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West Wycombe is an area located just north of High
Wycombe in the United Kingdom and is the home of the West Wycombe Caves. The caves were a natural formation which was
excavated in the 1750s by Sir Francis Dashwood to
give work to the local community and to provide him with a location for members of the secretive Hellfire Club to meet.
The 18th Century church with its golden ball is a well-known landmark, visible for many miles due its hilltop location,
dominating the village. The church was created by Sir Francis Dashwood. The hill is known as West Wycombe Hill and was an
Iron Age hill fort. Also situated
on the hill is the Dashwood Mausoleum.
The village of West Wycombe is home to West Wycombe Park, a stately home accompanied by 5000 acres (20 kmē) of land which was
built upon in the mid 18th century by Sir Francis Dashwood, founder of the Dilettanti Society and
co-founder of the Hellfire Club.
West Wycombe village was purchased by the National Trust in 1929. There are many buildings of architectural value which were built between the 16th and 18th centuries.
See also: West Wycombe Park
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