The area known as Cadmore End Common is nowadays close to the M40, but largely unseen from the motorway.

It is reached by turning south off the Marlow Road between Lane End and Stokenchurch. The name will be known to readers, but how many have visited the hamlet or know anything about its history?

Being close to the county border between Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, historically Cadmore End has been in two parishes and two counties. Part was a detached section of the parish of Lewknor in Oxfordshire, and the other part was a manor in the parish of Fingest in Buckinghamshire.

In 1852 it became a parish in its own right, and in 1896 the Oxfordshire part of the parish was transferred to Buckinghamshire.

The name Cademere was first noted in the records in 1235. The origin is “Cada’s Boundary” Cada being the name of a person (probably a Saxon) and “maere” to mean the edge, possibly of his landholding. The manor of Cadmore End was first recorded in the 16th century, when it was in the possession of the husband of Ann Countess of Warwick, daughter of the Duke of Somerset.

The manor passed through various hands, eventually being acquired by Lord Parmoor of Frieth in 1860. He was the grandfather of Sir Stafford Cripps, who became Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour government of Clement Atlee. Sir Stafford was born at Parmoor House (now St Katherine’s) in Frieth in 1889.

The church of St Mary-Le-Moor in Cadmore End is of relatively recent origin, having been built in 1851, but a Chapel of St Mary is known to have been in existence since 1247. The roof tiles of the present church were made locally at Cadmore End Kiln and the building is today Grade 2 listed.

Cadmore End has its own Church of England school, built to the north of the Marlow Road. When built the school would have had unbroken countryside on its northern side, but now it is located between the M40 and the Marlow Road.

Cadmore End Common has avoided the fate of many villages and hamlets and escaped the growth they experienced in the 20th century. The hamlet remains small and dispersed, much of it being a Conservation Area. Modern buildings are few as compared with older buildings. The oldest building is Kensham Farmhouse, whose origins date back to the 15th century. The farmhouse was altered in the 16th century and with extensions dating from the 16th to 17th century and from the 20th century.

The hamlet is renowned for the interesting characters who have lived there. The most bizarre is John (Jack) Butler, who was known locally as “the hermit” because he lived in a tiny shack in the woods made up of tree-boughs, dried leaves and corrugated iron sheets. Ramblers through the woods would sometimes come across him – tall and bearded with his hair down to his waist.

Jack was born in Cadmore End and brought up by his grandmother who made sure he was educated by sending him to a local school.

For many years he earned a living doing odd-jobs, one of which was tying up bundles of wood. On reaching 65 people from the village took his old age pension to his abode in the woods, and often included small luxuries.

He was at one time taken to the workhouse at Saunderton, but he soon returned to his shack.

Jack Butler convinced himself that he would never die, he thought of himself as a prophet, saying to visitors “I am not as other men are”.

During the winter in 1936 he was found lying very ill in his shack. The local doctor was summoned, but it was decided not to move him and he died the next day at the age of 88.

Among the famous people who have lived in Cadmore End was the Labour politician Barbara Castle, who was the MP for Blackburn from 1945 to 1979, making her at the time the longest-serving female MP in the history of the House of Commons.

Another was Sir Mortimer Wheeler, the famous archaeologist, being the author of 24 books on the subject, as well as a director of the London Museum and the Museum of Wales. He was a hero of WWI, being awarded the Military Cross for action at Western Front.

The second Cadmore End local history and art exhibition is taking place in the village hall on Saturday September 28 from noon to 2.00 pm. Entrance is free, all are welcome to attend.