Thame
Encyclopedia
Thame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire
, about 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of the Buckinghamshire
town of Aylesbury
. It derives its toponym
from the River Thame
which flows past the north side of the town.
Thame was founded in the Anglo-Saxon era
and and lay within the territory of the kingdom of Wessex
.
was founded in 1138 for the Cistercian Order: the abbey church was consecrated in 1145. In the 16th century Dissolution of the Monasteries
the abbey was suppressed and the church demolished. Thame Park (the house) was built on the site, incorporating parts of the abbey including the early 16th century abbot
's house. Its interior is one of the earliest examples of the Italian Renaissance
in England. A Georgian
west wing was added in the 18th century. In about 1840 parts of the foundations of the abbey church were excavated: it was 77 yards (70.4 m) long and 23 yards (21 m) wide, with a Lady Chapel
extending a further 15 yards (13.7 m) at the east
end.
The earliest feature of the Church of England parish church
of Mary the Virgin
is the 12th century base of the font
. The font's octagonal bowl was re-cut in the 13th century. The present church is a cruciform building that was built in the 13th century. The chancel
is Early English Gothic and was built in about 1220, with six lancet window
s in its north wall and presumably a similar arrangement in the south wall. It was twice altered in the next few decades: a three-light plate tracery window was inserted in its north wall in the mid-13th century and the five-light east window with geometrical tracery was inserted in about 1280. Whatever lancet windows may have been in the chancel
south wall were replaced with three two-light Decorated Gothic windows with reticulated tracery, and a double piscina
was added at the same time.
The transept
s and tower arches are also early 13th century. The nave
has five-bay
north and south aisles whose arcades
were built in about 1260. The aisles were widened in the 14th century, when they acquired their Decorated Gothic windows and doors. The Decorated Gothic south porch has two storeys and a two-bay quadripartite vault
.
The Perpendicular Gothic clerestory
is 14th or early 15th century. In the 15th century the tower piers were strengthened and the two upper stages of the tower were built. In 1442 the north transept was rebuilt with five-light Perpendicular Gothic north and east windows with panel tracery. At about the same time the south transept acquired similar windows and was extended eastwards to form a chapel with a 15th century piscina. The Perpendicular Gothic nave west window was inserted in 1672–73, making it an example of Gothic survival. In 1838 the north aisle north wall was rebuilt under the direction of George Wilkinson
.
The tower
has a ring
of eight bells, all cast in 1876.
The Prebendal House
is known to have existed by 1234, The Early English Gothic chapel was built in about 1250. The solar
is also 13th century but was enlarged in the 14th, when the present crown-post
roof was added. The rest of the Prebendal House dates is 15th centuries. The hall is 14th century in plan but was later divided, and one part now has a fine 15th century roof. In 1661 the antiquary
Anthony Wood
reported that the house was ruinous, and early in the 19th century the remains were in use as a farmhouse and barns. It was restored in 1836.
John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame
built the almshouse
s in Church Lane. He died in 1559, and his will established the local grammar school
. Its original building, completed in 1569, stands next to the almshouses. In 1880 the school moved to its current premises in Oxford Road. In 1971 it became a comprehensive school
under the name Lord Williams's School
.
The Civil War
in the 1640s saw Thame occupied in turn by Royalists and by Parliamentarians. After the Battle of Chalgrove Field
in 1643, Colonel John Hampden
, who had been educated at the grammar school, died of his wounds at the house of Ezekiel Browne, later to become the Greyhound Inn. some of Hampden's descendants still live in the town.
The champion bare-knuckle boxer
James Figg
was born in Thame in 1684 and had his early prize-fights at the Greyhound Inn. In the 21st century the Greyhound Inn was renamed the James Figg and in April 2011 the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board
unveiled a blue plaque
there to commemorate him.
In the 18th century many of the buildings in the boat-shaped High Street were re-faced with modern facade
s built of locally produced salt glazed
bricks. Late in the 18th century John Wesley
preached in Thame. The congregation on that occasion was so large that the floor of the building gave way, and the crowd fell to the lower floor.
