Visit the Chilterns : West Wycombe

Share this page

West Wycombe

West Wycombe Village Blink and you might miss it! This tiny, one-street medieval village in West Wycombe is a real Chilterns gem.

Adjacent to the neo-classical landscaped West Wycombe gardens, cobbled coaching inns archways and the sweetest of traditional sweet shops, West Wycombe village sits above a network of chalk caves renowned for debauchery and mysterious rituals led by Sir Francis Dashwood and his 18^th century Hell-Fire Club.

Uniquely, the village of West Wycombe is owned and maintained by the National Trust, noticeable by the well-preserved facings of original 16^th – 18^th century buildings lining the High Street. The Traditional Sweet Shop is a popular fixture among the local shops along with The Apple Orchard for its one-of-a-kind gifts and homewares. The Church Loft is the oldest remaining medieval structure in the village; within its bell turret the original clock mechanism dating back to 1668 chimes. Some of the original timber framing, sourced from local Chiltern woodland, can be seen along this important coaching stop on the historic route to Oxford. No fewer than seven inns and alehouses thrived in a village that had only 67 houses! Today there are three, and notably the George and Dragon offers good ales and pub meals to weary visitors. They might also tell you a ghost story if you didn’t get your fill at the caves.

What to see in West Wycombe

Rake and reprobate Sir Francis, 2^nd baronet of the Dashwood family, puts the modern ‘gap year’ to shame, having returned from his grand tour of Continental Europe with an insatiable taste for expensive art, sumptuous architecture and mysterious drinking rituals.

West Wycombe House Regularly used as a location for lavish period films and TV productions including Downton Abbey, West Wycombe Park and its Palladian mansion belonging to the Dashwoods are often described as one of the most theatrical estates in England. Both the park and house are managed by the National Trust.

On the imposing Church Hill, junction of the Wye and Saunderton valleys and once home to an Iron Age settlement, stands the striking if not flamboyant Dashwood Mausoleum and Golden Ball. The impressive hexagonal structure of the mausoleum is open to the skies and its design was based on the Constantine Arch in Rome. Formerly a medieval church, St. Lawrence Church received the Sir Francis makeover including a hollow golden ball atop the tower which could seat 8-10. It was described by author John Wilkes as ‘the best globe tavern I was ever in’.

Hellfire Caves Down below, the Hell Fire Caves were dug out by hand in the 1750s to provide employment for out-of-work farmhands. The caves became a meeting place for his infamous Hell-Fire Club (boasting members such as the Earl of Sandwich and Benjamin Franklin), which was legendary for its debauchery and ritualistic antics. Said to be haunted, the chalk passages of the caves plunge deep into the hillside and lead to the scene of the former revels in the Banqueting Hall and Inner Temple.

Into the Countryside

Bradenham - cricket on the green Walk through the countryside estates of West Wycombe, Bradenham, Naphill Common and Hughenden – these easy walks deliver the seasonal colour of the beech woods and bluebells, and fantastic views. A children's quiz accompanies the Hughenden and Downley Walk and there is also a downloadable sheet on its historic, geological and archaeological features. This walk can be reached by train, from Saunderton on the Chiltern Line.

Winter visitors can enjoy Snowdrop Walks on the West Wycombe estate, whilst spring brings the popular lambing days at nearby Ham Farm over the Easter weekend. The summer season features a village fete on the hill and open air performances in music and theatre in the park.

What to see Further Afield

Pann Mill Watermill is set in a beautiful water and wildlife garden on The Rye in High Wycombe’s town centre, Pann Mill is the last operating watermill on the River Wye, with history dating back to the Domesday census of 1086. Preserving the original machinery, the present-day mill was restored by the High Wycombe Society, a volunteer-run charity. Open Days occur three times per year (May, July, September) when visitors can see the watermill in action and buy the stoneground wholemeal flour milled from local wheat.

Wycombe Museum is the place to learn about the 19th-century chair making industry with so-called 'bodgers' worked in the beechwoods and crafted parts for the famous Windsor chair, one of several different styles of regional chairs on display. The collection also displays tools used by the bodgers and in local factories and workshops, together with documents and catalogues illustrating Ercol, G-Plan and other well-known ranges of furniture.

Where to stay

George and Dragon

To choose a place to stay, use our interactive map of accommodation in the Chilterns and browse the Visit Buckinghamshire website.

Choices in West Wycombe itself include the George & Dragon, a beautiful Grade 11 Listed Coaching Inn on the High Street, with 11 rooms.

Getting here

By train: the closest station is Saunderton, 3 miles from West Wycombe. Journey time from London Marylebone is 35-40 minutes on Chiltern Railways mainline.
By road: West Wycombe is 34 miles from London. The AA Classic Route Planner will provide a tailor-made route.

Visitor information

For current events and village information, the village website is here.

Hellfire on a Hill

Sir Francis was a very busy man; building roads, a fine country house, church, mausoleum, an elaborate cave system where he entertained, all using local materials hewn from the hillside that legend has it has been inhabited since…well, forever. The church was named St Lawrence, as all churches are, that supersede places of pagan worship, and seems to retain elements of its ‘sense of place’ as it includes a golden ball that rises above the tower with space for six Georgian party-goers inside. Read more from our blog...

Visit the Chilterns