The beautiful village of Great Missenden was once the home of author Roald Dahl and is now his final resting place. His wickedly funny and inventive children’s books are still as popular today as they were when I read them many years ago.
Dahl is buried in the churchyard of St Peter and St Pauls. His grave is marked by a large, black slab on a slope opposite the church.
The gravestone is simple, inscribed with Dahl’s name and dates of birth and death. The only decoration is a bird and the covering of pennies left by visitors.
Next to the grave is a tree, encircled by a bench on top of a stone base. Touchingly, each seat features the name of one of Dahl’s five children and three step-children. The stone circle underneath has a quote from his book “The Giraffe and the Pelly and me”.
And I defy you not to smile at the “BFG” size footprints leading from the bench down to Dahl’s grave.
As a long-term fan, this visit was very special to me. I adored Dahl’s stories growing up especially “Matilda”. But as much as I love his writing, I also appreciate that he was a complex character. The dark streak that ran through his tales also ran through the man himself.
If you visit you can make a Roald Dahl day of it by also visiting the museum dedicated to his work. Unfortunately, we got there way before it opened. Maybe next time.
Are you a Roald Dahl fan? Have you ever been to the museum? Let me know or just leave a comment if you enjoyed this post!
Related reads
Lewis Carroll’s Grave, Guildford
Jacek Yerka – Dreams and Imagination
Visiting Alice Liddell’s Grave, Lyndhurst
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28/08/2019 at 12:23 AM
Beautiful pictures!
28/10/2019 at 9:14 AM
That is so nice, but still so sad that he is no longer with us.
28/10/2019 at 2:12 PM
Thanks for your comment. Yes it is indeed sad, although his grave is in such a lovely, peaceful spot it’s a nice place to remember him and his work.