Holmer Green
Encyclopedia
Historically, Holmer Green was a small hamlet
in the parish
of Little Missenden
, in Buckinghamshire
, England
. Today it is considered a village
in its own right even though it looks to the casual observer like a far corner of High Wycombe
. It is next to Hazlemere
, about three miles (5 km) south of Great Missenden
but unlike Hazlemere, Holmer Green is part of both Little Missenden parish and Chiltern District – a reflection of its origins which lie in Little Missenden.
of Holmer that covered a significant part of the parish of Little Missenden in the medieval period. The early history of the village is essentially one of people moving out of Little Missenden over the centuries and settling on a large area of heath (now vanished) known as Wycombe Heath or Holmer Heath. The 'Holmer' part of the name was first recorded as Holeme in 1208 and is probably Anglo Saxon
in origin. It is commonly thought to derive from 'mere in a hollow' which would refer to Holmer Pond. However there are certain factors which don't support this theory and the -mer element may actually translate to an old Saxon word meaning 'boundary'. The 'Green' part of the name refers to a large and ancient Green, probably dating from the 13th century that used to exist here but was reduced to a mere 4 acres (16,000 m²) in size in 1854.
The location of the original medieval manor house
of Holmer remains obscure, although local historians McLain-Smith and Riches have suggested its location at a moat
ed site in nearby Colemans Wood where they have excavated medieval pottery
.
The oldest houses are The Old Rookery, Hollands Farm and Penfold, all of which probably date from the early 16th century when the hamlet thrived due to sheep farming.
During the 19th century, Christina Rossetti
and Dante Gabriel Rossetti
visited their grandfather Gaetano Polidori
's house in the village. It is said that Christina received some of her poetic inspiration from the rural landscape.
In the hundred years between 1850 and 1950, the village became well-known locally for its cherry orchards, and there remain many references to orchards and cherries in road names and house names.
In 2008, the village formally celebrated 800 years of recorded settlement.
during that period.
The village has two centres: a commercial centre based around the shops and central crossroads; and a community-oriented centre based around The Common featuring two churches, the village hall
, a school, a pub, a children’s playground, and The Common itself.
Holmer Green's most desirable roads range from older roads like Watchet Lane and Penfold Lane through to newer developments like Mead Park. The village's most famous residents are television presenter Fern Britton
and her husband celebrity chef
Phil Vickery
.
Residents jealously guard the village's independence from the Wycombe
-based urban sprawl
next door. Maintenance of an independent community separate from the Wycombe conurbation
has been helped not only by the village's historic connections with the Missendens, Penn Street and Amersham
but also by the presence in the village of a full range of amenities including: pre-school
s; primary and secondary
schools; three different Christian denomination
churches (Anglican, Baptist
, Methodist); a GP practice; a dental practice; three pubs (The Bat and Ball, The Earl Howe and The Old Oak); two clubs (The British Legion and the Holmer Green Sports Association); and good sports facilities.
celebrated its centenary year in 2008 and there are numerous football teams for all age groups - male and female - that play on the four scaled football pitches and two mini pitches.
The grounds & facilities at HGSA in Watchet Lane have been used to host training sessions for England teams and for Wycombe Wanderers, and have recently been awarded F.A.
Community Charter status. Football matches and training sessions for some village teams are also held on The Common.
Other sports at HGSA are: a Tennis
club and facilities consisting of 3 tennis courts; a Squash club and courts; a Cricket
club and cricket square; and a Short Mat Bowls
club with a 3-rink outdoor green.
Surrounded as it is by Metropolitan Green Belt
countryside, Holmer Green village is well placed for walking
, horse riding, and cycling
- the Chiltern Heritage Cycling Trail runs right through the centre of the village.
A Fun fair sets up on The Common for several days in May and September. Scouts, Brownies/Girl Guides, and Boys' Brigade
groups also meet regularly in the village.
Holmer Green First school (ages 5–7) and Holmer Green Junior School (ages 7–11) are part of a cluster of local primary schools used by Holmer Green families. A significant proportion of villagers use the Holmer Green schools while others make use of spare places at Little Kingshill School
and the Church of England
schools at Penn Street and Great Kingshill
.
