In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Medmenham like this:
MEDMENHAM, a village and a parish in the district of Henley and county of Buckingham. The village stands near the river Thames, at the boundary with Berks, 3¼ miles SW by W of Great Marlow, and 4½ WNW of Henley r. station; and has a post office under Marlow. The pariSh comprises 2,420 acres. ...
Real property, £3,208. Pop., 380. Houses, 76. The property is divided among four. The manor, with Danesfield House, belongs to R. S. Murray, Esq. A Cistertian abbey., an offshoot of Woburn abbey, was founded here in 1204, by Hugh de Bolibec; went gradually into decay, so as to be very poor at the dissolution; survives in remains, agglomerated with modern tower and cloister, adjacent to a little inn and a ferry-house, on a lovely and secluded spot, contiguous to the Thames; became, in the middle of last century, the abode of a mysterious community, calling themselves Franciscans, from their founder Francis Dashwood, afterwards Lord le Despenser; and is now a favourite place of popular resort. Some of the doings of the so called Franciscans are noticed in "Chrysal or the Adventures of a Guinea; ''and some pictures, representing their mysteries, are preserved at the Thatched House tavern in London. A large ancient entrenchment, supposed to be Danish, is near Danesfield House. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Oxford. Value, &200.* Patron,R. S. Murray, Esq. The church is early English, of flint, chalk, and stone; was restored at sever.al periods up to 1864, at a cost of nearly £1,200; and has a tower, and a fine E window. The churchyard contains a handsome monument to Mrs. Bransby Powys. There is a parochial school.
Medmenham through time
Medmenham is now part of Wycombe district. Click here for graphs and data of how Wycombe has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Medmenham itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Medmenham, in Wycombe and Buckinghamshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/4566
Date accessed: 27th April 2024
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