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Amersham Museum

PICTURE (TOP):
Workers at
Marlow Brewery
around 1900.
  • On the Weller family and their Amersham brewery:

Weller's Brewery was right in the centre of Amersham, next to the parish church and straddling the River Misbourne. Set up in the 18th century it flourished, employing half the men in the town, but closed in 1929 on the death of George Weller. Its buildings were later converted into offices and residential flats.

• More about the brewery's history is on the museum's website at Amersham brewery.

RIGHT: A section of the
brewery building
before its conversion.

William Weller, born in 1727, bought an interest in the brewery and two pubs in 1775. The family owned 142 pubs when the brewery closed 15 years later, more than a hundred in Buckinghamshire, the rest in neighbouring counties. The Wellers were known as 'good employers', setting up a fire brigade for the town, providing playing fields and supporting the bringing of the railway (beside which, of course, they built 'The Station Hotel').

• More about the Wellers' involvement in the brewery and Amersham can be found on the museum's website at The Weller family.

The Weller family became prominent in Amersham, second only to the Drakes, who were lords of the manor. From 1830 John Weller lived in the Queen Anne house now known at 'Piers Place' but then known as 'The Firs'. This is number 130 at the western end of the High Street. The house is timber-framed but cased in brick, and today it is Grade II-listed.

• More about this house and its later inhabitants is on the museum website at Piers Place.

LEFT: The front of the house today, facing the High Street.
  • Who we are:
  • Our museum covers the history of Amersham by looking at life in the town in 1580, 1775, 1892, 1939 and 1964. We work closely with local schools and other organisations helped by using our Vintage-style mobile museum 'Anthony'.
  • Our activities:
  • Following lockdown the museum is open at weekends, and our Tudor and Old Town Walks have restarted, though numbers are limited due to Covid-19 so pre-booking on our website is advised. To keep in touch with our many volunteers and followers throughout lockdown we have sent out regular digital newsletters
  • Our recent publications:
  • WOMEN AT WAR, A celebration of our local suffrage campaigners and their contribution to World War 1. £10 plus postage from Order 'Women at War'.
  • MUSEUM HERB GARDEN, An illustrated booklet detailing all the plants featured in the museum herb garden. Each plant's latinised and common name is given, as well as information about its medicinal or domestic use. £3.50 plus postage from Order 'Museum Herb Garden'.
  • Opening times and enquiries:
  • The museum is at 49 High Street, Old Amersham. Open Saturdays and Sundays,
    12 noon to 4:30pm    .
    For all enquiries, please contact Emily Toettcher, curator, at emily@amershammuseum.org.
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Thanks to Ralph Hilsdon at Amersham Museum for providing content for this page.