By 1813 Thame had a workhouse
in Wellington Street. In 1826 John Boddington, a miller who had been the proprietor of Thame Mill, became master of the workhouse. In 1831 his son, also John Boddington, became a clerk at Strangeways Brewery
in Manchester
. A younger son, Henry Boddington, who had been born at Thame Mill in 1813, followed his brother and joined the same brewery in 1832. Henry became a partner in the business in 1847 and sole proprietor in 1853, after which its beers were called Boddingtons
. In April 2011 the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board unveiled a blue plaque at the address of the former workhouse commemorating its association with Henry Boddington.
Thame Poor Law Union
was established in 1835 and the following year a new workhouse designed by George Wilkinson was built on Oxford Road. In the 20th century the building became the premises of Rycotewood College of further education. In 2003 with two other colleges of further education to form Oxford and Cherwell College, now Oxford and Cherwell Valley College
.
Thame railway station
was opened in 1862 as the temporary terminus of an extension of the Wycombe Railway
from . The extension was completed in 1864 when it reached . In 1963 British Rail
ways withdrew passenger services between and Oxford and closed Thame station. BR dismantled the track between Thame and , but kept the line between Thame and Princes Risborough open for goods traffic to and from an oil depot in Thame.
In 1940 Willocks McKenzie, a local lorry driver, found a small hoard of late Mediaeval
coins and rings
beside the River Thame. The coins were ten groats and the rings were five ornate examples ranging from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The county Coroner declared them to be treasure trove and therefore Crown
property. The Crown placed the hoard on permanent loan to the Ashmolean Museum
. The most ornate ring was an ecclesiastical one incorporating a small reliquary
. Its lid is decorated with a distinctive cross with two horizontal sections, similar to the Cross of Lorraine
. Thame Town Council incorporated this cross into its town emblem.
In 1974 the M40 motorway
was extended from High Wycombe
to Chilworth
. Junction 7 at Milton Common is about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Thame, giving the town a fast road link to London. In 1990 the M40 extension was completed, giving Thame a fast road link to Birmingham
.
In 1987 British Rail
opened station at Haddenham
, about 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Thame, on the Chiltern Main Line
. Chiltern Railways
now provides passenger services linking the railway station to High Wycombe, , and .
In 1991 Thame oil depot closed, and BR dismantled the railway between Thame and Princes Risborough. Sustrans
was allowed to re-use the former trackbed to create the Phoenix Trail
which is part of National Cycle Network
route 57.
ITV
used Thame many times as a location for the Midsomer Murders
drama series.
and Travelodge
, both of which have their head offices on the edge of the town. W. Lucy & Co.
has been based in the town since 2005.
.
Chinnor Rugby Club
is based at Thame. Its first XV currently plays in National Division Three South. Thame United Football Club first team plays in Hellenic Football League
Division One East Thame Town Cricket
Club first eleven plays in Home Counties Premier Cricket League
Division 2 West. Thame has a bowls
club and a tennis club.
The Oxfordshire Golf Club
is 1 miles (1.6 km) southwest of Thame. The course
was designed by Rees Jones
and has hosted many prestigious tournaments including the Benson & Hedges International Open
from 1996 until 1999.
Thame has a Women's Institute and a Rotary Club.
Thame stages the Oxfordshire County and Thame Show, the largest one-day agricultural
show in Britain. It used to be held on the third Thursday in September, the same day as the three day Thame Fair opens in the town centre. On the day of the show local schools were closed. In 2010 the show was moved to the last Saturday in July. The organising committee have expressed a wish for the show to be a two day event in the future.
In October a smaller fair is held in the parking area in Upper High Street. In June the Thame Festival is held, which includes a carnival through the main streets, a flower festival and a fete on the Southern Road recreation area. Peter Andre
attended the Thame Carnival in 2011.
Thame has its own news website, and a comprehensive information website,
Thame is twinned with the French town of Montesson
.
of the Bee Gees
, and his wife Dwina Murphy-Gibb live in Thame. At one time and Jack Bevan of the band Foals lived in Thame.
BBC
actor, announcer, executive Harman Grisewood
(1908–97) was brought up at the Prebendal House in the 1910s and 1920s. It had a resident Catholic
priest, Father Randolph Traill, who served in its chapel. In his autobiography, One Thing at a Time (1968), he described an outing with his brother, nanny, nursemaid and pram
, when they were stoned by villagers as they approached the Church of England
parish church.
