Thame
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the town in England. For the village near Mount Everest, see Thame, Nepal.
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.
Thame railway station closed in 1963, but the town is now served by Haddenham and Thame Parkway railway station. On the third Thursday of September the town stages the largest one day agricultural show in the United Kingdom.
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.
Famous citizens 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.
- 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. This has been adopted as the official logo of the Thame Town Council.
- Thame is home to Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees and also Bill Francis of music producing fame.
