Hughenden

This village is famous for being the home of Queen Victoria’s favourite Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli; he lived here from 1848 until his death in 1881. He bought Hughenden Manor (National Trust) shortly after the publication of his novel Tancred. Though not a wealthy man, Disraeli felt that a leading Conservative politician should have a stately home of his own. In order to finance the purchase, his supporters lent him the money so that he could have this essential characteristic of an English gentleman. The interior is an excellent example of the Victorian Gothic style and contains an interesting collection of memorabilia of Disraeli’s life as well as his library, pictures and much of his furniture. The garden is based on the designs of Disraeli’s wife Mary Anne; the surrounding park and woodland offer some beautiful walks. Disraeli, who was MP for Buckinghamshire from 1847 to 1876, and Prime Minister in 1868 and from 1874 to 1880, is buried in the churchyard of St Michael. In the chancel of the church is a marble memorial erected in his memory by Queen Victoria. Disraeli was the son of a writer and literary critic, Isaac d’Israeli, who lived for a time in the village of Bradenham on the other side of High Wycombe. The Bradenham Estate, also owned by the National Trust, includes Bradenham Woods, an area of ancient beech that is among the finest in the whole Chilterns region. Although beech predominates, other trees, including oak, whitebeam, ash and wild cherry are being encouraged.