Medmenham and Hambleden
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Medmenham and Hambleden Introduction The walk takes us from Medmenham, a little north of the Thames, along the river bank to Mill End, north to Hambleden and then back cross country to Medmenham. Key points are numbered on the map and correspond to the numbered sections below. Medmenham is a prosperous village that is popular with many executives who work in London. The village includes some old timber framed brick and flint cottages and some estate workers cottages built at the beginning of the 20th century from local chalk rock. The Dog and Badger Inn on the A4155 road dates from late in the 16th century, the name having been transferred from the inn at Hambleden, which was, renamed the Stag and Huntsman Next to the village, but separated from it by the A4155, is the first of two Iron Age hill forts, Medmenham Camp. Danesfield Camp also known as Danes Ditches is located slightly further along the road to the east near to the village of Hurley. First we take a look in the church. 1) St Peter and St Paul Possibly built as a wooden construction about 640AD by Birinus, a missionary bishop, and rebuilt in stone some 500 years later under the patronage of Hugh de Bolebec who also endowed Woburn Abbey and founded Medmenham Abbey. The current church dates from the 12th century with the tower and chancel from late 14th century. The Norman nave walls, built of chalk blocks and flint rubble, have been underpinned with modern brickwork and are supported by two external buttresses. The tower is constructed in three stages with a battlemented parapet, diagonal buttresses and a stair projection. There is staging for 4 bells but only 3 in place. An old tradition, recorded in 1717, stated that the 4th bell had been sold to raise funds to help ransom Richard I, taken prisoner on his return from the holy lands. Remains of a blocked north door can be seen - it is thought that this led to a transept, long since disappeared. A 20th century transept and vestry is now located on the north of the aisle. Internally the church has an unusual roof. The nave rafters are supported by ashlar pieces within the wall, and date from about the 14th century. Separating the nave and the chancel is a massive hammerbeam screen - this in place of the more usual chancel arch. The chancel roof has a red and gilt painted and carved ceilure, which is the same height as the roof of the nave. There is some interesting stained glass in the nave - on the south side, to the west of the door is a modern window commemorating Colonel Arthur Murray who fell in Palestine in 1917. In the north windows close to the transept there are some unusual Flemish glass inserts. Now we walk down Ferry Lane, to the Thames. 2) Medmenham Ferry The village lane ends at the Old Ferry crossing which ceased to be used after the Second World War. It was where the Thames towpath crossed from the Berkshire to the Buckinghamshire bank (our side) of the river (more later). On the towpath beside the former ferry crossing stands the large Medmenham Ferry Memorial that commemorates Lord Devonport's successful 1899 defence of the public right-of-way over the ferry. Page 1 of 6 Medmenham and Hambleden To our left, but unfortunately difficult to spot from this bank, is the site of Medmenham Abbey and the Ferry Hotel. 3) Medmenham Abbey The original Cistercian St Mary's Abbey was founded in the 12th century. It appears to have been a quiet place during its monastic existence (as these places were meant to be) until it was dissolved in 1547. It then passed through different family ownership until 1755, when all hell was let loose. To be precise “Hellfire” was let loose. Medmenham Abbey became the headquarters of the notorious “Hellfire Club”. The club was founded in 1749 by Sir Francis Dashwood, and was one of many similar groups around the country. They attracted certain characters who we would mostly today refer to as “Hooray Henries” and enjoyed a reputation for drunkenness and debauchery. They were alleged to hold mock religious ceremonies and wear extravagant costumes and masks to conceal their identities when engaged in some of their more colourful activities. The chapel had pornographic pictures on the ceiling. Many of the Hellfire members were involved in politics and the membership allegedly included the Earl of Sandwich, William Hogarth, the Earl of Bute and the Prince of Wales. Benjamin Franklin was also a great friend of Dashwood and in all probability also took part in some of the sessions. Eventually the Abbey became too notorious even for the Hellfire members, and Dashwood moved his club to the caves