In the 1920s John Fothergill (1876–1957) was the innkeeper of the Spread Eagle. During his idiosyncratic occupancy many famous people came to stay, such as H. G. Wells
.
The poet and playwright W. B. Yeats (1865–1939) lived in the town for a short period at Cuttle Brook House, 42 Lower High Street. His son was born there in 1921. A blue plaque commenmorating his period of residence was unveiled in 2011.
The violinist Alfredo Campoli
(1906–91) was married at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in 1942 and retired to Thame in 1986. In April 2011 the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board unveiled a blue plaque at 39 North Street to commemorate him.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, about 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of the Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
town of Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
. It derives its toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
from the River Thame
River Thame
The River Thame is a river in Southern England. It is a tributary of the larger and better-known River Thames.The general course of the River Thame is north-east to south-west and the distance from its source to the River Thames is about 40 miles...
which flows past the north side of the town.
Thame was founded in the Anglo-Saxon era
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
and and lay within the territory of the kingdom of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
.
Abbey, parish church and prebendal
Thame AbbeyAbbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
was founded in 1138 for the Cistercian Order: the abbey church was consecrated in 1145. In the 16th century Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
the abbey was suppressed and the church demolished. Thame Park (the house) was built on the site, incorporating parts of the abbey including the early 16th century abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
's house. Its interior is one of the earliest examples of the Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
in England. A Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
west wing was added in the 18th century. In about 1840 parts of the foundations of the abbey church were excavated: it was 77 yards (70.4 m) long and 23 yards (21 m) wide, with a Lady Chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
extending a further 15 yards (13.7 m) at the east
East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
end.
The earliest feature of the Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Mary the Virgin
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
is the 12th century base of the font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
. The font's octagonal bowl was re-cut in the 13th century. The present church is a cruciform building that was built in the 13th century. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
is Early English Gothic and was built in about 1220, with six lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s in its north wall and presumably a similar arrangement in the south wall. It was twice altered in the next few decades: a three-light plate tracery window was inserted in its north wall in the mid-13th century and the five-light east window with geometrical tracery was inserted in about 1280. Whatever lancet windows may have been in the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
south wall were replaced with three two-light Decorated Gothic windows with reticulated tracery, and a double piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
was added at the same time.
The transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s and tower arches are also early 13th century. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
has five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
north and south aisles whose arcades
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
were built in about 1260. The aisles were widened in the 14th century, when they acquired their Decorated Gothic windows and doors. The Decorated Gothic south porch has two storeys and a two-bay quadripartite vault
Rib vault
The intersection of two or three barrel vaults produces a rib vault or ribbed vault when they are edged with an armature of piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns; compare groin vault, an older form of vault construction...
.
The Perpendicular Gothic clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
is 14th or early 15th century. In the 15th century the tower piers were strengthened and the two upper stages of the tower were built. In 1442 the north transept was rebuilt with five-light Perpendicular Gothic north and east windows with panel tracery. At about the same time the south transept acquired similar windows and was extended eastwards to form a chapel with a 15th century piscina. The Perpendicular Gothic nave west window was inserted in 1672–73, making it an example of Gothic survival. In 1838 the north aisle north wall was rebuilt under the direction of George Wilkinson
George Wilkinson (architect)
George Wilkinson, FRIBA was a British architect who practised largely in Ireland. He was born at Witney, Oxfordshire in 1814. He was the elder brother of William Wilkinson , who practised in Oxford.-Career:...
.
The tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
has a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of eight bells, all cast in 1876.
The Prebendal House
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
is known to have existed by 1234, The Early English Gothic chapel was built in about 1250. The solar
Solar (room)
The solar was a room in many English and French medieval manor houses, great houses and castles, generally situated on an upper storey, designed as the family's private living and sleeping quarters...
is also 13th century but was enlarged in the 14th, when the present crown-post
King post
A king post is a central vertical supporting post used in architectural, bridge, or aircraft design applications.-Architecture:...
roof was added. The rest of the Prebendal House dates is 15th centuries. The hall is 14th century in plan but was later divided, and one part now has a fine 15th century roof. In 1661 the antiquary
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
Anthony Wood
Anthony Wood
Anthony Wood or Anthony à Wood was an English antiquary.-Early life:Anthony Wood was the fourth son of Thomas Wood , BCL of Oxford, where Anthony was born...
reported that the house was ruinous, and early in the 19th century the remains were in use as a farmhouse and barns. It was restored in 1836.
