Chesham was not on any of the main stagecoach routes which went from London to places such as Birmingham or the West Country  –  these passed either through Amersham or Berkhampstead – but did have coaching inns of which the two main ones were the George and the Crown – both in the High Street. 

The George still exists today although the name has been changed to the George and Dragon, but the 400 year old Crown was demolished in 1959 and the Circle 7 shop now stands on the site.  

The Crown did not run any long distance stagecoach services but twice a week, the landlord ran a coach to High Wycombe.  The Crown offered customers a livery service as well.  People could either stable their own horses or hire a variety of different carriages (and the horses to pull them) from the inn.      

The stables at the George were rented by the Wyatt family during the late 18th and 19th centuries and they ran the daily stagecoach service to London from there, which went to the Bell & Crown Inn in Holborn.  

It is known that this service was up and running by at least 1790 (and possibly much earlier) and finished in 1853 when James Barnes’ horse drawn omnibuses started taking passengers going to London to local railway stations such as Rickmansworth and Berkhampstead instead.  

Other local inns such as the Nags Head (Red Lion Street) also offered livery services and would stable horses for those people who did not have stabling at home.  At the Stag in the High Street, the only way to the stables was via the front door of the pub and through the premises.  The Lamb (Broadway) and Golden Ball (Church Street) also advertised their stables.

© Eleanor Phillips, November 2022