Little Marlow
| Little Marlow | |
|---|---|
St John the Baptist parish church | |
Little Marlow Location within Buckinghamshire | |
| Population | 1,331 [1] 1,438 (2011 Census)[2] |
| OS grid reference | SU8788 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Marlow |
| Postcode district | SL7 |
| Dialling code | 01628 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Buckinghamshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Little Marlow is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England.
History
The Church of England parish church of Saint John the Baptist lies at the heart of the village, not far from the river and next to the Manor House. The original construction of the church is Norman, dating from the final years of the 12th century. Construction continued during the 14th, 15th, and early 16th centuries.[3]
Little Marlow was once the site of Little Marlow Priory, a Benedictine priory dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.[4] In 1536 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries,[5] it was transferred to Bisham Abbey, which was, in turn, dissolved in 1538.[6] The priory’s conventual hall stood until 1740 when it was demolished.[7]
Today the village is in a scenic location on the River Thames, although home to a large sewage works, with exceptional birdwatching habitats on the lakes created from former gravel extraction sites.
There are two public houses in the village: the Kings Head and the Queens Head.
Geography
Little Marlow is located along the north bank of the River Thames, about a mile east of Marlow. The toponym "Marlow" is derived from the Old English for "land remaining after the draining of a pool". In 1015 it was recorded as Merelafan. Little Marlow is surrounded by the Little Marlow Lakes Country Park.
Hamlets in the parish of Little Marlow include Coldmoorholme, Fern, Handy Cross, Sheepridge, and Winchbottom.
The village cottages are set around a large space, surrounded by lime trees, that is used as a cricket ground and village green where an annual fête is held.
Culture
Little Marlow appears briefly in Mary Shelley's 1826 science fiction novel The Last Man, in a sequence where the novel's protagonist recounts how the village's residents went about trying to prevent themselves from falling ill with the plague.
Mel B was a one-time resident of Little Marlow.[8]
In 2021, Little Marlow was used as a temporary filming location for the Star Wars series Andor.[9]
References
- ^ Neighbourhood Statistics 2001 Census
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ "Building record 0466800000 - St John the Baptist's Church, Little Marlow". Buckinghamshire's Heritage Portal. Buckinghamshire Council. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ^ Birch, Walter de Gray (1874). Account of the Nunnery of Little Marlow. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ^ Page, William. "'Houses of Benedictine Nuns: The Priory of Little Marlow' in A History of the County of Buckingham". British History Online. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ^ Page, William. "'Houses of Benedictine Nuns: The Priory of Little Marlow', in A History of the County of Buckingham".
- ^ "Historic England Research Records: Little Marlow Priory". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ^ "Spice Girl keeps her big day private". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ "Obi-Wan Kenobi Set Photos Show Massive Alien Planet Set". ScreenRant. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
External links
- Little Marlow Parish Council
- Little Marlow Cricket Club
- St John the Baptist, Little Marlow
- The King's Head public house
- The Queens Head public house
Media related to Little Marlow at Wikimedia Commons