History Pages
- The Lee today
The Lee today
Much
of the land around the village is still actively farmed, albeit
with considerably fewer employees than before. This landscape continues
to have a strong influence on village life. The villages' many long-established organisations and societies also continue to shape activity. The Lee Flower Show was first established in 1892 and is still as vibrant today. The first cricket match was played in The Lee in 1875 and the Women's Institute has met continuously since 1919.
However, the village has also been influenced by more recent developments. Convenient railway stations, in particular at Great Missenden, and the end of the Metropolitan underground line at Amersham and Chesham have put The Lee within easy reach of London for commuting. Motorway and trunk road developments, including improved access to Heathrow airport, have also now put the whole world within easy reach of The Lee.
Finally, of course, the advent of the Internet and Broadband provides increasing opportunities for people in the 21st century to 'visit' The Lee and also to live and work in the village without ever leaving it - much as the population would have done hundreds of years ago!
This balance
between ‘old’ and 'new’ influences on the village continues to
be a delicate one.
Described recently as: 'the prettiest village amongst a host of pretty villages in the Chilterns',
The Lee has become a great attraction
for visitors on foot, on bicycles and on horseback - as well as
in motor cars. Also filmed in a great many episodes
of Midsommer Murders, some parts of the village are now immediately
recognisable - even to first-time visitors.
Described recently as: 'the prettiest village amongst a host of pretty villages in the Chilterns',
The Lee has become a great attraction
for visitors on foot, on bicycles and on horseback - as well as
in motor cars. Also filmed in a great many episodes
of Midsommer Murders, some parts of the village are now immediately
recognisable - even to first-time visitors.Those who
live in the village value this beauty and The Lee's heritage. They are determined
to continue to preserve the best of the past, whilst also offering
a santuary in the Chilterns that is as relevant to the 21st
century as it was to the 13th.