Picture Chesham

Thought to be painted by artist John Harris circa 1760, this oil painting of Chesham and its surrounding countryside is one of the town’s most prized possessions.
The painting depicts the Old Town and part of the High Street as seen from The Balks, the hillside above Chesham station still marked with strips of land cultivated in medieval times.
Local historians scratch their heads over the finer details, but some key features of the painting are recognisable today. Chief amongst them is St Mary’s Church which forms the focal point of the piece. To the left of the church is The Bury, former home of the Lowndes family, which can still be seen set back from Church Street. The white house to the right of the church was best known in the 18th century as the home of the Scottowe family. Local lore has it that the two families felt Chesham wasn’t big enough for them both, so they played cards to determine who should leave town.
The Lowndes certainly bought the Scottowes’ house and promptly pulled it down. The spacious grounds in which it stood is now much-loved Lowndes Park, a starting point for many of Chesham’s wonderful country walks.
A copy of the painting is on show in Chesham Town Hall, where the original can usually be viewed on request.

Soon Chesham Town Hall will be the new home of Chesham Museum – wonderful news as the museum has been ‘virtual’ since 2018.