Prestwood
Encyclopedia
Prestwood is a village
in Buckinghamshire
, England
. It is located in the Chiltern Hills
, about a mile west of Great Missenden
, four miles north of High Wycombe
.
in origin, and means 'Priest-wood'. There is evidence of settlement in Prestwood from the Middle Ages
, when the village was mainly covered in oak, beech and ash trees. Hatches Farm is one of the buildings that dates from the medieval period.
By 1849, more of the woodland
had been cleared to make way for agriculture
and common land
, around which approximately 100 houses now existed. Many villagers worked in cottage industries such as lace making, and a wheelwrights was also present in the village. Many of the villagers made use of the common land to graze animals; there were about 70 watering ponds. In addition, gorse
was harvested for fuel. Beech
trees made up the bulk of the woodland, and were used in the local furniture industry. The small village population was served by five separate public houses.
Prestwood came into being as an ecclesiastical parish
in 1849, when the Holy Trinity Church was constructed. The new parish combined portions of the parishes of Missenden, Hughenden and Hampden. The first vicar
of Holy Trinity planted a set of ornamental trees behind the church; this now forms Prestwood Park.
In the Victorian era
, Prestwood and nearby Great Missenden lay on the road between London
and Birmingham
. The two villages became important resting points for travellers; several rest inns came into being. Prestwood's pubs - now numbering twelve - owe part of their legacy to this fact; the name of the Travellers' Rest pub being a notable example.
As well as the Holy Trinity church, a Methodist church was constructed on the High Street and another on Bryrants Bottom. In addition, a Baptist
chapel was founded on Kiln Lane (now called Kiln Road). The main industry in Prestwood continued to be agriculture; orchards were created and much of the fruit was sold to traders in London.
Prestwood continued to grow in area and population throughout the early part of the 20th century. Prestwood Infant School opened in Moat Lane in 1908, replacing the Church school. The Village Hall was opened in 1928 by Rosamund Parker, Countess of Macclesfield. The arrival of the railway in Great Missenden
improved access to Central London
, leading to Prestwood becoming a commuter village. However, the expansion of the village was not without its setbacks; houses were built in Perks Lane, destroying the orchids that grew there. After a long absence, orchids have recently been spotted in Cadsden near Princes Risborough.
Many agricultural businesses flourished in Prestwood. Wren Davis Dairy
opened on Wycombe Road, winning award nationally for the quality of its milk
. Today the dairy owns several acres of fields in the north and west of Prestwood, on which its cows still graze. Cornelius Stevens established a farmhouse, gardens, slaughterhouse and butcher's shop (named C. Stevens and Sons) on land then known as Square Farm, in the centre of the village. His four eldest sons took over the business upon his death in 1932; when it closed down in the 1960s, the steel blood bins were buried on land now belonging to Prestwood Junior School. Gaybird Ltd supplied pheasant chicks and eggs to shoots throughout the country, raising the birds in fields stretching from Prestwood as far away as Dunsmore
, near Wendover
. Their produce was regularly exhibited at the annual national Game Fair. Finally, a pie factory was constructed, called Farmer Giles; the site is now used for an elderly residential home called Giles Gate.
In the Second World War, a prisoner of war camp was established at Peterley Wood, whilst Prestwood Park House was used as a hospital. Also, two bombers collided over Prestwood with much of the wreckage falling close to Nanfans Farm. Only one member of the two crews survived the collision. A plaque commemorating the tragedy can be found outside the Limes Tea House at the local garden centre, Hildreths of Pretwood.
Prestwood was home to former British Prime Minister
Earl Attlee
from 1950. He later moved to Martinsend Lane in Great Missenden
. The house is currently occupied by musician and broadcaster Steve Race
.
By the 1960s, the last brickworks in the village had closed and many of the orchards had been concreted over; however, the former orchid site at Perks Lane was reclaimed by the local council and turned into a nature reserve and picnic site. Despite the village population continuing to grow, four pubs closed down - the George, the Weathercock, the Golden Ball and the White Horse.
In the 1960s and 70s many large houses were constructed in Prestwood, helping to attract families to the village. This was reflected in the building of two new schools - Prestwood Junior School and Prestwood Lodge School.
Despite the loss of the London Underground
service to the nearby Great Missenden railway station
, an overground service has and still does continue, run by Chiltern Railways
. These benefits are one reason for the district in which Prestwood lies (Chiltern
) being the most expensive rural district in entire United Kingdom
.
In 2001, the old Prestwood Leisure Centre was demolished. After a much-delayed rebuilding program over the following 2 years, the Sprinters Fitness Centre opened in its place in 2003. It included 3 newly built tennis court
s and two fitness studios. The opening helped to revitalise Prestwood's economy and continues to attract people from the surrounding area. The village is also home to one of the largest gymnastic clubs in Buckinghamshire, which is held at Prestwood Junior School on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
The land on which Prestwood's only petrol station existed was bought by Beeks Homes Ltd in 2002. The petrol station was demolished on the premise that, whilst new homes would be built on the site, a smaller petrol station would also be included in the plans. When Beeks turned back on these plans, two years of legal wranglings ensued between the company and the parish council; eventually, the council relented and solely homes were constructed.
