In the
Domesday Book of 1086 there were two estates or
manors listed at the
vill of
Mundene in the
Broadwater hundred of Hertfordshire. The Domesday Book does not otherwise distinguish between the two Munden manors by name, but the manor owned by
Count Alan of Brittany later became known as Great Munden or Munden Furnival. The manor owned in 1086 by Walter of Flanders was later known as
Little Munden or Munden Frevil. At the time of the Domesday Book, a priest was listed at Little Munden, suggesting it was by then a
parish, but no priest was listed at Great Munden, despite it then being the more populous manor, having 25 households in 1086 compared to Little Munden's 17 households. The church was likely built at the expense of the
lord of the manor of Great Munden; it stands adjoining Mundenbury, the
manor house of Great Munden, and the lords of the manor retained the
advowson (the right to nominate new priests when vacancies arose). The manor house itself was largely rebuilt in 1700, although incorporating some parts from an earlier house. In 1912, the parish was described as covering , of which were
arable land, were permanent grass, and were woodland. ==Governance==