The Maltings in Old Amersham – Film Location for Plummer’s Relish & Calder’s Biscuit

The Maltings in Amersham is a film location for: Plummer’s Relish Factory in Little Upton (08×07: Sauce for the Goose), and Calder’s Biscuits Factory in Badger’s Drift (16×05: The Killings of Copenhagen)

 

Film Location for Midsomer Murders

Two factories in Midsomer County have twice been set in the former brewery buildings in picturesque Old Amersham:

• Plummer’s Relish Factory (08×07: Sauce for the Goose)
• Calder’s Biscuits Factory (16×05: The Killings of Copenhagen)

 

Amersham – A Village in a Chocolate Box

The town was first mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon document in 796 as Agmodesham. Apparently the name of the place was adapted from the first name of the local prince, for in 1086 it belonged to Ealmond, who was close to the king, and was recorded in the Domesday Book as Elmodesham. The suffix -ham is the Anglo-Saxon word for a settlement or village on a water meadow. And indeed, the risk of flooding from the River Misbourne is relatively high here.

The link with the English king continued through the Norman and Plantagenet periods, and in 1200 King John granted permission for a weekly market and an annual fair. This was the beginning of Old Amersham and its High Street, which is still the centre of the town today. Many tradesmen then settled along this street, especially craftsmen: leather workers, chair caners, straw weavers, lacemakers and especially the makers of the ‘Amersham Veil’, black lace.

Amersham town has changed little since the 17th and 18th centuries, and so has its landscape. John Leland’s description of it in 1540 as ‘a right pretty market town, well built with timber’ still holds true today. (John Leland was a Tudor historian and author).

Its parish church, St Mary the Virgin, whose origins date back to around 1140, dominates the town’s skyline with its imposing tower and Drake family chapel. Its floor was raised in the 15th century to avoid flooding, and the exterior was faced with flints in 1890. For a long time the church was the religious and social centre of the town, to which all citizens were obliged to flock on Sundays and feast days.

 

A Centre for Mind, Faith and Movement

As well as being shaped by the established church, Amersham was also a centre of religious dissent and diversity. As early as the 16th century, the Lollards challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and advocated the translation of the Bible into English. Later the town became a refuge for Quakers, Baptists and Methodists. During the Civil War, the town strongly supported the Parliamentary side, perhaps influenced by its long tradition of Nonconformist movements and its stubborn spirit of resistance to ecclesiastical paternalism and royal authority.

From the 17th century it was also an educational centre and a transport centre, important both for coach travel and later with the arrival of the railway as an important stop for travellers on the main routes between London and Birmingham and between Hatfield and Reading. These routes led to the development of many inns and taverns in Amersham, providing accommodation and rest for travellers and their horses. Particularly in the days of coach travel, the town was renowned for its overnight accommodation and ‘comfort stops’ on the long journeys between the major cities. Many of the inns in the High Street date from this period, although their facades have been modernised many times over the centuries. The oldest parts of the buildings, particularly at the rear, still retain their original timber frame construction.

The arrival of the Metropolitan Railway in 1892 gave the town a new direction. The station, built at Amersham-on-the-Hill, almost a mile from the old town, marked the beginning of urban expansion. Soon after the station opened, the former farms, pubs and common land were replaced by commuter housing. Architect John Kennard was instrumental in the development of the new district with his Arts and Crafts designs, which set it apart from the old town and gave it its characteristic ‘Metroland’ feel. This development was aided by the increasing number of commuters from London who discovered Amersham-on-the-Hill as an attractive place to live. Other 1930s architecture, such as Chiltern Parade and the striking Bank at Oakfield Corner, cemented the modern character of the new district.

With the railway came the transformation of Amersham-on-the-Hill into a London suburb, increasingly detached from its historic old town. It became not only a new centre for commuters, but also an example of the changes brought about by Metroland – a term coined by the Metropolitan Railway to encourage people to move out of London and into the suburbs.

 

The History of The Maltings

As the first coaching inn for travellers from London to Birmingham, the town’s coaching inns and guesthouses needed a large supply of beer. This necessitated the establishment of local breweries and maltings, which were favoured by the River Misbourne because its location on the river was important for powering the waterwheel that drove the machinery for cleaning the harvested grain and steeping the barley. Steeping required large quantities of water to start the germination process. River water was therefore diverted into the steeping pans as needed and then returned to the river.