In July 2007 a new park was built on Prestwood common and was opened by Cherie Blair
.
The local catchment secondary schools are the Misbourne School
, an upper school
, and Dr Challoner's Grammar School (boys)
, Dr Challoner's High School (girls)
, Chesham Grammar School (mixed) and The Royal Grammar School for Boys which are all grammar schools
.
, about half a mile away, is on the Chiltern Railways
London to Aylesbury Line
and provides train services to London Marylebone station in approximately 45 minutes.
Bus services, run by Arriva Shires & Essex
, run to High Wycombe
in one direction, and Great Missenden
and Chesham
in the other. From Great Missenden, it is also possible to connect to other bus services to Aylesbury and Hemel Hempstead.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Buckinghamshire
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....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located in 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:...
, about a mile west of Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
, four miles north of High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
.
Early history and creation of parish
The village name is Anglo SaxonOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
in origin, and means 'Priest-wood'. There is evidence of settlement in Prestwood from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, when the village was mainly covered in oak, beech and ash trees. Hatches Farm is one of the buildings that dates from the medieval period.
By 1849, more of the woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
had been cleared to make way for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
, around which approximately 100 houses now existed. Many villagers worked in cottage industries such as lace making, and a wheelwrights was also present in the village. Many of the villagers made use of the common land to graze animals; there were about 70 watering ponds. In addition, gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
was harvested for fuel. Beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
trees made up the bulk of the woodland, and were used in the local furniture industry. The small village population was served by five separate public houses.
Prestwood came into being as an ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in 1849, when the Holy Trinity Church was constructed. The new parish combined portions of the parishes of Missenden, Hughenden and Hampden. The first vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Holy Trinity planted a set of ornamental trees behind the church; this now forms Prestwood Park.
In the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, Prestwood and nearby Great Missenden lay on the road between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The two villages became important resting points for travellers; several rest inns came into being. Prestwood's pubs - now numbering twelve - owe part of their legacy to this fact; the name of the Travellers' Rest pub being a notable example.
Early 20th Century
Following 1850, much of the common land was sold off for agricultural development. By 1900, only a small amount of common land remained; today, Prestwood Common on Nairdwood Lane is one of the only pieces of common land still present in the village. Some of the watering holes remained, in addition to wells which were used for drinking water until the pipe network reached Prestwood in the 1930s.As well as the Holy Trinity church, a Methodist church was constructed on the High Street and another on Bryrants Bottom. In addition, a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
chapel was founded on Kiln Lane (now called Kiln Road). The main industry in Prestwood continued to be agriculture; orchards were created and much of the fruit was sold to traders in London.
Prestwood continued to grow in area and population throughout the early part of the 20th century. Prestwood Infant School opened in Moat Lane in 1908, replacing the Church school. The Village Hall was opened in 1928 by Rosamund Parker, Countess of Macclesfield. The arrival of the railway in Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
improved access to Central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, leading to Prestwood becoming a commuter village. However, the expansion of the village was not without its setbacks; houses were built in Perks Lane, destroying the orchids that grew there. After a long absence, orchids have recently been spotted in Cadsden near Princes Risborough.
Many agricultural businesses flourished in Prestwood. Wren Davis Dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
opened on Wycombe Road, winning award nationally for the quality of its milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
. Today the dairy owns several acres of fields in the north and west of Prestwood, on which its cows still graze. Cornelius Stevens established a farmhouse, gardens, slaughterhouse and butcher's shop (named C. Stevens and Sons) on land then known as Square Farm, in the centre of the village. His four eldest sons took over the business upon his death in 1932; when it closed down in the 1960s, the steel blood bins were buried on land now belonging to Prestwood Junior School. Gaybird Ltd supplied pheasant chicks and eggs to shoots throughout the country, raising the birds in fields stretching from Prestwood as far away as Dunsmore
Dunsmore, Buckinghamshire
Dunsmore is a hamlet in the parish of Ellesborough, in Buckinghamshire, England. It occupies a hilltop position in the Chiltern Hills about 2 miles south of Wendover...
, near Wendover
Wendover
Wendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...
. Their produce was regularly exhibited at the annual national Game Fair. Finally, a pie factory was constructed, called Farmer Giles; the site is now used for an elderly residential home called Giles Gate.
In the Second World War, a prisoner of war camp was established at Peterley Wood, whilst Prestwood Park House was used as a hospital. Also, two bombers collided over Prestwood with much of the wreckage falling close to Nanfans Farm. Only one member of the two crews survived the collision. A plaque commemorating the tragedy can be found outside the Limes Tea House at the local garden centre, Hildreths of Pretwood.
Prestwood was home to former British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Earl Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
from 1950. He later moved to Martinsend Lane in Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
. The house is currently occupied by musician and broadcaster Steve Race
Steve Race
Stephen Russell Race OBE was a British composer, pianist and radio and television presenter.-Biography:Born in Lincoln, the son of a lawyer, Race learned the piano from the age of five...