In 2006, Holmer Green Junior School led this cluster of schools at Key Stage 2
and came joint-tenth in the county for aggregated score. Previously, Little Kingshill School
led the group. All four primary schools are consistently in the top half of KS2 results in Buckinghamshire.
Most Holmer Green children who are not selected for grammar school
under Buckinghamshire’s 11+ selective system go to either Holmer Green Senior School
or to the Sir William Ramsay School
which share a common catchment area. A smaller number go to the Misbourne School
and the Amersham School
despite both being out of catchment.
Local pupils selected for grammar school at age 11 – about a third of all those who sit the test – have traditionally attended Amersham and Chesham
schools: Dr Challoner's Grammar School
(boys), Dr Challoner's High School
(girls) and Chesham Grammar School (mixed). New catchment areas were implemented by Buckinghamshire Local Education Authority in 2004 so that selected pupils may now attend The Royal Grammar School
(boys), Beaconsfield High School
(girls), or Wycombe High School
(girls). Some selected pupils still choose to attend Chesham Grammar School and John Hampden Grammar School
(boys) despite both now being out of catchment. In recent years, Year 7 children who qualify for grammar school under Bucks' late transfer procedure (known colloquially as "The 12+") have been able to win places at Chesham Grammar School.
A number of independent schools
are available in nearby villages and towns. The Gateway School (primary), the Claires Court School
s (for which there is a coach to & from Holmer Green) and Pipers Corner School
(primary and secondary girls) are popular with villagers who choose the independent sector.
It is said that Holmer Green people enjoy an unusually wide choice of schools.
Holmer Green is near the A404
, a main road which connects junctions of the M4
, M40
and M25
.
Being only a short drive from both Amersham to the east, and High Wycombe to the south-west, the village is suitably located for commuting
into London by fast mainline railway on the Chiltern line
which takes about 40 minutes, or on the Metropolitan line
which is slower. Consequently, some of the working population commute to London every day. The proportion of London commuters is however lower than some surrounding villages – most villagers work in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire
or Hertfordshire
. The village is about 25 minutes drive from London Heathrow Airport
and an hour's drive from Gatwick
, Luton
, and Stansted
airports.
Regular bus services operated by Arriva Shires & Essex
connect Holmer Green to High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham, Berkhamsted
, and Hemel Hempstead
; Carousel Buses
also serve the village.
Holmer Green has long elected two Conservative
district councillors to the Conservative-run Chiltern District Council. Holmer Green is also represented by Conservatives at County, Parliamentary and European levels.
Holmer Green has been part of Chesham and Amersham Parliamentary Constituency since its creation in 1974. Between 1950 and 1974, the village formed part of the larger South Buckinghamshire constituency, and prior to 1950, it was a part of the historic Aylesbury constituency
. As such, the village was last represented by a non-Conservative in 1923, when the Liberal
Thomas Keens
was elected.
It is not however 100% accurate to say that Holmer Green has never been represented by a Labour
MP. Until quite recently, the far south-west corner of Holmer Green around the appropriately-named Wycombe Road was actually a part of Hughenden
parish, Wycombe District and therefore Wycombe constituency
. This peculiarity had resulted from the village's steady growth towards Hazlemere and across an old Hundred and parish boundary. Between 1945 and 1951, Wycombe and therefore a handful of Holmer Green houses were represented by Labour MP John Edwin Haire.
The peculiarity was addressed and the village finally unified inside Little Missenden parish, Chiltern District and Chesham and Amersham constituency following the movement of the administrative boundary to the top of Sawpit Hill in 1987.
The 2011 proposals for parliamentary constituency boundary changes has kept Holmer Green in Chesham and Amersham constituency.
As of the 2001 UK census, the Holmer Green electoral ward had a population of 4,077. The ethnicity was 97.8% white, 0.5% mixed race, 1.1% Asian, 0.4% black and 0.2% other. The place of birth of residents was 95.6% United Kingdom, 0.5% Republic of Ireland, 0.9% other Western European countries, and 3% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 77.8% Christian, 0.2% Buddhist, 0% Hindu, 0.2% Sikh, 0.3% Jewish, and 0.6% Muslim. 14% were recorded as having no religion, 0.1% had an alternative religion and 7% did not state their religion.
