Nostalgia by Michael Eagleton

TAKING inspiration from one of Mike Dewey’s recent High Wycombe Nostalgia pages featuring former pubs, I thought I would do likewise with Marlow.

You might have seen a few of these pictures before, but I sometimes forget that the Marlow Free Press has a lot of new readers, and I had an email just recently from an enthusiastic youngster who was not even born when this column started in 2005!

1) The oldest picture on the page and in fact one of the first ever photographs of Marlow. Dating from 1859 this is Ye Olde Swan in the Causeway.

A pub with a dubious reputation as result of it being the “local” for the many bargees who tied up at the wharf by the bridge and had little better to do at night other than get sloshed. It was closed and demolished a few years later and replaced by the original Vicarage building.

2) The White Lion in West Street; its sign can be seen above. Now part of Platts’ car showrooms.

3) One of Dean Street’s many pubs – The Mint, very close to Spittal Square.

4) A bit further up in Dean Street, The Compasses, a Wheeler’s of Wycombe house, Mr & Mrs Carr at the door.

5) Almost opposite The Mint was The Cherry tree, with its distinctive green tiled frontage.

6) More a hotel than a pub, The Greyhound in Spittal Street, an historic 17th Century building that should have been preserved.

7) Right at the top of Dean Street, The Bank Of England, a Benskins’ house and source of many great stories and reminiscences.

8) The Wheelwrights’ Arms in Spittal Street, in the building where the recently closed down sandwich café was, but now apparently to become a Turkish barber’s. Fullers Brewery was in Maidenhead; no connection with the present day Fullers’ of Chiswick.

9) The Wheatsheaf in Station Road; the Way family outside.

Today a glass panelled door “Jug & Bottle” (the take-away counter) marks the spot.

10) The most recent pub to close down and be demolished, The Plough in Little Marlow Road.

11) Back to Dean Street for The Verney Arms, named after Sir Edmund Verney, M.P. for Buckingham, but who had unsuccessfully contested Great Marlow in 1868.

12) An alternative to a recent picture of The Red Lion in West Street, but still with that super lantern. They ran a car hire and taxi service (“Garage” is sign-written on the double gates) but also provided pony and trap for weddings or funerals.

13) The Horns in Chapel Street with landlord Mr Clements, plus a cyclist wanting to get in the picture.

The now empty Waitrose building is on this site.

I have plenty more similar pictures if anyone tells me that they are interested, but perhaps we will wait till the pubs are open again.

Contact Michael on michael@jazzfans.co or 01628 486571