Town history trails
These four trails each start at the Clock Tower, Market Square, Chesham HP5 1HG
Chesham Old Town
1.5 miles
This walk is around the oldest part of the town. You’ll see examples of buildings and structures covering some 350 years. The oldest examples are in Church Street and Germain Street. Many buildings here date from the 1700s. Over the centuries changes have been made and these tell the history of this area and of our country. Workhouses, pubs, World War relics, recreation, the motor car, town twinning – have all left their mark. And through this area runs the River Chess with its own impact on the people and the town.
Waterside walk
2 miles with a 1.5 mile option
This walk looks at the history of the Waterside area of Chesham. It was referred to as a hamlet of the town in census returns and, even today, people who have lived in Waterside have a strong sense of loyalty to the area. The road that follows the river valley is probably very ancient as it provided a level route between the town and the wider world. Central to its history has been the River Chess which has supported a number of industries for more than 1,000 years including milling, watercress, duck breeding, lace making and straw plaiting. The walk also passes the sites of three water mills.
Chesham Town Centre
1 mile
At first sight Chesham town centre is not unlike many other High Streets. It has a mixture of chain stores and independent shops – but with a higher proportion of the latter than usual. If you look above the shop fronts you can see that these are built into buildings of character and history. This walk highlights the history of not only the buildings but the also past owners, and some of the unusual uses of the buildings.
Thomas Harding walk
3.4 miles
This walk celebrates the life of Chesham’s religious martyr, Thomas Harding, who fought for the right to read the scriptures in English. He became the last of the Lollards to die for his beliefs. Thomas Harding was born around 1470 in Amersham, and lived in that town for over 50 years. He probably worked on the land, first as a labourer and then, perhaps, as a smallholder. However, there is no known record of his existence until 1511, when he and his wife Alice were in trouble with the Church, suspected of being Lollards.
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