Social and economic history
In 1550 the courtierCourtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame
John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame
John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame was Treasurer of the King's Jewels, Lord Chamberlain of England and Lord President of the Council of the Welsh Marches...
built the almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s in Church Lane. He died in 1559, and his will established the local grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. Its original building, completed in 1569, stands next to the almshouses. In 1880 the school moved to its current premises in Oxford Road. In 1971 it became a comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
under the name Lord Williams's School
Lord Williams's School
Lord Williams's School is a co-educational secondary school in Thame, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. It is a comprehensive school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18...
.
The Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in the 1640s saw Thame occupied in turn by Royalists and by Parliamentarians. After the Battle of Chalgrove Field
Battle of Chalgrove Field
The Battle of Chalgrove was a small battle during the English Civil War in the county of Oxfordshire. It took place around 09:00 hours on the morning of 18 June 1643 in Chalgrove Field, northeast of Chalgrove in Oxfordshire...
in 1643, Colonel John Hampden
John Hampden
John Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...
, who had been educated at the grammar school, died of his wounds at the house of Ezekiel Browne, later to become the Greyhound Inn. some of Hampden's descendants still live in the town.
The champion bare-knuckle boxer
Bare-knuckle boxing
Bare-knuckle boxing is the original form of boxing, closely related to ancient combat sports...
James Figg
James Figg
James Figg was an English bare-knuckle boxer. He is universally recognized the first English bare-knuckle boxing champion, reigning from 1719 to 1730 or 1734. Many of the bouts at the time consisted of boxing, wrestling and fencing with sharp swords. Figg was also a great fencer that engaged in...
was born in Thame in 1684 and had his early prize-fights at the Greyhound Inn. In the 21st century the Greyhound Inn was renamed the James Figg and in April 2011 the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board
Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board
The Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board, established in 1999, is administered by the Oxford Civic Society. It oversees the installation of blue plaques on historic buildings in the county of Oxfordshire, England to commemorate famous residents and events...
unveiled a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
there to commemorate him.
In the 18th century many of the buildings in the boat-shaped High Street were re-faced with modern facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
s built of locally produced salt glazed
Salt glaze pottery
Salt glaze pottery is stoneware with a glaze of glossy, translucent and slightly orange-peel-like texture which was formed by throwing common salt into the kiln during the higher temperature part of the firing process. Sodium from the salt reacts with silica in the clay body to form a glassy...
bricks. Late in the 18th century John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
preached in Thame. The congregation on that occasion was so large that the floor of the building gave way, and the crowd fell to the lower floor.
By 1813 Thame had a workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
in Wellington Street. In 1826 John Boddington, a miller who had been the proprietor of Thame Mill, became master of the workhouse. In 1831 his son, also John Boddington, became a clerk at Strangeways Brewery
Strangeways Brewery
Strangeways Brewery was a landmark in Manchester, England. Located just north of the city centre, it was famous as the home of Boddingtons Bitter. It closed in 2006 and was demolished in 2007.-History:...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. A younger son, Henry Boddington, who had been born at Thame Mill in 1813, followed his brother and joined the same brewery in 1832. Henry became a partner in the business in 1847 and sole proprietor in 1853, after which its beers were called Boddingtons
Boddingtons
Boddingtons Bitter is a bitter ale originally brewed at the Strangeways Brewery, Manchester, England. It was promoted as The Cream of Manchester from the late 1980s until 2004, when the Strangeways brewery was closed and production moved to Magor, South Wales and Salmesbury, Lancashire...
. In April 2011 the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board unveiled a blue plaque at the address of the former workhouse commemorating its association with Henry Boddington.
Thame Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
was established in 1835 and the following year a new workhouse designed by George Wilkinson was built on Oxford Road. In the 20th century the building became the premises of Rycotewood College of further education. In 2003 with two other colleges of further education to form Oxford and Cherwell College, now Oxford and Cherwell Valley College
Oxford and Cherwell Valley College
Oxford & Cherwell Valley College is a multi-campus college in Oxfordshire, England. It was created in 2003 as "Oxford & Cherwell College" - a result of the merger between Oxford College of Further Education, North Oxfordshire College in Banbury and Rycotewood College in Thame...
