Prestwood
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.
History
The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'Priest-wood'.
Historically, Prestwood was a piece of common land that stretched across several local parishes. The bulk of the land and the chapel in Prestwood belonged to Stoke Mandeville parish as it was once the property of the Mandeville family. The common also stretched into the parishes of Hughenden, Great Hampden and Great Missenden, making a study of the history of the area very difficult.
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 owe part of their legacy to this trade; the name of the Travellers' Rest pub being the most notable example.
Early 20th century
Prestwood continued to grow in area and population throughout the early part of the 20th century. Wren Davis Dairy opened on Wycombe Road, creating jobs and 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. Furthermore the expansion of the national railway network improved access to Central London, helped the rise in popularity of the village. It seemed perfectly situated - with easy access to the capital but secluded enough to retain the "countryside village" feeling.
Other businesses also flourished in Prestwood. To take one example, Cornelius Stevens established a farmhouse, gardens and cherry orchard, 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, by which time a pie factory had been built on the site. The business was sold and closed down in the 1960s, when the steel blood bins were buried on land now belonging to Prestwood Junior School.
Another company at this time based in Prestwood was Gaybird Ltd. They 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.
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.
1960s-2000
In the 1960s and 70s a campaign spearheaded by the UK government saw over 600 new houses built in the village, doubling its size. Many of these houses were themselves large in size, helping to attract families to the village.
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. This has further strengthened Prestwood's good reputation for a commuting village with a rural feel. These benefits are one reason for the district in which Prestwood lies (Chiltern) becoming the 8th most expensive district to buy a house in the entire United Kingdom (as of 2008).
In the 1990s, the land occupied by the C. Stevens and Sons business was converted into the Giles Gate residential home for the elderly.
2000-present
In 2001, a further elderly home (called Cherry Orchard) and 30 new detached houses were constructed in Maybush Gardens, leading to an increase in the number of retired people living in the village. Also 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 courts 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 the county; held at Prestwood Junior School on Saturday mornings, it counts over 240 children as members (as of 2008).
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 the early hours of Saturday 9 December 2006, a large fire swept through the Cherry Orchard residential home, killing one elderly woman and injuring 13 more. Most of the ground floor was gutted in the fire, which started when a resident left clothes on top of a faulty electric radiator; and all of the residents were moved out until rebuilding work could be completed.
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, hairdressers and job agencies, for example. 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 beautiful 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.
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) and Chesham High School (mixed), which are all grammar schools.
Transport
Great Missenden railway station, 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.
Notable people
- Former prime minister Clement Attlee used to live in Prestwood,[1] and after retiring he took his seat in the House of Lords as Earl Attlee and Viscount Prestwood.[2]
- Roald Dahl used to live in neighbouring Great Missenden, and it is thought that the "Miss Trunchbull" in Matilda is based on one of Prestwood Infant School's old headmistresses.[citation needed]
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (September 2007) |
- 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.
- Chequers, the country residence of the Prime Minister, is a few miles north of the village. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair often brought his family to the Great Missenden Catholic church in Great Missenden at the weekends.
- The Prestwood Village Hall was opened in 1928 by Rosamund Parker, Countess of Macclesfield.
- The village is also well known for its family run dairy, Wren Davis, which delivers produce to many houses in the local area.
- In July 2007 the new park was opened by Cherie Blair.[3]
- In June 2008, Prestwood Village Hall celebrated its centenary.
References
- ^ Prestwood tourist information
- ^ Wikipedia on Clement Attlee
- ^ Phillips, Neil (23 July 2007). "Cherie Blair keeps her playground date". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
'The Trinity Herald', published by Holy Trinity Church twice a year. Daily Mail, 'House Price League Table', 2008