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Land of the giant (Roald Dahl's, that is)
What's going for it? People searching for the birthplace of the BFG are often perplexed when they get off the train at Great Missenden: "Such a pretty place," they say, "chocolate box. Where did the wicked side of Roald Dahl come from?" Indeed, Great Missenden and Prestwood do look as if they've slipped off a brochure selling England to Chinese tourists. They film a lot of Midsomer Murders here. Ancient churches, beech woods, deep valleys, rolling Chiltern Hills, higgledy-piggledy streets. That's why Dahl chose to live here, ferreted away in his Writing Hut: the peace let his imagination roam. And, you can imagine, those deep, dark woods bred many a wicked monster. The peace pulled in Clement Attlee, the archetypical quiet man of politics, and commuters galore. A thousand secrets, you imagine, lie hidden behind those secluded high beech hedges.
The case against Such a peaceful place is about to be rocked: I wonder what names Dahl would have come up with for the mandarins proposing the High Speed Two rail line, potentially passing through? Don't mention it, unless you have half an hour to spare and a rubber ear for chewing off. But at least it will do something about the impenetrable house prices: this has been prime stockbroker belt for over a century.
Well connected? Terrific train links: two or three an hour to London Marylebone (46 mins) and to Aylesbury (15-19 mins).
Schools Primaries: Great Missenden combined and Prestwood junior are both "outstanding", says Ofsted, with nearby Little Kingshill "good" with "outstanding" features. Secondaries more difficult, though nearby Holmer Green senior is "good" and Chesham Park "satisfactory" but "improving strongly".
Hang out at... Café Twit in the Roald Dahl Museum for Bogtrotter Cake, nicer than it sounds. The George inn for a pint. La Petite Auberge for candlelit dinners.
Where to buy All desirable. Grand piles tucked away in the folds of the Chilterns, all paddocks, ponies and leafy lanes, such as Dahl's, Martinsend Lane, or Nags Head Lane. Weighted hugely towards commuter detacheds, though there are cottages, town houses and Victorian terraces in the old part of Great Missenden. Quite a few 60s/70s moderns: more affordable.
Market values Vast piles, £600,000-£1.75m and up. Detacheds, £300,000-£1m. Semis, £280,000-£450,000. Terraces, £175,000-£340,000.
Bargain of the week Three-bed detached house with garden, in Prestwood, £285,000, with Intercounty.
From the streets
Kay Whitnell "Delightful old-world hig street with good eateries, pubs, a wine bar and independent shops. Short stroll to some of the most beautiful countryside in England. The area is threatened by the proposed high-speed railway, so the housing marketis in a state of blight."
Brenda Gover "Cross Keys for a beer, and Origins for a glass of sauvignon blanc."
Catherine Calow "Peterley Farm Shop: a pick-your-own, a good nursery (for plants) and a brilliant shop. Also the fish and chip shop in Prestwood is excellent."
• Live in Great Missenden? Join the debate below. Do you live in Derry? Do you have a favourite haunt or a pet hate? If so, please write, by 20 September, to lets.move@guardian.co.uk
Tom Dyckhoff
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