.
Thame railway station
Thame railway station
Thame railway station was a station on the Wycombe Railway serving the town of Thame in Oxfordshire. It was opened in 1862 as the terminus of an extension from High Wycombe via Princes Risborough. In 1864 the line was extended from Thame to Oxford. The station was built with a train shed over its...
was opened in 1862 as the temporary terminus of an extension of the Wycombe Railway
Wycombe Railway
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to .-History:The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846...
from . The extension was completed in 1864 when it reached . In 1963 British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways withdrew passenger services between and Oxford and closed Thame station. BR dismantled the track between Thame and , but kept the line between Thame and Princes Risborough open for goods traffic to and from an oil depot in Thame.
In 1940 Willocks McKenzie, a local lorry driver, found a small hoard of late Mediaeval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
coins and rings
Ring (jewellery)
A finger ring is a circular band worn as a type of ornamental jewelry around a finger; it is the most common current meaning of the word ring. Other types of metal bands worn as ornaments are also called rings, such as arm rings and neck rings....
beside the River Thame. The coins were ten groats and the rings were five ornate examples ranging from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The county Coroner declared them to be treasure trove and therefore Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
property. The Crown placed the hoard on permanent loan to the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
. The most ornate ring was an ecclesiastical one incorporating a small reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
. Its lid is decorated with a distinctive cross with two horizontal sections, similar to the Cross of Lorraine
Cross of Lorraine
The Cross of Lorraine is originally a heraldic cross. The two-barred cross consists of a vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal bars. In the ancient version, both bars were of the same length. In 20th century use it is "graded" with the upper bar being the shortest...
. Thame Town Council incorporated this cross into its town emblem.
In 1974 the M40 motorway
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
was extended from High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
to Chilworth
Chilworth
Chilworth is a village in Hampshire, UK, very close to the city of Southampton. Good travel connections and restricted development have led to the village becoming particularly affluent...
. Junction 7 at Milton Common is about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Thame, giving the town a fast road link to London. In 1990 the M40 extension was completed, giving Thame a fast road link to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
In 1987 British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
opened station at Haddenham
Haddenham, Buckinghamshire
Haddenham is a large village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. Its estimated population in 2011 is 8,385 It is about south-west of Aylesbury and north-east of Thame.-History:...
, about 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Thame, on the Chiltern Main Line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
. Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
now provides passenger services linking the railway station to High Wycombe, , and .
In 1991 Thame oil depot closed, and BR dismantled the railway between Thame and Princes Risborough. Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
was allowed to re-use the former trackbed to create the Phoenix Trail
Phoenix Trail
The Phoenix Trail is a footpath and cycleway which runs between the market towns of Thame in South Oxfordshire and Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, passing through the villages of Towersey and Bledlow.- History :...
which is part of National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
route 57.
ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
used Thame many times as a location for the Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
drama series.
Economy
The town's two largest employers are CPM GroupCPM Group
CPM is the world’s largest outsourced sales organisation, and the UK and Europe’s largest field marketing agency. Owned by global marketing communications group Omnicom, CPM has wholly owned offices in 14 countries, including the USA, India and CPM Asia Pacific, which is headquartered in...
and Travelodge
Travelodge UK
Travelodge Hotels Limited is a private company operating in the hotels and hospitality industry throughout the United Kingdom. Branded simply as Travelodge or Travelodge UK, it is the second largest in the budget hotel sector and third biggest hotel chain in the UK by number of bedrooms...
, both of which have their head offices on the edge of the town. W. Lucy & Co.
W. Lucy & Co.
W. Lucy & Co. is a large switchgear and lighting manufacturer based in Thame, Oxfordshire. The company formerly produced steel ball bearings and other industrial equipment.-History:...
has been based in the town since 2005.
Amenities
Thame has three primary schools: Barley Hill Primary School, John Hampden Primary School and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School. It has one county secondary school, Lord Williams's SchoolLord Williams's School
Lord Williams's School is a co-educational secondary school in Thame, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. It is a comprehensive school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18...
