Great Missenden Things to Do

The garden at Gipsy House, the former home of writer Roald Dahl, where he wrote his famous children's stories, is open to the public under the National Gardens Scheme on a few afternoons (2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.) during the summer.

As well as the attractive gardens themselves, you can see the hut where Dahl actually did his writing, and there is a 'children's maze', where the paving slabs have quotations from Dahl's writing, such as "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? I live with my brat, in a high-rise flat, so how in the world would I know?"

In 2009 the opening days will be Thur 23 Apr; Wed 13 May; Thur 11 June; Wed 15 July.

Refreshments are available, with proceeds going to the Roald Dahl charitable foundation.

A steam rally is held in the nearby village of Prestwood on the first weekend in July every year. You can see beautifully preserved historic steam engines (from huge traction engines like the one in the picture to miniature engines with rides for children) and often there is a classic car rally as well.

The downside is that in the week or so before the event there are periodic traffic jams, whilst a traction engine slowly climbs the hill from Great Missenden.

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This museum is partly about the life of Roald Dahl, and partly about the process of creative writing.

There are lots of interactive things to do, from dressing up as a Dahl character to making a stop-frame animation film.

Watch out for the chocolate doors - they even SMELL of chocolate!

Refreshments, including snozzcumber sandwiches, are available at Cafe Twit.