An
American Visitor Looks at Amersham
by Patricia Latford
A
short distance northwest of London lies the town of Amersham in
the rolling hills of Buckinghamshire. It can easily be reached either
by tube on the Metropolitan line, by Green Line coach or by car
on the A413 out of London.
The
town has two parts, the new - Amersham on the Hill - and the old
- Amersham Old Town. A lot of history has passed through this small
town. It has one main street, called High Street with a few smaller
lanes on each side.
A
town was on this site in Saxon times called "Agmodesham" and later
there was trouble with the Danes in the area. The Domesday Book
listed the town as "Elmodesham" with six manors, one belonging to
Edith, the wife of Edward the Confessor. In 1200 King John granted
to the town a market and fair to be held every year which is still
an annual event. The Reformation had some roots in the town as several
Lollards were condemned to death and burned at the stake - hence
the memorial on the hill.
Walking
up High Street from the bus depot at the edge of town, you will
immediately see a large hill across the road to your left. This
is called Gore Hill, named for a battle against the Danes.
Just
to the side of the road that leads over the hill is Bury Farm, dating
from the1660’s. This was the Quaker home of the Isaac and Mary Pennington
and it was here William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, came courting
his future wife, Gulielma Springett, Mary’s daughter.
Notice
the sign at No.60 London Road. It threatens “dire penalties to ballad
mongers and other vagrants”. Shortly you come to the Griffin Hotel,
once an important staging post. It is older than it looks from the
front as it was altered late in the l7th century. It was here that
some of Cromwell’s troops were stationed during the Civil War.
Walk
to the back to see the earlier Elizabethan structure. Turn up Whielden
Street and you will notice a large building on the left. This is
part of a 17th century workhouse where forty inmates were engaged
in, among other occupations, lacemaking and spinning, the rate of
pay for which was “a farthing (1/4 of a penny) for every 100 turns
of the wheel”.
Go
back to the High Street, turn left and continue on, noticing the
Market Hall in the middle of the road. This building was given to
the town in 1682 by Sir William Drake. The market was held beneath
the structure with town meetings upstairs, which continues to this
day.
Just
up from this is the Crown Hotel which was another important staging
post. Go inside for refreshment in its pub and look around. The
restaurant offers some good English dishes as well. The front of
the hotel is Georgian but the inside is Elizabethan with rich panelling,
large beams and snug inglenooks. The wall paintings are Elizabethan
and the lounge shows the Royal Arms commemorating Queen Elizabeth
I’s visit to the town. There is a ghost, of course. It has been
seen several times, when the pub is empty, leaning against one of
the old posts. Some people have felt the presence of a spirit while
sitting in one of the booths and the wall pictures were seen to
move.
Outside
again and continuing on notice No. 42, the Elmodesham House, the
name being in the Domesday Book of 1086. This is the largest house
in town. It was used as a boarding school in the last century and
today it houses Council offices. Take a moment from here to look
across the street and notice the rooflines of the different architecture
styles.
Next
of importance are six small houses called Drake’s Almshouses, erected
in 1657 by William Drake to house six poor women of the parish,
widows over fifty years of age. Among their benefits were “a gown
of London brown at Christmas each year for the first three years
and alternate years thereafter; a pair of shoes, a pair of stockings
and a shift twice a year at Christmas and Easter; and a load of
billets four feet in length each year for firings”. Billets were
used as firewood.
Next
you will see a pathway called Cherry Lane. Take this to the top
of the hill and turn left, walking down the road for a short distance
enjoying the pretty homes until suddenly appearing on your left
will be a tiny black and white half-timbered cottage called Chimney
Cottage. It dates from the 17th century and if it seems a little
familiar to you it’s because it has been pictured on many calendars
as it is considered the most picturesque dwelling in Amersham especially
when its garden is in bloom. It consist of two rooms with a chimney
at either end.
Now
go back the way you came to the High Street and continue left. Another
large house is Little Shardeloes, Tudor in origin, but now altered.
It is believed to be the Amersham Manor before 1637 when William
Drake purchased it for the family as the Dower House.
Crossing
the street again, you will see the building called the Town Mill,
operating early in the 17th century as a corn mill until about 60
years ago. Next of interest are several houses called Turpin’s Row
and dating from 1678. Many years ago this section would be full
of straw-plaiting by the women and children to help out with the
meager wages of the men. Further down the street is a little house
which seems squeezed between its neighbors. This is just big enough
inside for one person to live comfortably with a pretty garden of
some size out back.
Now
look across the street at the rooflines of the buildings on the
other side to notice the difference in styles. Walking back past
the Market Hall turn left onto Church Street. On your right will
be the church of St. Mary’s. Hopefully, it will be open and you
can go inside for a look around. There are some interesting monuments,
especially in the Drake Chapel, and notice the east window. Parts
of the church date back to the 13th century.
Outside
again continue on up the street and you will pass what used to be
the brewery for 150 years which gave employment to many of the town’s
men. It closed in 1929 and is now a cosmetics factory. Going on
up the hill at the top is a large home known as the Rectory. It
was built about 1725.
Take
the little road to your right that leads to the graveyard and follow
the footpath around the low end and up onto the hill walking to
the right and on to the Martyrs’ Memorial. This commemorates the
six Amersham men and one woman who, in the early years of the 16th
century, were burned at the stake for their faith as Lollards.
This
also gives excellent views of the town that you have just walked
through. As you face the town, notice to the right, off some distance,
is a large manor home called Shardeloes. This was the ancestral
home of the Tyrwhitt Drake family. Sadly, now the house has been
converted into flats.
An
interesting bit of history about the place concerns the Tyrwhitt
Drake family and “the curse put on the family where by the inheritance
would never be inherited by a direct heir”. The curse was made by
the family of a boy murdered at sea when in the employ of one of
the Drakes. “Their coat of arms is surmounted by an axe dripping
with blood and the wheels of their carriage had to be painted red!
(Later red rims on their cars.)“ It is assumed this was so everyone
who saw them knew who they were.
“To
break the curse, a member of the family was to spend a certain length
of time in an underground tunnel that runs under Shardeloes lake.”
Many years ago a family member tried to break the curse and spent
a period of time in the tunnel, but gave up and came out mad!
Retrace
your steps down the hill from the graveyard and go into the Memorial
Gardens just below the church. These were laid out by the local
council to commemorate those who died in the two world wars. Exit
by the wall and you are now back on the High Street. Take time to
go into the various shops in this area. Surely there is something
in the pottery shop that you can take home as a momento of your
trip to Amersham. Then before returning to the car park, take a
few minutes to enjoy a delicious cup of tea and sweets in the nearby
tea shop.
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Amersham | Ascott
House | Aylesbury
| Brill | Buckingham
| Claydon House
|Cliveden | Eton
| Hughenden Manor
| Marlow | Stowe
Landscape Gardens | Waddesdon
Manor | Wendover
| West Wycombe
| Wing
FEATURE
An American visitor looks
at Amersham
Buckinghamshire
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