.
Chinnor Rugby Club
Chinnor R.F.C.
Chinnor Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club founded in Thame, Oxfordshire, England in 1963. They are currently playing in the National Division Three South.-History:...
is based at Thame. Its first XV currently plays in National Division Three South. Thame United Football Club first team plays in Hellenic Football League
Hellenic Football League
The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern Herefordshire, western Greater London, and northern Wiltshire. There is also one team from Hampshire.The league...
Division One East Thame Town Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club first eleven plays in Home Counties Premier Cricket League
Home Counties Premier Cricket League
The Home Counties Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the Home Counties of England, and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League...
Division 2 West. Thame has a bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
club and a tennis club.
The Oxfordshire Golf Club
The Oxfordshire Golf Club
The Oxfordshire Golf Club is a private golf club in England, that is located Southwest of Thame, Oxfordshire.It is owned by Leaderboard Golf along with 4 other golfing venues in the South East including Dale Hill Golf Club Wadhurst, East Sussex, Sandford Springs Golf Club near Basingstoke and...
is 1 miles (1.6 km) southwest of Thame. The course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
was designed by Rees Jones
Rees Jones
Rees Jones is an American golf course architect.He was born in Montclair, New Jersey the son of legendary golf course designer Robert Trent Jones and the younger brother of golf course designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr...
and has hosted many prestigious tournaments including the Benson & Hedges International Open
Benson & Hedges International Open
The Benson & Hedges International Open was a men's professional golf tournament which was played in England. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges, a cigarette company...
from 1996 until 1999.
Thame has a Women's Institute and a Rotary Club.
Thame stages the Oxfordshire County and Thame Show, the largest one-day agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
show in Britain. It used to be held on the third Thursday in September, the same day as the three day Thame Fair opens in the town centre. On the day of the show local schools were closed. In 2010 the show was moved to the last Saturday in July. The organising committee have expressed a wish for the show to be a two day event in the future.
In October a smaller fair is held in the parking area in Upper High Street. In June the Thame Festival is held, which includes a carnival through the main streets, a flower festival and a fete on the Southern Road recreation area. Peter Andre
Peter André
Peter James Andrea , better known by the stage name as Peter Andre, is an English-born Australian musician, singer-songwriter, television personality and businessman. As a recording artist, he has achieving four top 10 UK albums and ten top 10 singles.-Early life:Andre was born at Northwick Park...
attended the Thame Carnival in 2011.
Thame has its own news website, and a comprehensive information website,
Thame is twinned with the French town of Montesson
Montesson
Montesson is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris.-External links:* http://www.fotw.net/flags/fr-78-ms.html...
.
Notable residents
Robin GibbRobin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
of the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
, and his wife Dwina Murphy-Gibb live in Thame. At one time and Jack Bevan of the band Foals lived in Thame.
BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
actor, announcer, executive Harman Grisewood
Harman Grisewood
Harman Joseph Gerard Grisewood was an English radio actor, radio and television executive, novelist and non-fiction writer. He acted as literary executor to the poet David Jones, a lifelong friend....
(1908–97) was brought up at the Prebendal House in the 1910s and 1920s. It had a resident Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest, Father Randolph Traill, who served in its chapel. In his autobiography, One Thing at a Time (1968), he described an outing with his brother, nanny, nursemaid and pram
Baby transport
Baby transport consists of devices for transporting and carrying infants. A "child carrier" or "baby carrier" is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult...
, when they were stoned by villagers as they approached the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish church.
In the 1920s John Fothergill (1876–1957) was the innkeeper of the Spread Eagle. During his idiosyncratic occupancy many famous people came to stay, such as H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
.
The poet and playwright W. B. Yeats (1865–1939) lived in the town for a short period at Cuttle Brook House, 42 Lower High Street. His son was born there in 1921. A blue plaque commenmorating his period of residence was unveiled in 2011.
The violinist Alfredo Campoli
Alfredo Campoli
Alfredo Campoli was an Italian-born British violinist, often known simply as Campoli. He was noted for the beauty of the tone he produced from the violin.-Biography:...
(1906–91) was married at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in 1942 and retired to Thame in 1986. In April 2011 the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board unveiled a blue plaque at 39 North Street to commemorate him.