Frieth
Frieth is a village in the parish of Hambleden, in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies on the top of 'Frieth Hill', which is part of the chalk escarpments of the Chiltern Hills.
Frieth lies at a height of around 550 feet, on the edge of a broad and deep winterbourne chalk valley in which are located the older settlements of the parish and adjacent parishes – Hambleden, Skirmett, Turville and Fingest. Because of the shortage of surface water and the relatively poor soils – heavy clay and flint overlaying the permeable chalk – Frieth did not develop into a village until well into Victorian times. However, there are a number of ancient properties and Frieth has all the symbols of a traditional English village. As well as the church, it has a village hall, a village green, two rural pubs, a village society, fine open hilly countryside and a small but thriving primary school. The village shop and dairy has closed.
In the 12th century Parmoor House was owned by the Knights Templar. After falling into ruin it was rebuilt by the new Earl of the hundred in 1352. The property was then lost to the crown around 1790 when the incumbent Earl was supplanted by George III with a John "Frith" whose surname was to be that of the village. Although Frith never took up residence, on his death in 1791, the property was bought by the Cripps Family of Berkshire. It was the birthplace of Sir Stafford Cripps, the post-war Chancellor of the Exchequer. During the war it was let to King Zog of Albania. In 1947 the Anglican Community of St Katharine of Alexandria moved to Parmoor House from Fulham to provide care for elderly ladies. Later the house became home for the Community of the Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship. St Katharine's, Parmoor, Frieth, Henley-on-Thames is now a retreat home and conference centre welcoming all for day or residential visits.
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