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Amersham ---- News, Views & Information

Amersham's Pubs
& What Their Names Mean

Amersham has a selection of pubs, some with long histories.
In days of old, pub signs were necessary because very few people could read. In the late 1300s, Richard II passed a law that all ale houses should display signs so that the ale connor would be able to recognize them instantly and carry out his inspection. Incidentally, Shakespear's father was an ale connor.

The Boot & Slipper - The Chequers - The Crown - The Eagle - The Elephant & Castle
Harte & Magpies - The Hit or Miss - The Kings Arms - The Pheasant - The Pineapple
The Red Lion - The Saracen's head - The Swan - The Sugar Loaves - The White Lion


Closed Pubs - The Black Horse - The George - The Griffin - The Hare & Hounds
The Iron Horse - The Nags Head - The Red Lion - Rumseys - The White Heart - The Wheatsheaf

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The Boot & Slipper 2 Rickmansworth Road, Amersham, HP6 5JN Tel: 01494 727082

Quite often in medieval times cobblers shops were attached to ale houses. This may explain the use of "Boot" in the name of the pub. It is also possible that pubs with "boot" in their name adjacent to Chesham may be explained by the extensive boot trade in that town. The Boot & Slipper was extensively refurbished and extended in 2003, below is how it used to look To Top Of Page

The Chequers 51 London Road West, Amersham, HP7 9DA Tel: 01494 727866

This name and sign dates back to Roman times when a chequer board indicated that a wine bar would provide banking facilities for its customers. From this is derived the word exchequer. Coincidentally, the coat of arms of the de la Warrenne family who were appointed in early Norman times to oversee ale houses was a chequer board. To Top Of Page

The Crown 16 High Street, Old Amersham, HP7 0DH Tel: 01494 7215413

A very popular name and sign indicating loyalty to the Sovereign. It disappeared during the period of Cromwell's protectorate. The inside of the Crown was used in the film "Four Weddings and a Funeral". To the left of the opening used to be a porch in front of a door way. This was damaged by a lorry (in the 1970s?) and had to be demolished. To Top Of Page

The Eagle 145 High Street, Old Amersham, Tel: 01494 729769

A popular pub sign depicting the king birds. To Top Of Page

The Elephant & Castle 97 High Street, Amersham, HP7 0DT Tel: 01494 726410

Possible origin of this sign is the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers who of course used ivory for their knife handles. Another suggestion arises from the marriage of Edward I to Eleanor of Castile. Her title in Spanish was "La Infanta de Castile", hence Elephant and Castle. An interesting note about the Elephant & Castle has been supplied to me by Phillip Troth of Amersham "the Elephant & Castle used to have a spring rising in the cellar - it helped to keep the cellar cool in the days when it was part of Whitbread Wethered and served beers brewed in Marlow.  I remember well a couple of friends and and I being taken down into the cellar by the landlord to see the spring" To Top Of Page

The Harte & Magpies Magpie Lane, Coleshill, Amersham, HP7 0LU Tel: 01494 726754

Picture Courtesy of Stephen Lever To Top Of Page

The Hit or Miss Penn Street, Amersham, HP7 0PX Tel: 01494 713109

Picture Courtesy of Mary & Michael Macken

The unusual name is a cricketing term, inspired by the pub’s own cricketing team who play just opposite on Sunday afternoons (details supplied by Michael and Mary Macken) To Top Of Page

The Kings Arms 30 High Street, Amersham, HP7 0DJ Tel: 01494 725722

Popular name and sign like the Crown showing allegiance to the Sovereign. For many years, the sign outside the pub was supposed to depict the arms of Henry VIII. The Shield is the Arms of England and the Dexter Supporter is supposed to be a red Welsh Dragon. However, the sign painter failed to give the creature any hind legs thus transforming it into a Wyvern, which of course is incorrect. When the Tudor dynasty ended, James I removed the Welsh Dragon and replaced it with the Unicorn. The Blazon on the shield are the Arms of England and France quartered. The outside of the pub was used to depict "The Jolly Boatman" in the film "Four Wedding and a Funeral". It was also used in the 1960s in the film Murder at the Gallop starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple The pub re opened as a hotel in 2006 Web Site To Top Of Page

The Pheasant Plantation Road, Amersham, HP6 6HL Tel: 01494 726793

A common country name for a pub.

