Grendon Underwood

Prehistoric items found in Grendon Underwood were a Neolithic stone axe-head found in the garden of a bungalow on the High Street and a flint scraper found in the grounds of Springhill Prison. This is unusual for this part of Buckinghamshire and it would be interesting to find any other evidence of prehistoric activity.

Roadworks in the early 20^th century at Ham Green uncovered Roman pottery, tile and metalwork and a local archaeologist then undertook some excavation trenches. The results suggested that this was the site of a settlement in the 3^rd or 4^th century AD. Recent work on a pipeline nearby has uncovered a Roman building. This is not too surprising a find as the Roman road known as Akeman Street (now the A41) passes through the parish on its way from London to Cirencester.

Grendon Underwood is recorded in Domesday and was part of Bernwood Forest from before that time. Bernwood had been a hunting forest from the time of Edward the Confessor. It grew to its largest extent under Henry II. The whole area was not covered by woods; in the medieval period a forest was a place where deer roamed for hunting and so included open land, villages and fields. All those who lived in the forest were not allowed to hunt or even gather wood without a special licence from the king. Bernwood Forest was finally disafforested in the reign of James I in 1635, although it had been shrinking in size since the time of King John (1199-1216).

Some medieval sites are recorded in historic documents. There is a record of 30 trees being cut for a windmill at Grendon Underwood in 1234, which is also recorded as late as 1758 but not afterwards. It was probably in the field named Mill Hill. Other medieval sites are only known from earthworks, such as the moats north-west and north of the church that may have surrounded houses. There are also earthworks of a larger medieval village east of the Grange, south of the Mission Hall and both east and west of the church. There is both a 16^th century record of a fishpond belonging to Thomas Piggott and recent knowledge of a fishpond near Woodland Farm that survived until it was bulldozed around 1945. Medieval pottery and footings of a possible building were found around Manor Farm in groundworks in the 1970s. There is also a great deal of ridge-and-furrow, the preserved remains of medieval farming methods, around the parish.

St Leonard’s church is the oldest standing building in the parish. It dates back to the 12^th century in places and contains a lovely 13^th century doorway on the south side. The tower was built in the 15^th century and the whole church was restored in 1866 and 1902. Shakespeare Farmhouse used to be the Ship Inn and is said to have been the place Shakespeare stayed on his way from Stratford to London and possibly where he wrote Midsummer’s Night Dream. Crucks Cottage on the High Street was originally a 15^th century cruck-built house but was remodelled in the 17^th century. Minstrel Cottage may also be 15^th century, but has also been altered in later centuries. Other listed buildings in the parish date to the 17^th century, such as Lower Greatmoor Farm or Daffodil Cottage or the 18^th century, such as Primrose Cottage or The Old Rectory. Grendon Hall is 19^th century in date and has now been turned into offices for Springhill Prison. It was used as a radio station in the Second World War.

A railway was built between Grendon Underwood and Ashendon in the early 20^th century. One of the most recent additions to the parish was the decoy shelter south of Gubbinshole Farm. It was set up to prevent bombing of nearby Westcott  airfield and also acted as a practice bombing range.