The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 39.9% in full-time employment, 14.1% in part-time employment, 12.5% self-employed, 1.7% unemployed, 2.5% students with jobs, 2.8% students without jobs, 16.4% retired, 7.3% looking after home or family, 1.7% permanently sick or disabled and 1.2% economically inactive for other reasons. The industry of employment of residents was 17% retail, 15.6% manufacturing, 7.9% construction, 19.5% real estate, 9.1% health and social work, 6.9% education, 5.6% transport and communications, 4.1% public administration, 2.6% hotels and restaurants, 3.8% finance, 1.1% agriculture and 6.8% other. Compared with national figures, the ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in real estate and construction. There were a relatively low proportion in public administration, hotels and restaurants. Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 21.5% had a higher education
qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Little Missenden
Little Missenden
Little Missenden is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, about three miles south east of Great Missenden, three miles west of Amersham.The toponym "Missenden" is derived from the Old English for "valley where marsh plants grow"...
, in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Today it is considered a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in its own right even though it looks to the casual observer like a far corner of High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
. It is next to Hazlemere
Hazlemere
Hazlemere is a suburb of High Wycombe and a civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is to the north east of the town along the A404 in the direction of Amersham....
, about three miles (5 km) south of Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
but unlike Hazlemere, Holmer Green is part of both Little Missenden parish and Chiltern District – a reflection of its origins which lie in Little Missenden.
History
Holmer Green is named after the manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Holmer that covered a significant part of the parish of Little Missenden in the medieval period. The early history of the village is essentially one of people moving out of Little Missenden over the centuries and settling on a large area of heath (now vanished) known as Wycombe Heath or Holmer Heath. The 'Holmer' part of the name was first recorded as Holeme in 1208 and is probably Anglo Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
in origin. It is commonly thought to derive from 'mere in a hollow' which would refer to Holmer Pond. However there are certain factors which don't support this theory and the -mer element may actually translate to an old Saxon word meaning 'boundary'. The 'Green' part of the name refers to a large and ancient Green, probably dating from the 13th century that used to exist here but was reduced to a mere 4 acres (16,000 m²) in size in 1854.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
of Holmer remains obscure, although local historians McLain-Smith and Riches have suggested its location at a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
ed site in nearby Colemans Wood where they have excavated medieval pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
.
The oldest houses are The Old Rookery, Hollands Farm and Penfold, all of which probably date from the early 16th century when the hamlet thrived due to sheep farming.
During the 19th century, Christina Rossetti
Christina Rossetti
Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children's poems...
and Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, painter and translator. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 with William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais, and was later to be the main inspiration for a second generation of artists and writers influenced by the movement,...
visited their grandfather Gaetano Polidori
Gaetano Polidori
Gaetano Polidori was an Italian writer and scholar living in London. He was the son of Agostino Ansano Polidori , a physician and poet who lived and practised in his native Bientina, near Pisa, Tuscany....
's house in the village. It is said that Christina received some of her poetic inspiration from the rural landscape.
In the hundred years between 1850 and 1950, the village became well-known locally for its cherry orchards, and there remain many references to orchards and cherries in road names and house names.
In 2008, the village formally celebrated 800 years of recorded settlement.
Social and Community
The village was subjected to a wave of housing development during the 1960s and early 1970s and now has about 4,000 inhabitants (almost double that of nearby Great Missenden). The big individual developments of the 1960s and 1970s included an expanded range of shops around Turners Place, the Winter's Way estate, the Fox Road and Harries Way estate and the Holmer Court estate (Clementi Avenue). A significant number of newcomers to the village came from MiddlesexMiddlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
during that period.
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, a school, a pub, a children’s playground, and The Common itself.
Holmer Green's most desirable roads range from older roads like Watchet Lane and Penfold Lane through to newer developments like Mead Park. The village's most famous residents are television presenter Fern Britton
Fern Britton
Fern Britton is an English television presenter, known as the former main co-presenter on the ITV magazine programme This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield. She left the show on 17 July 2009, her 52nd birthday.- Early life :...
and her husband celebrity chef
Celebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...
Phil Vickery
Phil Vickery (chef)
Philip Vickery is an English celebrity chef.-Biography:Vickery followed Gary Rhodes as Head Chef of the Castle Hotel, Taunton, which at the time held a Michelin Star. It lost its Michelin status under Vickery, but retained its 4 AA rosettes, while he gained the AA Chef of the Year...
