railway meet there is Little Kimble railway station
Little Kimble railway station
Little Kimble railway station is the small, single platform railway station of the village of Little Kimble in Buckinghamshire.-History:The station is served by Chiltern Railways trains from London Marylebone and Princes Risborough towards Aylesbury and is situated between Monks Risborough and...
, which has been in operation since 1872. The same railway line also bypasses Marsh, where there is a level crossing.