about

History

Little Marlow is mentioned in the Domesday Book., but long before that, there were people dwelling in the area and earthworks in Bloom Wood bear evidence of this fact. There were large manors, the Abbey at Well End, dissolved during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and large estates. Many of the farms are of interest  and their buildings have been here since the 17th or 18th centuries.

Other dates that seem important are the Enclosure Award of 1821 and the sale of the estate in 1917.  Enclosure was not such a big event in Little Marlow as in villages of the midlands to the north of the Chilterns.  Fields, or closes, had been fenced off from medieval times in the hillier parts of the parish, but there were still common fields where strip farming was practised.  Most of these were  allocated to the farmers who rented the majority of their land from the Estates, (the Little Marlow estate and the Carrington estate), but there may have been humbler folk who were able to exercise their right to cultivate a piece of the common fields.  The enclosure seems to have been a legalised land grab by the incumbent of Little Marlow Estate, Sir George Nugent!

The Abbotsbrook Estate is of interest. Robert Haden-Tebb purchased the old Abbey lands at the close of the 19th Century and built a garden estate, selling his houses as country homes to people from the city. It still retains its charm and sylvan setting.

The Parish Council was formed on 13th December 1894 with the Rev. A.S. Thompson as Chairman, and Mr. J. Yates as Clerk.

We have a history group who meet on an occasional basis, and we have several documents of interest to historians.

 

Quality Status

Little Marlow Parish Council was awarded Quality Status in September 2004, and was re-accredited in January 2009.

The Council has met all the requirements for Quality Status required by Government.

 

Devolved Powers

In January 2009, Little Marlow Parish Council took on Devolved Powers from Buckinghamshire County Council. These are:

Granting Permission for Temporary Event Signage, and removal of Unauthorised Signs and Fly-Posting

Issuing of Hedge Cutting Notices

Notification of Dangerous Vegetation under Section 154 (1) Highways Act 1980

Cleaning of Road Signs and Minor Traffic Sign Repairs

Checking for Obstructions on Pavements and Footpaths

 

More Information

List of Chairmen and Clerks of Little Marlow Parish Council since 1894

You can find more information about Little Marlow by visiting the Village Website