The Marlow Society is a registered charity whose efforts are
devoted to the preservation and development of Marlow and the
surrounding villages and countryside.
This cache is based on the Marlow Society's publication 'Marlow
Town Walk' which is available from the Information Centre in Marlow
(now moved from the High Street to Institute Road) for 30p. An
online version and more historical information is available from
the Marlow Society
website.
The above coordinates are for Marlow High Street. There is a
large pay and display public car park close by at Court Garden
which is at the start of the trail. Follow the circular Town Trail
and answer the questions below to find the coordinates for the
cache.
1) Court Garden and Higginson Park
Court Garden now houses the Marlow Leisure Centre and Shelley
Theatre. Walk round to look at the back of the house which was
built in the mid 18th century by a Dr Battie, (who specialised in
nervous diseases). He designed it himself and is said to have
forgotten at first to put in a staircase. It is rumoured that this
is where the expression 'batty' originated. The house and
surrounding park were bought by public subscription in Marlow in
1926. The presentation to the town was made by General Sir George
Higginson, (a veteran of the Crimean war), at a ceremony to
celebrate his 100th birthday. The park was named after him and now
contains a statue of Sir Steve Redgrave, erected following his
record fifth gold medal for rowing at the 2000 Olympic Games.
(2) Marlow Bridge, All Saints Church, The Compleat Angler and
the Causeway.
The present suspension bridge was built in 1832 and was designed
by William Tierney Clark who used the same overall design for
bridges at Hammersmith and Budapest. All Saints Church was rebuilt
in 1835 but there has been a church on more or less the same site
since the 11th century. It contains many interesting memorials and
hatchments, including a monument to William Horsepoole (1624),
related by marriage to George Washington. From the bridge there is
a fine view of the river, the weir and lock and the famous
'Compleat Angler' hotel. The statue on the Causeway is a memorial
to Charles Frohman, a famous theatrical impresario, who went down
with the 'Lusitania' in 1915. From the Churchyard turn right and
follow the footpath to Saint Peter Street.
(3) Saint Peter Street.
This charming street, with its truly varied mix of old
dwellings, runs down to the river and all previous bridges crossed
the river from this point. During the Civil War in the 17th century
the street, which now is free of through traffic (for it ends at
the river's edge), was heavily defended to protect the river
crossing. Note the interesting houses and cottages and also, on the
right, Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church designed by Pugin. Seen
through a pointed archway the church, built in 1845-8, is most
notable for its broached spire. Pugin also designed the individual
school and master's house close by.
(4) Marlow Place
Facing you at the top of Saint Peter Street is Marlow Place, a
fine Georgian mansion probably built for John Wallop, first Earl of
Portsmouth and stylistically attributed to the architect Thomas
Archer -circa 1720. From the side drive of Marlow Place you will
have a good view back to the Old Parsonage - probably the oldest
building in Marlow town; parts of it date back to the 14th
century.
(5) The High Street
Walk along Station Road and turn right into the High Street.
Keep to the right hand side. On the opposite side of the road note
the elegant town houses associated with Marlow's Brewery - now part
of a high quality housing and office development. Moving on further
you will then pass on your right the early 17th century Chequers
Inn and also Cromwell House, an 18th century classical town house.
Look up to see the plaque commemorating Edwin Clark, a famous
Victorian engineer. Other buildings in the street have interesting
facades, often the result of refacing older properties. These can
be seen by looking up above the shop fronts.
(6) The Crown & the Obelisk
The Crown was built in 1807 as the town's Market House,
replacing the former wooden building. It has a fine Assembly Room
on the first floor. (Note that the Crown is now a kitchen shop)The
original Crown Hotel, which was a famous coaching inn stood
immediately to the right of the present building and is now shops
and offices. The Obelisk commemorates the Hatfield to Bath turnpike
road.
The Town Clock: Up until recently the clock, atop The Crown, had
been rather overlooked and almost forgotten as a valuable component
of Marlow’s history. In collaboration with Marlow Town
Council the 'Tempus Fugit' Group was set up to restore the town
clock in time for its bi-centenary. The clock was given to the town
in 1805 by Pascoe Grenfell (M.P. for Great Marlow 1807-1819) an
associate of Sir Thomas Williams (The Copper King). Williams
presented the Market building to Marlow in 1807 as a Town Hall
comprised of a covered market, fire station and assembly room
(7) West Street
Walk past the Ship Inn which has 17th century timbers, reputedly
from former warships. T S Eliot the poet and Thomas Love Peacock,
the author both lived in Marlow for a short time and are
commemorated by plaques high up on numbers 31 and 47.
(8) Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
In 1624 Sir William Borlase founded in West Street, Marlow, a
free school to provide basic education for 24 poor boys, to 'read
and write and cast accounts' and 24 poor girls to knit, spin and
make bone lace. It is now a mixed grammar school. His original
building still stands proud amid much enlargement of the 19th and
20th centuries. The whole edifice on the north side of West Street
beyond its commercial sector presents a fine example of gabled
brick and flint structure centred upon a high archway.
Shelley Cottages to the right of the school in West Street is the
pretty row of whitewashed cottages with Gothic windows, marked by a
plaque, where the famous poet Shelley and his wife, Mary, lived.
This was their home for a year from 1817-18 before they went to
Italy. While Percy Bysshe Shelley's work is world renowned, it was
his wife's creation of her novel, 'Frankenstein', while at Marlow,
that gained the greatest popular fame. Intricate ogee shaped window
frames give the property its Gothic touch but the true Gothic
influence obviously came from within.
(9) Remnantz
Remnantz in Marlow's West Street is a large early 18th century
red brick house which, during early 19th century, served as part of
the original Royal Military Academy. It housed the junior section
of the Royal Military College for about ten years before it moved
to Sandhurst. The house was originally 4 storey. The top storey was
removed in the early 19th century some time after the Royal
Military College left. Subsequently the Wethered family who owned
the town brewery Remnantz and it remains with the Wethereds to this
day. A splendid stable block in the Wren style, now converted into
two dwellings, adjoins the main house. The wooden clock tower is
surmounted by a cupola and the weather vane has a small man firing
a cannon, recalling the military use of the building.
If you retrace your steps a short distance there is a footpath
down Portlands Alley on the further side of the small public car
park - this will take you back to Court Garden where this circular
tour began.
The cache is a short walk across the park and can be found
at:
N 51º AB.C(3xD)E W 000º (2xF)J.HCG