The TV backdrop village of Hambleden in Buckinghamshire has been put up for sale by Henry Smith, heir to Viscount Hambleden, for £16.5m-£20m reports the Guardian newspaper today. FPD Savills is acting for the vendor.

Dismayed villagers are worried because landlord Hon WH Smith - referred to as Henry in the village - has been so good to them. Almost half the cottages in the village are rent-controlled tenancies.

According to the newspaper, the village pub landlord, Andrew Stokes said, "Anybody would be mad to want to change this place but it's hard to believe there won't be change."

The property includes cottages, a pub, a shop, and a tearoom along with thousands of hectares of farmland and forest, farmhouses, barns and gamekeeper's cottages.

The village has appeared as a backdrop to many TV murder films and whenever film directors want an idyllic English village scene Hambleden has been best choice. Band of Brothers was recently shot here.

Originally bought by MP WH Smith (of the stationery and bookstalls fame), the estate has been in the family for more than a century. When Smith became a viscount, the family took the name of the village. The current heir to the estate, the Hon WH Smith hopes to sell the estate as a whole but it will be broken up into six separate lots if a buyer cannot be found.

A covenant with the National Trust since the1940 preserves the appearance of the village and the estate has worked to maintain the peaceful English village look and lifestyle. It bought back the pub, and has kept ownership of the stores and post office to ensure their survival.

Loyal villagers are hanging on the dream that the estate will not be sold and are hoping ‘Henry’ will change his mind. Film directors will no doubt be hoping the same.