of West Wycombe that he had dug out for this very purpose. Nearer us, to the west of the Abbey is a second building, first built in 1862, just before the land was split between two different ownerships, in 1895. Initially it was the Ferry Hotel, and now has reverted to a private house. It has been substantially rebuilt and is now called Ferry Nab. We now turn right walk along the Thames –but not along the Thames Path, which is on the other side. Some time later, as we near Mill End, we see Culham Court on the Berkshire side. 4) Culham Court The current building was built in 1771, in its landscaped gardens, after the previous one had burnt down while repairs were being made. It has a Thames frontage of a mile and a half, and an estate of 650 acres. There was a stir in 2006 when it went up for sale at £25 million. The Swiss financier Urs Schwarzenbach decided he wanted it – and offered £35 million. He also owns Thames Side Court in Shiplake (previously Bolney Court), Fawley Court …… and the village of Hambleden (more later). Development of the Culham Court estate still continues apace with the ongoing extension of the existing 90-acre (360,000 m2) deer park requiring over 4 kilometres of wrought iron deer fencing, a helipad for the "his" and "hers" choppers, a mile long "London" drive through beautiful beech woodland to the main road, the 2010 £8 million acquisition of three cottages and the original walled gardens which will be reinstated to provide fresh fruit and vegetables for the main house, and a new ha-ha. Page 2 of 6 Medmenham and Hambleden The latest creation is a maze requiring the planting of 20,000 mature yew bushes. Culham House, which overlooks Culham Court, is set to be demolished and "Culham Cathedral", a Roman Catholic chapel, is to be built in its place. His wife is a former Miss Australia. The Thames Path used to run along the riverbank, but has been moved, to run half way up, across the slope, out of sight of the house. Now we temporarily leave the river bank and head towards Mill End. 5) Hambleden Place – and the Aston ferry As we walk along Ferry Lane we can take a detour down past Hambleden Place to the old Aston Ferry. The Flowerpot Inn, opposite, has been here for at least 120 years, and is now the headquarters of a clay-pigeon club. It was here, during the Civil War, that Parliamentarians and Royalists fought a bitter battle. In the 18th century the owner of Culham Court wouldn't allow a towpath on his land, the Berkshire side, which is why the path crossed at the Medmenham ferry and back at Aston ferry, two miles on (now overturned by assigning the National Trust ownership of the riverbanks on both sides). To the left of Ferry Lane are some roman remains. 6) Roman remains - 1 Some Roman remains were found by the river, but never excavated. More extensive ones were found to the north of Yewden Manor – see 8) below. 7) Mill End. Mill End consists of about fifty houses, some on the river bank and others on the northern side of the main road. The largest historic home is at the heart of its cluster of buildings, Yewden Manor, Grade II listed for architecture. This dates from the 17th century and in its grounds there is an avenue of yews of great age. The house is now 4 apartments, and is owned by Viscount Hambleden (more later). On the other side of Skirmett Road is Mill End Farm, which has farmed most of the land in and around the southern Hambleden area. We pass over the road (for safety) and then back - and take a look at the mill, weir and lock. The name Mill End clearly comes from the mill that is situated near the lock. Mill House is quite small – the converted Hambleden Mill is much larger. A mile up river is Greenlands, once the home of the Viscount Hambleden dynasty (more later) – now Henley Business School (and a hotel and wedding venue). We now walk up Skirmett Road and across the fields, to Hambleden 8) Roman remains - 2 More Roman remains were unearthed to the west of Skirmett Road, in 1912. There were two villas and a large wholesale grain establishment was discovered, which appears to have collected corn from farms in the valley and shipped it up and down the river. After skeletal remains of what appeared to be 97 newborn babies were found, a contested theory was put forward in 2010 that a military brothel might have formed part of the site. Page 3 of 6 Medmenham and Hambleden 9) Hambleden Before we reach the village proper, we see The Old Museum (originally built in 1913 to hold the artifacts from the Roman Villa excavations, later the Estate Office and now in private hands) and The Old Village School, on the left (children now go to Frieth (3 miles north) or to Marlow).