Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Hambleden is a large village in the south of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located about four miles west of Marlow, about three miles north east of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. It should not be confused with places named Hambledon. The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'crooked or undulating valley'. It was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Hanbledene, though previously 1015 it was known as Hamelan dene. In 1315 a Royal charter was granted to hold a market in the village, and a fair on St Bartholomew's Day (August 24) every year. The charter was reconfirmed in 1321, though appears to have not lasted much longer than this. Hambleden was the home village of William Henry Smith, founder (in 1821) of the book chain W H Smith. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.