Great Missenden

Great Missenden lay on a major route between the Midlands and London. Several coaching inns, particularly the Red Lion (now an estate agency) and The George, provided rest and refreshment for travellers and their horses. The first railway line in the area was, however, routed alongside the Grand Union Canal to the east. Once the mailcoaches stopped running, the village declined in importance and prosperity, becoming an agricultural town. Following the arrival of the Metropolitan Railway (later the London Underground's Metropolitan line) in 1892, Great Missenden became a village where writers, entertainers and even prime ministers resided. The position of the parish church away from the town…

Given its quaint and historic high street, the village has been used extensively as a filming location for TV drama Midsomer Murders. During 1980, Hammer Film Productions filmed a small series of horror films for television, many of them filmed in and around Great Missenden. Of note is the episode "Rude Awakening", starring Denholm Elliott who plays an estate agent trapped in a recurring nightmare.