Long Crendon is best explored through its architectural history and the routes within the village and surrounding area. Long Crendon Courthouse, the Church of St Mary and Notley Abbey represent different facets: a 15th-century building, a Grade I listed church and the remains of an Augustinian priory. Walking and riding routes offer another way to shape your stay alongside the historic buildings. If you are considering Long Crendon for a cultural stay, you will find specific themes here to help guide your choice of destination.
Notley Abbey: the priory’s history and visible remains
Notley Abbey was founded before 1162 as a house of Augustinian canons. The site is a scheduled monument and includes the Augustinian priory and a dovecote dating from after the priory’s dissolution. Visible remains include the abbot’s house and extensive remains of the western and southern claustral buildings. The earthworks also form part of the site’s historic character: these include fishponds, a kitchen garden and water channels.
On the Chearsley to Long Crendon Walk, you can reach the site of Notley Abbey via a public access route along a fenced path. The abbot’s house itself is private, so access to the site does not automatically mean access to the house. Check local access conditions before your visit. A circular route passes Notley Abbey, without requiring a particular route or a complete route description.
Courthouse and Church of St Mary
Long Crendon Courthouse was built in the 15th century. Its upper room served as a manor court. The building is a five-bay timber-framed structure with brick infill and a stone base. The five bays divide the timber structure into sections; bricks fill the spaces between them, while the base is made of stone. This means you can see both the building’s historic use and specific features of its construction in a single building. The National Trust bought the Courthouse in 1900 to save it from demolition.
The Church of St Mary is a Grade I listed building. Together with the Courthouse and the remains of Notley Abbey, it offers another focal point for a stay centred on historic buildings and history.
High Street and village character
Along the High Street, too, numerous traditional buildings shape the character of the village. They are built of brick, stone and timber, and have thatched or tiled roofs. This adds a wider sequence of different materials and roof types to the view of individual listed buildings. As you explore Long Crendon, you can take in both individual historic buildings and the streetscape as a whole.
Walking and cycling
There are numerous walking and riding routes in Long Crendon and the surrounding area. The Bernwood Jubilee Way is a 61-mile route for walking and cycling. It includes the individual Chearsley to Long Crendon Walk. The distance given refers to the Bernwood Jubilee Way as a whole, not automatically to the individual walk. On the named walk, a public access route along a fenced path leads to the site of Notley Abbey. Both a named individual route and access to the historic site are therefore relevant when planning your visit. Check the relevant path conditions and local access before setting out. Conditions on public paths can change.
Discover more destinations: Chalfont St Giles, Princes Risborough, Worminghall, Hazlemere, Great Missenden, Easington, Grendon Underwood, Loudwater
For the main travel overview: Buckinghamshire.