.
Residents jealously guard the village's independence from the Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
-based urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
next door. Maintenance of an independent community separate from the Wycombe conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
has been helped not only by the village's historic connections with the Missendens, Penn Street and Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
but also by the presence in the village of a full range of amenities including: pre-school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s; primary and secondary
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
schools; three different Christian denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
churches (Anglican, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Methodist); a GP practice; a dental practice; three pubs (The Bat and Ball, The Earl Howe and The Old Oak); two clubs (The British Legion and the Holmer Green Sports Association); and good sports facilities.
Sport and recreation
The sporting activities hosted by the Holmer Green Sports Association (HGSA) are an important feature of village life. Football is particularly popular and very well established: Holmer Green F.C.Holmer Green F.C.
Holmer Green F.C. are a football club based at Holmer Green near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. They were established in 1908 and were founder members of the Chiltonian League in 1984...
celebrated its centenary year in 2008 and there are numerous football teams for all age groups - male and female - that play on the four scaled football pitches and two mini pitches.
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
Community Charter status. Football matches and training sessions for some village teams are also held on The Common.
Other sports at HGSA are: a Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
club and facilities consisting of 3 tennis courts; a Squash club and courts; a Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club and cricket square; and a Short Mat Bowls
Short mat bowls
-History:The Short Mat Bowls game was first played in Wales by two South Africans who came to work in the area. They had played bowls outdoors in South Africa and, perhaps due to the poor climate and the long close season in this country, they began to play a simulation of the outdoor game on a...
club with a 3-rink outdoor green.
Surrounded as it is by Metropolitan Green Belt
Metropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
countryside, Holmer Green village is well placed for walking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, horse riding, and cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
- the Chiltern Heritage Cycling Trail runs right through the centre of the village.
A Fun fair sets up on The Common for several days in May and September. Scouts, Brownies/Girl Guides, and Boys' Brigade
Boys' Brigade
For the 80s New Wave band from Canada, see Boys Brigade .The Boys' Brigade is an interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values...
groups also meet regularly in the village.
Places of interest
- Holmer Green Miniature Railway run by the High Wycombe Model Engineering Club
- Penn Wood - a 450 acres (1.8 km²) woodland on Holmer Green's southern fringe managed by the Woodland TrustWoodland TrustThe Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
Education
Holmer Green has several pre-school settings including: Holmer Green Methodist Pre-School; the Cherry Tree Pre-School; the Village Centre Pre-School; and Playmates Day Nursery.Holmer Green First school (ages 5–7) and Holmer Green Junior School (ages 7–11) are part of a cluster of local primary schools used by Holmer Green families. A significant proportion of villagers use the Holmer Green schools while others make use of spare places at Little Kingshill School
Little Kingshill School
Little Kingshill Combined School is a co-educational primary combined school located on Windsor Lane in the village of Little Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England. It was established in 1887 as a village nursery school, but expanded to its current combined status from the 1960s onwards...
and the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
schools at Penn Street and Great Kingshill
Great Kingshill
Great Kingshill and Little Kingshill are small villages in the parishes of Hughenden and Little Missenden respectively in Buckinghamshire, England. They are located in the Chiltern Hills, about five miles west of Amersham and two and a half miles south of Great Missenden.The village name...
.
In 2006, Holmer Green Junior School led this cluster of schools at Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when pupils are aged between 7 and 11. The term is applied differently in Northern Ireland where it refers to pupils in Year 5, Year 6 and...
and came joint-tenth in the county for aggregated score. Previously, Little Kingshill School
Little Kingshill School
Little Kingshill Combined School is a co-educational primary combined school located on Windsor Lane in the village of Little Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England. It was established in 1887 as a village nursery school, but expanded to its current combined status from the 1960s onwards...
led the group. All four primary schools are consistently in the top half of KS2 results in Buckinghamshire.
