The old town of Thame possibly dates back to the 7th century and formed part of the estate of the Bishop of Dorchester. It was known as Old Thame because in the 12th century, New Thame was formed out of adjacent manorial lands and that is where we are today.

The history of Thame is too long and interesting to dwell on here so we will just focus on the burgage plots and the walls which surround them. Burgage tenure was a characteristic of urban property holding, initially developing to provide protection for traders within the boundaries of a castle or monastic house.

Because the holders of these plots could not provide the usual labour services as well as managing their trade, they paid money rents instead - the common rent in this period being 12d. There were all sorts of rules, particularly concerning permission to build on them, split them and sell them.

A charter from 1250 notes that all burgesses (burgage tenants) were freeholders. The men who came to take up the new burgages would have been free men, not serfs, and this marked a considerable change in the nature of the population of Thame as a whole.

The three deeds of gift from Walter de Crendon to Robert Cok in 1320 specify that the burgage is held freehold:

“One place and land with in the middle a stinking pool in the same place as my free tenement in the new town of Thame …”

Burgage plots were about 700 feet long on the south side and 300 on the north and a standard width of four perches, giving about one acre. The walls forming the boundaries in 1275 would be stone, not brick; there was plenty of stone available in the area. The stone bases for the existing brick walls, which can still be seen in some of the plot boundaries, may well be the remains of these early walls.

The substantial hand-made tiles sitting on top of the wall keep out the rain and snow and were probably made in Victorian times.

This 19th century Ordnance Survey map shows the burgage plots in 1881. The planning authority makes it clear that the burgage walls must not be knocked down and that no building must take place on the burgage plots.

Perhaps looking at the map will spur you on to dig more into the history of Thame? But for now, we’ll leave you with an observation test. Look at the image below. Can you tell us where in Thame you’ll find this plaque?

The history behind Thame’s old walls