{{Short description|Civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox UK place |country = England |coordinates = {{coord|51.7062|-0.7780|display=inline,title}} |official_name= Great and Little Hampden |civil_parish= |population= 259 |population_ref= (2001 Census)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=792151&c=Great+and+Little+hampden&d=16&e=15&g=425261&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1216420991665&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |title=Neighbourhood Statistics 2001 Census |access-date=18 July 2008 |archive-date=22 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122081426/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=792151&c=Great+and+Little+hampden&d=16&e=15&g=425261&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1216420991665&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br> 300 (2011 Census)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11123991&c=Great+and+Little+Hampden&d=16&e=62&g=6404878&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1479752804984&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=21 November 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|archive-date=22 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122082848/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11123991&c=Great+and+Little+Hampden&d=16&e=62&g=6404878&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1479752804984&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> |unitary_england = [[Buckinghamshire Council|Buckinghamshire]] |lieutenancy_england = [[Buckinghamshire]] |region= South East England |constituency_westminster= [[Mid Buckinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Buckinghamshire]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Location of Mid Buckinghamshire |url= https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/4175/location |website=parliament.uk |date=July 2024 |access-date=21 July 2025}}</ref> |post_town= GREAT MISSENDEN |postcode_district= HP16 |postcode_area= HP |dial_code= 01494 |static_image_name= Gt Hampden Church.jpg |static_image_caption= Great Hampden Church |os_grid_reference= SP845015 }} '''Great and Little Hampden''' is a [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in [[Buckinghamshire]], England, about three miles south-east of [[Princes Risborough]]. It incorporates the villages of '''Great Hampden''' and '''Little Hampden''', and the [[hamlet (place)|hamlets]] of '''[[Green Hailey]]''' and '''[[Hampden Row]]'''. Great Hampden is the ancestral home of the Hobart-Hampden family, the most famous of whom was the [[English Civil War]] protagonist [[John Hampden]].<ref name="JH1911">{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Hampden, John|volume=12|page=900}}</ref>
==History== The villages were first mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, when they were jointly called ''Hamdena'' after the owners of the local manor.<ref name="Domesday">{{cite web|url=http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/buckinghamshire2.html|title=Buckinghamshire F-M|work=The Domesday Book Online|year=2010|access-date=2010-09-21}}</ref>
By the 14th century 'Hamdena' was split into the two villages,<ref name="Domesday" /> Great Hampden at the top of one hill and Little Hampden on the next hill, with the lush [[arable land]] forming the rest of the two parishes spread out in the valley between them. It was also at about this time that [[Hampden House]], the house belonging to the Hobart-Hampden family was rebuilt.<ref name="BHOnline">{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62773|title=Great Hampden|publisher=University of London & History of Parliament Trust|work=British History Online|year=2010|access-date=2010-09-21}}</ref>
After the death of John Hampden, a cross was erected just above the lane that leads from Hampden House to the nearby village of [[Prestwood]]. Where the cross stands is reputed to be the spot where John Hampden stood when he first refused to pay the [[Ship Money]] tax in 1636. However the nearby village of [[Great Kimble]] also claims to be the place where he refused to pay the tax. From the cross there is a view of the [[Chiltern Hills]].
[[File:24-27 Great Hampden, February 2005.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Cottages in Great Hampden]] Hampden himself is buried at the church in Great Hampden, in an unmarked grave. His first wife had a stone tablet in her honour erected in the [[chancel]]. In the 19th century the floor below this tablet was lifted and a body exhumed which was missing its hand and had had its shoulder dislocated. Due to the nature of Hampden's death at the [[Battle of Chalgrove Field]] near [[Thame]] (he died as a result of an injury to his arm and shoulder) this was assumed to be the body of Hampden himself; however this assumption has since been challenged by other historians.
Great Hampden church stands a mile or so from the village. Its isolation made it an attractive location for some scenes in the 1970 film [[Cromwell (film)|Cromwell]]. In more modern times Hampden House was used extensively by the [[Hammer Horror|Hammer]] [[film studio]]s as the perfect gothic backdrop for many of their films.
The nave of Little Hampden Church was built in the 13th Century and a distinctive [[half timbered]] porch was added in the 15th century. There are 13th century wall paintings of saints inside that were discovered in 1907, however they are incomplete due to a major rebuild of the chancel in 1859. Opposite the church is Manor Farm which is white plastered.
== See also == * [[Hampden, Massachusetts]]
== Gallery == <gallery> File:Little Hampden Church.JPG|Little Hampden Church </gallery>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Great and Little Hampden}} * [https://greatandlittlehampdenparishcouncil.gov.uk/ Great and Little Hampden Parish Council] * [http://www.greathampden.org.uk St Mary Magdalene's, Great Hampden]
=== Map links === *Great Hampden {{gbmapping|SP845015}} *Little Hampden {{gbmappingsmall|SP859037}}
{{Wycombe}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Villages in Buckinghamshire]] [[Category:Civil parishes in Buckinghamshire]]