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Great Kingshill

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Great Kingshill
OS grid referenceSU877979
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHIGH WYCOMBE
Postcode districtHP16
PoliceThames Valley
FireBuckinghamshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
List of places
UK
England
Buckinghamshire

Great Kingshill is a small village in the parishes of Hughenden Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, about five miles west of Amersham and two and a half miles south of Great Missenden.

The village name 'Kingshill' is fairly self explanatory, meaning a hill in possession of the king. Local folklore suggests it was King John who provided the name; there is certainly evidence of King John granting the manor at Kingshill to Hugh de Gournay in 1213, although this same document states that the land was previously possessed by Geoffrey fitzPeter.[1] The affix 'Great' was added later to differentiate between Great Kingshill and neighbouring Little Kingshill. There is some evidence of a settlement called Pirenore that was granted to Missenden Abbey in 1275. The settlement was discovered in Brand's Fee in Great Kingshill, and evidence suggests it was settled between the 11th and 16th centuries.[2][3] It is possible that the settlement was wiped out by bubonic plague.[4]

Great Kingshill has a small local shop which is a member of the "Spar" franchise. Opposite the shop is the local common, forming the heart of the village. It contains a children's playground and football goals. During the summer, the common is used by Great Kingshill Cricket Club.

The village has its own primary school. Many of the village children attend Great Kingshill school, as do children from a wide surrounding area. The school's most recent Ofsted report judged the school to be "Good" overall and "Outstanding" in some areas. Great Kingshill school is geographically located in the neighbouring hamlet of Cryers Hill. Great Kingshill is also home to Pipers Corner School, an all girl independent school.

According to the 2001 census by the Hughenden Parish Council (a parish of the Wycombe District Council), Great Kingshill had a population of 1,170 in an area of 35 hectares.

References

  1. ^ "The Lands of the Normans in England: Document Item 154 Details". HRI Online. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  2. ^ "Monument Record ID 0212801000". Buckinghamshire County Council. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  3. ^ Taylor, Andy (July 2005). "Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire: An Archaeological Evaluation for British Flora" (PDF). Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  4. ^ "History of the Parish". Hughenden Parish Council. Retrieved 7 June 2012.

See also