Chesham
Chesham maps (2 available)
Map of Buckinghamshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of Buckinghamshire
Personalised maps
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Chesham books (7 available)
So You Think You Know? High Wycombe
Hardback
- 33 photos on Chesham appear in 1 Frith books - View photos of Chesham
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Chesham and Buckinghamshire
Chesham memories
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You can also read memories of nearby places in Buckinghamshire below.
Buckinghamshire memories
UPDATE:Mystery solved!!
To Whom It May Concern:
I am an American living in the state of Maryland. I've had a picture in my office for quite some time now, that I recently took a better look at. Originally, I was told that this picture was of the city of Rockville, in Maryland, during the late 19th century. Upon closer inspection though, the picture has a pub by the name of 'The Hand 'n' Hand Wellers' and below that the sign reads, 'Amersham Ales'. That made me do some research and I'm now writing to this web site to find the answers to my questions concerning this picture. What year was it taken? Is that really St. Mary's in the background? Finally, ...read more here
A memory of Amersham contributed by Myron Morrell
We're all grown up now
Amersham - we had such a wonderful time with you, my sister, my two cousins and I. We were young, so we played, we swam, we chatted. We're all grown up now, with children of our own - I wonder if we could get back to you - would we be young again? 1958 - the year my sister was born. My parents were in Amersham that year. They're gone now, but you're still here. I'm very glad.
A memory of Amersham contributed by Kelly Mitchell
living at latimer village
I lived in Hollytree Cottage during the sixties, and was christened at St. Mary Magdalen Latimer. My father worked for Lord Chesham. Our house used to be the Cavendish Arms, a pub at one time. Many of the staff from the big house lived in the village after retiring at that time. We had a good village shop and everyone was very friendly.
A memory of Latimer contributed by First name Last name
Whitethorn Morris dance at the Red Lion Coleshill
For many years morris sides danced in the road in front of the pub garden of the Red Lion. This has been a popular venue to celebrate May Day morning at dawn. Whitethorn Morris and their Whitethorn Band made this a really exciting way to kick off the "dancing season" in the dark pre-dawn, with a slowly growing crowd of sleepy Coleshill villagers emerging from their cottages to come and watch.
I played my accordian and sometimes had to shelter under an umbrella to keep my keyboard dry! The jolly landlord came out and passed around a hipflask of strong liquor to encourage both the musicians and the dancers! As dawn broke the music and dancing became more ...read more here
A memory of Coleshill contributed by John Howard Norfolk
Extracts From Chesham & Buckinghamshire books
Chesham has been a
market town since 1257
when Hugh, Earl of Oxford,
obtained from King Henry
III a grant of a weekly
market and annual three-
day fair. It is likely that the
town was then laid out
along the east side of the
stream, with its market
place and burgage plots
High Street, the older
settlement being along
Church Street.
An extract from from"Amersham, Chesham And Rickmansworth Photographic Memories".
This view, looking
north along the High
Street which gently and
picturesquely winds along
rather than following a
straight line, shows the
George and Dragon inn on
the left with its projecting
sign reading ‘Commercial
Hotel’ and to its left a
bitter rival, the Dunlop
Temperance Hotel. Note
the shop awnings all along
the sunny west side of
the street and the ornate
Victorian gas lamps.
An extract from from"Amersham, Chesham And Rickmansworth Photographic Memories".
Leaving the town centre we move
along Church Street to the Missenden
Road, just past the junction with
Pednor Road and Wey Lane. The
railings in the foreground guard the
chalk stream as it heads east into the
town to become the River Chess,
while the cottages beyond had just
been rebuilt, replacing ramshackle
older ones. On the left, only the far
left - No 6 - survives, now rendered;
the timber-framed ones beyond
went in the 1950s, partly for road
improvement.
An extract from from"Amersham, Chesham And Rickmansworth Photographic Memories".
St Mary’s Church is on rising ground west of the town, with Lowndes Park to its north and east and The Bury
to its west. The large cruciform church dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The tower bell chamber and
south porch were added in the 15th century and the leaded spire in the 18th. The church was heavily restored
by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s. By the south transept is a celtic cross memorial to Thomas Harding of
Dunsmore, a protestant martyr burnt in 1532.
An extract from from"Amersham, Chesham And Rickmansworth Photographic Memories".
Immediately south of the church whose spire can be seen behind, is The Bury. It was built in 1712 for William
Lowndes, Secretary to the Treasury, who came from Winslow in central Buckinghamshire where in 1700 he had
built Winslow Hall. The south front faces a lake made by damming a chalk stream. Lowndes’ house is the central
five bays only; the outer bays were added around 1800 as were the service ranges. The house and outbuildings
are now offices.
An extract from from"Amersham, Chesham And Rickmansworth Photographic Memories".






