Missenden Abbey is a wedding and conference venue located in the picturesque village of Great Missenden.
The abbey was founded by Augustinian monks in 1133, and dissolved in 1538. The church was demolished soon after, but a country house was built around the cloister in 1574. The house was rebuilt from over the years, attaining it's present "Gothick" form in the early 19th Century.
Its last family owners sold it to Buckingham County Council in 1946 for use as a college. The building was badly damaged by fire in 1985 and subsequently rebuilt. It was acquired by Buckingham New University in the 1990s.
The main building retains much of its character externally, but internally the gothic style has been reproduced with clean, modern lines and light wood, and so feels much like any other conference venue, albeit with some impressively spacious rooms.
There are several substantial annexes with guest accommodation and more meeting rooms, all with the feel of a 1980s higher education institution - lots of glass, wood, endless corridors and little planted courtyards. Bedrooms are comfortable and modern.
I only had one set of meals there: nice enough, but fairly average conference fare. Staff were charming and very obliging throughout.
The grounds are nice, albeit less extensive than you might expect for a former country house, but come with sweeping views east over open countryside.
There's on site parking and the venue is a ten minute walk from Great Missenden railway station. read more