Amersham | |
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King's Arms Hotel, Amersham Old Town |
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Amersham shown within Buckinghamshire | |
Population | 14,384 (2011 Census) |
OS grid reference | SU965985 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | AMERSHAM |
Postcode district | HP6, HP7 |
Dialling code | 01494 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Buckinghamshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Amersham (/ˈæmərʃəm/) is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles (43 km) north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt. Amersham is also 15 miles (24 km) from Aylesbury and 13 miles (21 km) from High Wycombe.
There are two distinct areas: Old Amersham, set in the valley of the River Misbourne, which contains the 13th century parish church of St. Mary's and several old pubs and coaching inns; and Amersham-on-the-Hill, which grew rapidly around the railway station in the early part of the 20th century.
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. The Domesday entry is as follows:
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.