William Weller, a Wycombe maltster, bought a malting near St Mary’s Church in 1775 and moved to the town with his wife Ann and their rapidly growing family. The brewery became the town’s largest employer, selling Weller’s Entire Stout beer through a chain of local inns. The family prospered.

In 1829 the Weller family built a new complex on Barn Meadow, possibly on the site of an earlier maltings. The complex was specially designed for malting and the superstructures on the roof acted as fans for the kilns. One-room houses were built for the widows of the employees, next to the first entrance to The Maltings. The Wellers held an annual sprat roast, inviting all the townspeople to roast sprats on shiny steel malt shovels. The Maltings provided a home for many families in Amersham – including maltsters who had to work near the kilns, and carters who stabled their huge draught horses within the complex.

However, the Malthouse was not without its setbacks. In 1837, The Times reported a devastating fire that completely gutted the malthouse and caused at least £5,000 worth of damage – the equivalent of around £700,000 in current value (2024). At the time, £5,000 would have bought a stately home in a good location in London, or a country house in a more rural area.

 

What Happened Afterwards

Five generations of the Weller family ran the business until they closed the brewery in 1929 and sold it to James Long, who, together with property developer William Matthews, wanted to turn it into a glamorous leisure development. Their idea was to create a country club with an indoor swimming pool and badminton courts. Some structural changes were made, but the project was never fully realised as Matthews died in a railway accident in 1934. Long then concentrated on converting the brewery buildings, which were later converted into a hotel with sports facilities.

From the 1940s the site was taken over by Amersham Prints, which manufactured textiles and, during the Second World War, kite balloons, barrage balloons and inflatable dinghies. This conversion contributed to the war effort and marked the site’s transition from brewery to industrial manufacturing. Over the following decades the site was used for offices, light industry and an art gallery.

Following use by Amersham Prints and conversion to offices and light industry in the last decades of the 20th century, the site became increasingly underused from the 1980s and eventually fell into disrepair. The textile mill closed and the complex fell into disrepair over the years. The Maltings have been empty since 2017.

 

Present Day: Future Uncertain

In October 2022, a planning application for The Maltings sparked a lively debate. Planning consultants DLBP Ltdsubmitted the application on behalf of Thomdell Developments Ltd, an experienced local developer specialising in residential projects. The aim of the scheme was to preserve the historic existed buildings of the complex and to enhance the area with new buildings and upgrades.

The plans centred on two listed buildings to be retained, while three non-listed buildings were to be demolished and replaced by two new buildings. A total of 45 new homes were proposed, ranging from one-bedroom to three-bedroom apartments. The application also included the refurbishment of four existing flats, provision of 78 parking spaces, and to retain the main listed buildings. In the planning statement, Thomdell Developments argued that the buildings to be demolished would not make a positive contribution to the historic environment. On the contrary, their demolition would ‘reveal hidden historic buildings’ and visually enhance the area.

However, not all residents shared this view and the proposed changes were met with mixed reactions. More than 30 residents and neighbours and the Amersham Society raised concerns in letters to the town. Increased traffic congestion was a particular concern: School Lane, a narrow road, was already congested at peak times, particularly with the drop-off and pick-up traffic from the nearby school. The proposed parking would not be sufficient to meet the needs of the sum of 49 flats. There were also concerns about potential environmental damage. Critics accused the developers of failing to take account of the nearby River Misbourne, which could be polluted by building materials. There were no plans to incorporate the river into the design or to protect its banks.

Following continued opposition, Thomdell Developments submitted a revised version of the planning application in the end of 2023. The number of proposed apartments was reduced to 38 and the number of car parking spaces was maintained at 78. The developer also undertook to preserve trees protected by the council, including eight walnut trees and a hornbeam. These trees had previously been protected by a Tree Preservation Order from the council after residents raised concerns about potential damage to the vegetation. Despite the changes, the proposed entrance and exit on Pondwicks Road is criticised. They claim it is too narrow for two lanes and would be further obstructed by a gate. Waste disposal and congestion at peak times also remain unresolved.

 

Read more about Midsomer Murders & History

The Chronology of Midsomer County by Year or by Episodes • Deep Dives into Midsomer & History.

 

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