The Pineapple White Lion Road, Amersham, HP7 9JY Tel: 01494 765784 To Top Of Page

Picture Courtesy of Don McGowan

A name of hospitality or possibly named after the crest of the Pomeroy family who once lived in nearby Beel House and had interests in fruit plantations in the West Indies. The pub at one time was known unofficially as "The Monkey" and part of the close by railway was called Monkey curve. Abbey Caton from Amersham has contacted me and advises " I was telling my father and his cousin (who have both lived in Amersham for the last 65/70 years respectively) about this website, and mentioned that The Pineapple was unofficially called the Monkey. They both advised "the reason it was called The Monkey by locals was because that Landlord used to own a monkey!" In April 2008 The Pineapple reopened as Thai Fusion, a 50 seat Restaurant, A Tapas Bar and a Cookery school Pub Web Site Along with the pubs The Boot & Slipper, The Pheasant, The Red Lion, and The White Lion, The Pineapple was originally on the edge of Amersham Common. The Common was gradually encroached and enclosed in the nineteenth century and in the twentieth century totally developed. The encroaching onto the Common explains why there are long drive ways to the Pineapple and Pheasant from the road. The road moved as the Common was encroached. To Top Of Page

The Red Lion 69 Chestnut Lane, Amersham, HP6 6EP Tel: 01494 724944

The most popular pub name in England. There are over 800 pubs with this name. It is the badge of John of Gaunt, fourth sone of Edward III who during the last years of his father's reign and during the first years of Richard II's reign ruled the country as Regent. To Top Of Page

The Red Lion Pub Village Road, Coleshill, Nr Amersham, HP7 0LH Tel: 01494 727020 To Top Of Page

The Saracen's Head 38 Whielden Street, Amersham, Tel: 01494 721 958

Saracen was a general name in Greek and Roman times for all Arabs. Later it became a general name for all Muslims. At the time of Richard the Lion Heart, it was the name given to the followers of Saladin (the leader of the Saracen's). After the Crusades it became a popular pub name. The original Saracen's Head was actually situated on the south side of The Broadway. Pub Web Site To Top Of Page

The Swan 122 High Street, Amersham, HP7 0ED Tel: 01494 727079

Popular pub name, particularly in Buckinghamshire because it is the badge of the County. Pub Web Site To Top Of Page

The Sugar Loaves Public House Station Road, Little Chalfont, Amersham, HP7 9PN Tel: 01494 765579

This name commemorate the way in which sugar was sold in the 18th and 19th centuries. For many years, the pub sign correctly showed two sugar loaves. However, for a number of years the pub sign used to show the Sugar Loaf mountain at Abergavenny in South Wales on one side and on the other the Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, perhaps the sign painter did not know what a sugar loaf was! Now the sign just has the words The Sugar Loaves. Incidentally, a loaf of sugar in the 17 hundreds cost some 3 pounds - about 30 pounds in today's money, so some things have come down! To Top Of Page

The White Lion White Lion Road, Amersham, HP7 9LJ Tel: 01494 763346

The White Lion is the heraldic badge of Edward IV and also The Earls of March and the Dukes of Norfolk To Top Of Page

Amersham's Closed Pubs

One of the reasons for Old Amersham's development was the large number of coaching inns. Many of the coaching inns have survived to the present day. However, as improvements in coaching came about, Amersham was no longer the first stop out of London. This fact combined with the changes in transport methods and changes in entertainment meant many coaching inns and pubs in Amersham have closed. Over recent years, there have also been a number of pub closures. If one examines the buildings in the Old Town, the location of former pubs and coaching inns can be guessed from the distinctive character of the buildings which today are often private houses.