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
under Buckinghamshire’s 11+ selective system go to either Holmer Green Senior School
Holmer Green Senior School
Holmer Green Senior School is a mixed secondary modern or 'upper school' in Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 860 pupils...
or to the Sir William Ramsay School
Sir William Ramsay School
Sir William Ramsay School is a co-educational secondary school in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire. It is takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18 with a total of approximately 1,000 pupils attending. The school shares a common catchment area with the nearby Holmer Green Senior School...
which share a common catchment area. A smaller number go to the Misbourne School
Misbourne School
The Misbourne School is a co-educational secondary school in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,225 pupils.- History :...
and the Amersham School
Amersham School
Amersham School is a mixed secondary school in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. In September 2011 the school became an Academy.. It takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18 and has approximately 850 pupils....
despite both being out of catchment.
Local pupils selected for grammar school at age 11 – about a third of all those who sit the test – have traditionally attended Amersham and Chesham
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
schools: Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Dr Challoner's Grammar School, often abbreviated to DCGS, is an Academy Grammar School of approximately 1,300 boys located in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England....
(boys), Dr Challoner's High School
Dr Challoner's High School
Dr Challoner's High School, abbreviated to DCHS, is a grammar school for girls between the ages of 11 and 18, located in Buckinghamshire, England. In August 2011 the school became an Academy....
(girls) and Chesham Grammar School (mixed). New catchment areas were implemented by Buckinghamshire Local Education Authority in 2004 so that selected pupils may now attend The Royal Grammar School
Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
See Royal Grammar School for the other schools with the name RGS.The Royal Grammar School High Wycombe is a selective grammar school situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. As a state school it does not charge fees for students to attend, but they must pass an entrance exam...
(boys), Beaconsfield High School
Beaconsfield High School
Beaconsfield High School is a girls' grammar school in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. It is a Foundation School, which takes girls from the age of 11 through to the age of 18...
(girls), or Wycombe High School
Wycombe High School
Wycombe High School is a girls' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. It is an Academy, taking girls from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,340 pupils...
(girls). Some selected pupils still choose to attend Chesham Grammar School and John Hampden Grammar School
John Hampden Grammar School
John Hampden Grammar School is a boys' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after politician and English Civil War participant John Hampden.-History:...
(boys) despite both now being out of catchment. In recent years, Year 7 children who qualify for grammar school under Bucks' late transfer procedure (known colloquially as "The 12+") have been able to win places at Chesham Grammar School.
A number of independent schools
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
are available in nearby villages and towns. The Gateway School (primary), the Claires Court School
Claires Court School
Claires Court School is a co-educational independent school situated in Maidenhead in Berkshire.- History :Founded in 1960 by David and Josephine Wilding, as a day and boarding school for boys aged 7 to 13, Claires Court grew quickly to 200 pupils from the early 1970s...
s (for which there is a coach to & from Holmer Green) and Pipers Corner School
Pipers Corner School
Pipers Corner School is an independent day and boarding school for girls in Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England.There are 580 pupils aged from 3 to 18 years...
(primary and secondary girls) are popular with villagers who choose the independent sector.
It is said that Holmer Green people enjoy an unusually wide choice of schools.
Transport
A404 road
The A404 is a road in the United Kingdom that starts at Paddington in London and leads to Maidenhead in Berkshire.The road initially follows a course through London and its suburbs including Harlesden, Wembley, Harrow Pinner, and Rickmansworth...
, a main road which connects junctions of the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
, M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
and M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
.
Being only a short drive from both Amersham to the east, and High Wycombe to the south-west, the village is suitably located for commuting
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
into London by fast mainline railway on the Chiltern line
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
which takes about 40 minutes, or on the Metropolitan line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
which is slower. Consequently, some of the working population commute to London every day. The proportion of London commuters is however lower than some surrounding villages – most villagers work in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
or Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. The village is about 25 minutes drive from London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
and an hour's drive from Gatwick
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
, Luton
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
, and Stansted
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
airports.
Regular bus services operated by Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
connect Holmer Green to High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham, Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted
-Climate:Berkhamsted experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Castle:...
, and Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
; Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses is an independent bus company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England which operates a network of local and inter-urban bus services.-History:Carousel Buses was formed in 2000...
also serve the village.
Politics and Public Administration
Six parish councillors represent Holmer Green on Little Missenden's ten-seat parish council which has offices at Rossetti Hall in Holmer Green. The councillors are formally independent of political parties.Holmer Green has long elected two Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
district councillors to the Conservative-run Chiltern District Council. Holmer Green is also represented by Conservatives at County, Parliamentary and European levels.
