Roald Dahl’s Grave

25 Sept

Nobody knows when the first church was built at Great Missenden, but there appears to have been one on, or near, the site of the present church when Missenden Abbey was founded in 1133. The current church of St Peter and St Paul primarily dates back to the 14th century, with significant enhancements made in the 15th century.

The church sits on a small hill above the village and is where author, Roald Dahl, is buried. From the Roald Dahl Centre, it is a pleasant walk along the High Street and left into Church Street, full of lovely old buildings, and then up the hill to the church. Dahl’s grave is in the graveyard to the left of the church, near the tree surrounded by benches.

Around the base, an inscription reads, ‘We have tears in our eyes As we wave our goodbyes, We so loved being with you, we three. So do please now and then Come and see us again, The Giraffe and the Pelly and me.’ From the benches, the BFG’s footprints lead to Dahl’s grave where many tributes and gifts adorn the area. When we last visited, a little forest of school pencils had been pushed into the earth.