Chesham | |
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Chesham Clock Tower in Market Square |
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Chesham shown within Buckinghamshire | |
Population | 21,483 (2011 Census) |
OS grid reference | SP965015 |
Civil parish |
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District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | CHESHAM |
Postcode district | HP5 |
Dialling code | 01494 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Buckinghamshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Chesham (/ˈtʃɛʃəm/, local /ˈtʃɛsəm/, or /ˈtʃɛzəm/) is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as being bordered on one side by Amersham and Chesham Bois. The earliest records of Chesham as a settlement are from the second half of the 10th century although there is archaeological evidence of people in this area from around 8000 BC. Henry III granted the town a royal charter for a weekly market in 1257.
The town is known for its four Bs, usually quoted as:- boots, beer, brushes and Baptists. Chesham's prosperity grew significantly during the 18th and 19th centuries with the development of manufacturing industry.