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Coordinates: 51°45'N 0°58'W? / ?51.75, -0.97
Thame (pronounced "Tame", with a silent "h") is a market town in Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thame between Aylesbury and Oxford. It has a population of around 12,000. Situated just short of the county border, Thame lies close to the Buckinghamshire villages of Haddenham and Long Crendon.
The town is 14 miles east of Oxford, 10 miles south-west of Aylesbury and 47 miles from London. To the west of Thame the A418 joins with the M40 motorway linking London to Birmingham.
Founded in Anglo-Saxon times, Thame grew up to service local agricultural activity and the nearby Cistercian monastery at Thame Park, suppressed at the Reformation. The church of St Mary the Virgin dates from about 1240.
The English Civil War of the 1640s saw Thame occupied in turn by both Royalists and Parliamentarians.
During the Eighteenth Century, much of the boat-shaped High Street was changed to reflect the wealth of the town, with many buildings often refaced with locally produced salt glazed bricks to make them look like more modern buildings.
It was also during this time that the preacher John Wesley came to Thame. His congregation was so large, the floor gave way, and the crowd fell to the lower floor.
During the nineteenth century, however, Thame's economy took a down-turn, and a workhouse was established at Rycote College.
Thame railway station closed in 1963, but the town is now served by Haddenham and Thame Parkway railway station, a passenger-only station, which was opened in 1987 on the Birmingham to Marylebone line maintained by Chiltern Railways. Sustrans secured permission to use the land that the railway line once stood on to create the Phoenix Trail, part of National Cycle Network 57, extending all the way to Oxford. This popular cycle track forms part of a 10,000 mile long network.
On the third Thursday of September the town stages the Oxfordshire County and Thame Show which is the largest one day agricultural show in the United Kingdom[1]. On the same day the main Thame fair opens. The fair lasts for 3 days and is located in the centre of the town. As a result the High Street, Upper High Street, Cornmarket, Buttermarket and the top of North Street are all temporarily closed to road traffic. In October a smaller fair is held in the parking area in the Upper High Street.
W. Lucy & Co. has been based in the town since 2005. The town's two largest employers are CPM and Travelodge, who both have their Head Offices located on the periphery of town.
Notable former residents include courtier Lord Williams of Thame, who founded Lord Williams's Grammar School in the town in 1559, and John Hampden.
Thame is home to the very successful Chinnor Rugby Club who play in National Division 3 South, they are the youngest club ever to play at this level.
[edit] Trivia
- According to J. R. R. Tolkien's story "Farmer Giles of Ham", Thame got its name because of its resident tame dragon.
- Following the Battle of Chalgrove, John Hampden, who began his education at Lord William's Grammar School, died as a result of his wounds at the Greyhound Inn. A plaque at the site of this inn marks the occasion.
- James Figg, who was born in Thame in February 1684, became the first recognized champion of England at bare-fisted fighting. Also an expert at wrestling, swordplay, and fighting with cudgels, he became prominent as a pugilist about 1719, claiming the title 'Champion of England' until 1730. He based his early prize fights in the Greyhound Inn.
- In 1940, a local truck driver called Willocks McKenzie whilst walking along the banks of the River Thame, discovered a hoard of gold coins and rings, thought to be at least four hundred years old. The Ashmolean Museum declared it to be treasure trove, and the collection can still be found on display. One of the rings features a distinctive cross with two horizontal sections, not unlike the cross of St. Lorraine. This has been adopted as the official logo of the Thame Town Council.
- Thame is home to Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, as well as Jack Bevan of the band Foals. BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce lives in the neighbouring hamlet of Towersey
[edit] External links
(Source: Wikipedia) |