Blog
Spotlight on Amersham - our estate agent’s view
Friday, November 10, 2017
With its timbered coaching inns, Georgian tea rooms, antique shops and Market House, Old Amersham is one of the most photogenic towns in The Chilterns. Location determined the purpose of the town originally as a market town on the much travelled coaching route west from London and more recently as a prime residential town in the commuter belt with both mainline and Underground stations. The new town’s popularity as a place to live has grown over the years with huge demand associated with the Metropolitan Line station, grammar schools for both boys and girls, as well as a thriving, continually improving modern town centre with stores such as Waitrose and M & S.
Street events are a vital part of the social calendar particularly in the old town where French markets are held. The annual Charter Fair in September in Old Amersham dates back over 800 years to a charter granted in 1200 by King John. The fair itself has changed dramatically over the centuries. In 1200 entertainment would have been provided by minstrels, acrobats, and pedlars. Now it’s music, laser lights and all the fun of the fair with helter-skelter, dodgems and other fairground rides.
In 2014 and 2015 Amersham won GOLD at the Britain in Bloom Awards as well as two Thames and Chiltern in Bloom Regional Awards – one for conservation and wildlife and the other for the Amersham Memorial Gardens. These awards demonstrate how the community works together to achieve great results; volunteers continue to do an amazing job each year in keeping Amersham beautiful.
The town has a rich history and heritage; the Martyr’s Memorial recalls how in 1521 seven religious dissenters were burned at the stake for holding unorthodox religious beliefs. A memorial was built in 1931, to commemorate their martyrdom. Award winning Amersham Museum, which celebrated its silver jubilee in 2016, provides further insight into the town’s history with exhibits spanning 2,000 years and a comprehensive programme of events. The 15th century museum building itself is the oldest domestic building in Amersham, part of a Tudor house with a wonderful garden full of herbs and plants.
The Chilterns area is frequently home to film crews and the Amersham area is no exception. The Midsomer Murders Trail winds its way through scenic towns and villages including Amersham, Little Missenden, Chesham and Chenies. The TV series brings fans from far afield to find its film locations, to see where “murders were committed” or have a pint in DCI Barnaby’s favourite pub.
Although better known for his association with Great Missenden, writer Roald Dahl lived in Amersham and drew inspiration from his surroundings for his children’s stories. The Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre at Great Missenden, inspires young visitors with interactive fun-packed but educational galleries, craft activities, storytelling and Café Twit! Family events are held throughout the year such as Roald Dahl’s War on Saturday 11th November which details the author’s time in the RAF during the Second World War.
An excellent choice of restaurants and pubs includes The Artichoke listed in the Top 50 UK Restaurants Good Food Guide 2016, Village Mangal a local Turkish restaurant serving good food at reasonable prices, and the stylish but intimate Gilbeys. Both old and new town Amersham-on-the-Hill have plenty of lively cafes, pubs and restaurants as well as a variety of boutiques and high street stores.
Nearby Coleshill can trace its roots to Roman times when natural springs made it an ideal place for a hilltop encampment. In addition to its Roman heritage it houses two historic landmarks that can be seen for miles around. Coleshill Windmill was built in 1856, while the water tower dates back to the First World War. Local history suggests that German POWs were used to help construct the water tower which was decommissioned in the 1990s and sold as a private dwelling. The conversion of the tower and a contemporary single-storey living area was featured on TV’s 'Grand Designs'.
From windmills to water towers, the Amersham area boasts a wide variety of property, superb schools and excellent commuter links via both road and rail. In 2016, it was listed in the top 100 Best Places to live in Britain according to a Sunday Times study using statistics such as crime rate, house prices and school reports. The places were selected for offering the best quality of life to the widest number of people and features such as community spirit, local shops and attractive outdoor spaces so it’s easy to see why properties in Amersham are in great demand. For more information about the area or to see our properties for sale or to let please contact our Amersham office.
