Amersham

Amersham (ˈæmərʃəm ) is a market town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, northwest of central London, south-east of Aylesbury and north-east of High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt. There are two distinct areas: Old Amersham, set in the valley of the River Misbourne, containing the 13th-century parish church of St. Mary's and several old pubs and coaching inns Amersham-on-the-Hill, which grew in the early 20th century around Amersham station, which was served by the Metropolitan Railway, now the Metropolitan line, and the Great Central Railway. Old Amersham occupies the valley floor of the River Misbourne. This is a chalk stream which dries up periodically. The river occupies a valley much larger than it is possible for a river the size of the present River Misbourne to cut, which makes it a misfit stream. The valley floor is at around OD, and the valley top is at around OD. It is likely that the valley was formed under conditions akin to those required to form a dry valley. Amersham-on-the-Hill is built on the north side of the Misbourne valley on a small plateau that forms the watershed between the Misbourne and the neighbouring River Chess. The name "Amersham" is derived from the Old English for 'Ealhmund's village (hām)'. Records date back to pre-Anglo-Saxon times when it was known as Agmodesham, and by the time that the Domesday Book was written, around 1086, it had become known as Elmodesham. Further spelling variations are seen in 1460 as Agmondysham and Amytysham The Domesday entry is: Geoffrey de Mandeville holds Amersham. It answers for hides. Land for 16 ploughs; in lordship 2 hides; 3 ploughs there. 14 villagers with 4 smallholders have 9 ploughs; a further 4 possible. 7 slaves; meadow for 16 ploughs; woodland 400 pigs. The total value is and was £9; before 1066 £16. Queen Edith held this manor. Queen Edith was the wife of Edward the Confessor and sister of King Harold, and after her death in 1075, the land passed to William the Conqueror, who granted it to Geoffrey de Mandeville (died c.