Holmer Green has been part of Chesham and Amersham Parliamentary Constituency since its creation in 1974. Between 1950 and 1974, the village formed part of the larger South Buckinghamshire constituency, and prior to 1950, it was a part of the historic Aylesbury constituency
Aylesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Aylesbury is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The Conservative Party has held the seat since 1924, and held it at the 2010 general election with a 52.2% share of the vote.-Boundaries:...
. As such, the village was last represented by a non-Conservative in 1923, when the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Thomas Keens
Thomas Keens
Sir Thomas Keens was a British Liberal later National Liberal politician and accountant.-Family and education:Keens was born in Luton, Bedfordshire the son of Thomas and Emma Keens . He was educated privately in Luton and went into business in the town...
was elected.
It is not however 100% accurate to say that Holmer Green has never been represented by a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP. Until quite recently, the far south-west corner of Holmer Green around the appropriately-named Wycombe Road was actually a part of Hughenden
Hughenden Valley
Hughenden Valley is an extensive village and civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England, just to the north of High Wycombe...
parish, Wycombe District and therefore Wycombe constituency
Wycombe (UK Parliament constituency)
Wycombe is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It currently elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of elections....
. This peculiarity had resulted from the village's steady growth towards Hazlemere and across an old Hundred and parish boundary. Between 1945 and 1951, Wycombe and therefore a handful of Holmer Green houses were represented by Labour MP John Edwin Haire.
The peculiarity was addressed and the village finally unified inside Little Missenden parish, Chiltern District and Chesham and Amersham constituency following the movement of the administrative boundary to the top of Sawpit Hill in 1987.
The 2011 proposals for parliamentary constituency boundary changes has kept Holmer Green in Chesham and Amersham constituency.
Demography
| Holmer Green compared | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK Census | Holmer Green ward | Chiltern borough | England |
| Population | 4,077 | 89,228 | 49,138,831 |
| Foreign born | 4.4% | 9.3% | 9.2% |
| White | 97.8% | 95.5% | 90.9% |
| Asian | 1.1% | 2.8% | 4.6% |
| Black | 0.4% | 0.3% | 2.3% |
| Christian | 77.8% | 74.7% | 71.7% |
| Muslim | 0.6% | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Hindu | 0.0% | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| No religion | 14.0% | 15.0% | 14.6% |
| Unemployed | 1.7% | 1.7% | 3.3% |
| Retired | 16.4% | 14.6% | 13.5% |
As of the 2001 UK census, the Holmer Green electoral ward had a population of 4,077. The ethnicity was 97.8% white, 0.5% mixed race, 1.1% Asian, 0.4% black and 0.2% other. The place of birth of residents was 95.6% United Kingdom, 0.5% Republic of Ireland, 0.9% other Western European countries, and 3% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 77.8% Christian, 0.2% Buddhist, 0% Hindu, 0.2% Sikh, 0.3% Jewish, and 0.6% Muslim. 14% were recorded as having no religion, 0.1% had an alternative religion and 7% did not state their religion.
The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 39.9% in full-time employment, 14.1% in part-time employment, 12.5% self-employed, 1.7% unemployed, 2.5% students with jobs, 2.8% students without jobs, 16.4% retired, 7.3% looking after home or family, 1.7% permanently sick or disabled and 1.2% economically inactive for other reasons. The industry of employment of residents was 17% retail, 15.6% manufacturing, 7.9% construction, 19.5% real estate, 9.1% health and social work, 6.9% education, 5.6% transport and communications, 4.1% public administration, 2.6% hotels and restaurants, 3.8% finance, 1.1% agriculture and 6.8% other. Compared with national figures, the ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in real estate and construction. There were a relatively low proportion in public administration, hotels and restaurants. Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 21.5% had a higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.
External links
- Photos of Holmer Green past and present
- Holmer Green and Penn Street churches
- Little Missenden Parish Council
- Little Missenden Parish Church
- Holmer Green Sports Association
- Holmer Green Squash & Racketball Club
- Holmer Green Football Club
- Holmer Green First School
- Holmer Green Junior School
- Holmer Green Senior School
- Holmergreenparents.info school choice website
- Holmer Green Players
- Holmer Green Methodist Pre-School