Black Horse Woodside Road

Giving its name to the railway bridge, the old Black Horse pub was on Woodside Road. This pub was on Amersham Common, but when the railway came to Amersham and the Station Hotel (later The Iron Horse, itself now closed) opened, the Black Horse's licence was transferred to the Station Hotel. The railway embankment goes very close to the front of the old pub. The name The Black Horse has no real meaning, but is a memorable name for a pub and easy to paint on the sign. To Top Of Page

The George High Street

The brick building on the left with the pediment over the door is the former George Inn To Top Of Page

The Griffin The Broadway

One of Amersham's coaching inns was The Griffin on the Broadway. The Griffin is now Ask - a pasta restaurant. (I have heard some Amersham people refer to Ask as the Amersham Soup Kitchen!). In 2002 the porch was removed from the building. This was not an original feature. The name The Griffin derives from a heraldic beast popular as a badge as it incorporated the body of the king of beasts and the head and wings of the king of birds. To Top Of Page

Hare & Hounds Whielden Street

I'm not exactly sure where in Whielden Street, but I think the old Hare & Hounds pub was located here. If anyone can pin point the location for me, then please email the web master There is no special significance to the name Hare & Hounds. To Top Of Page

The Iron Horse Station Square

The Iron Horse was originally the Station Hotel and was one of the first developments in Amersham on the Hill following the arrival of the railway in 1892. With the opening of Amersham station, the licence was transferred to the Station Hotel from the old Black Horse pub, which then closed. In April 2004 the pub was suddenly closed. Shortly afterwards following a planning appeal it was demolished to make way for flats and a cafe. This decision was objected to by a significant number of local people. To Top Of Page

The Nags Head 3 Whielden Street, Amersham

This name usually indicates that at one time livery stables were attached to the pub. Described by some as one of Amersham few remaining drinkers pubs, the Nag's head was closed in September 2006 To Top Of Page

The Red Lion High Street

The old Red Lion in the High Street, Old Amersham. (for the meaning of the name Red Lion, see above) To Top Of Page

Rumseys Church Street

In Church Street there used to be a coaching inn called Rumseys. If anyone has any information on Rumseys, please email the web master To Top Of Page

Wheatsheaf Inn Thanks to a post on the Amersham forum and the Amersham Museum, information about this closed pub has been provided. There is not a great deal of information, as it appears to have been very small and mainly a drinking place for locals. It was sited at the eastern end of Amersham on the main road through the town, in the area known as Bury End. Precisely which house it occupied is difficult to say, it has been described as being opposite the entrance to Bury Farm. The Wheatsheaf was first licensed to sell beer in 1830 and was bought by the local Weller Brewery in 1842. It lost its license in 1936 and "in spite of a petition by 151 regulars" closed a year later. The Wheatsheaf was eventually demolished shortly after the end of the 2nd World War in 1945. Unfortunately the Museum does not have a photograph. Richard Ayres from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire has added to the mystery by saying "my memories of the Wheatsheaf Inn, Bury End, are at variance with the above (ed). Unless I have subconsciously taken on imagined memories from accounts given by my mother, I'm pretty sure that the pub (perhaps not open) and the row in which it stood was still standing in 1948. As a five-year old that year, I can remember being walked past it on my way home from St. Mary's School. It was across the road from George Piggot's greengrocery (now a private house a few yards on the London side of Bury Cottage). I think that row was still standing until as late as 1950." Anne Kaye from london writes about the Wheatsheaf- "This during the war was not a pub but a very slummy dwelling, where several evacuee families lived as best they could. It looked very picturesque, and as a child I thought it looked like something out of a fairytale!" If anyone has any more details or a photograph please email the web master To Top Of Page

White Hart High Street

A coaching inn, closed in the 1700s. You can spot other closed coaching inns by the arch ways through to courtyards where the stables and out buildings would have been. To Top Of Page

There were also many other inns and pubs in Amersham which have closed, some many hundreds of years Ago. Names such as the Angle, Queen's Head and Catherine Wheel. Other less official drinking venues existed, trying to keep one step ahead of the law.

Any additions, corrections, alterations, please email the web master


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