.
Late 20th Century
In the 1960s and 70s many large houses were constructed in Prestwood, helping to attract families to the village. This was reflected in the building of two new schools - Prestwood Junior School and Prestwood Lodge School.
Despite the loss of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
service to the nearby Great Missenden railway station
Great Missenden railway station
Great Missenden railway station serves the large village of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, as well as the villages of Prestwood, Little Hampden and Little Missenden. The station lies on the London Marylebone-Aylesbury line and is served by Chiltern Railways trains...
, an overground service has and still does continue, run by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
. These benefits are one reason for the district in which Prestwood lies (Chiltern
Chiltern (district)
Chiltern is one of four local government districts of Buckinghamshire in south central England. It is named after the Chiltern Hills on which the region sits.The main towns in the district are Amersham and Chesham...
) being the most expensive rural district in entire United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Present Day
In January 2000 a further elderly home consisting of 30 flats was opened, called Cherry Orchard. leading to an increase in the number of retired people living in the village. In the early hours of Saturday 9 December 2006, a large fire swept through the Cherry Orchard residential home, killing one elderly woman and forcing 12 others to be rescued. Most of the ground floor was gutted in the fire, which started when a resident left clothes on top of a faulty electric radiator; all of the residents were moved out until rebuilding work could be completed.In 2001, the old Prestwood Leisure Centre was demolished. After a much-delayed rebuilding program over the following 2 years, the Sprinters Fitness Centre opened in its place in 2003. It included 3 newly built tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s and two fitness studios. The opening helped to revitalise Prestwood's economy and continues to attract people from the surrounding area. The village is also home to one of the largest gymnastic clubs in Buckinghamshire, which is held at Prestwood Junior School on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
The land on which Prestwood's only petrol station existed was bought by Beeks Homes Ltd in 2002. The petrol station was demolished on the premise that, whilst new homes would be built on the site, a smaller petrol station would also be included in the plans. When Beeks turned back on these plans, two years of legal wranglings ensued between the company and the parish council; eventually, the council relented and solely homes were constructed.
In July 2007 a new park was built on Prestwood common and was opened by Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
.
Industry
Prestwood's economy has moved away from agriculture (e.g. the Prestwood pie factory) to service-based in recent years; there are new health centres and hairdressers. Some business, such as the village's only petrol station, have been closed to make way for new homes. The two large residential homes, Giles Gate and Cherry Orchard, have allowed the elderly to take advantage of Prestwood's surroundings.Education
There are three primary schools in Prestwood: Prestwood Infant School, for 4-7 year olds; Prestwood Junior School, for 7-11 year olds, and Prestwood Lodge School, a special needs school for children from the age of 11-16. In June 2008, Prestwood Infant School celebrated its centenary.The local catchment secondary schools are the Misbourne School
Misbourne School
The Misbourne School is a co-educational secondary school in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,225 pupils.- History :...
, an upper school
Upper school
Upper Schools tend to be schools within secondary education. Outside England, the term normally refers to a section of a larger school. There is some variation in the use of the term in England.-State Maintained Schools:...
, and Dr Challoner's Grammar School (boys)
Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Dr Challoner's Grammar School, often abbreviated to DCGS, is an Academy Grammar School of approximately 1,300 boys located in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England....
, Dr Challoner's High School (girls)
Dr Challoner's High School
Dr Challoner's High School, abbreviated to DCHS, is a grammar school for girls between the ages of 11 and 18, located in Buckinghamshire, England. In August 2011 the school became an Academy....
, Chesham Grammar School (mixed) and The Royal Grammar School for Boys which are all grammar schools
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
.
Transport
Great Missenden railway stationGreat Missenden railway station
Great Missenden railway station serves the large village of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, as well as the villages of Prestwood, Little Hampden and Little Missenden. The station lies on the London Marylebone-Aylesbury line and is served by Chiltern Railways trains...
, about half a mile away, is on the Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
London to Aylesbury Line
London to Aylesbury Line
The London to Aylesbury Line is the main railway line between London and Aylesbury, going via the Chiltern Hills; it is operated by Chiltern Railways. The line includes the only route where National Rail trains use track that is utilized by London Underground services...
and provides train services to London Marylebone station in approximately 45 minutes.
Bus services, run by Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
, run to High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
in one direction, and Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
and Chesham
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
in the other. From Great Missenden, it is also possible to connect to other bus services to Aylesbury and Hemel Hempstead.
Notable people
- Former prime minister Clement AttleeClement AttleeClement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
used to live in Prestwood, and after retiring he took his seat in the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as Earl Attlee and Viscount Prestwood.
Other Trivia
- During the 19th Century Prestwood was famous for its cherry orchards and parties of Londoners would travel out to the area during the spring to view the blossoms.
- ChequersChequersChequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
, the country residence of the Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, is a few miles north of the village. Former Prime Minister Tony BlairTony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
often brought his family to the Great Missenden Catholic church in Great Missenden at the weekends.