High Wycombe is on the river Wye and was known as Chepping or Chipping Wycombe until as late as 1911. In 2001 its population count made it the largest town in Buckinghamshire.
There is a mixture of industry and markets. There has been a market in the High Street since Medievil times. There is also a craft market in the Octagon Shopping Centre.
High Wycombe has been noted for being a mill town and then for paper mills and in the 19th century it turned to furniture, mainly chairs. Houses were built to accommodate the factory workers and it continued to be domination by the furniture industry until its decline in the 1960’s causing severe social and unemployment problems.
An interesting feature of High Wycombe is the fact that it is the only place in the world that weighs in its Mayors.
It has also been home to many famous people including Benjamin Disraeli, Frankie Vaughan and Dusty Springfield to name but a few.
The town has a bus station with services running through the suburbs and surrounding towns. It also has a railway station and has fast trains to London taking only thirty minutes. There are plans to expand the station to be included in the town centres redevelopment. Two junctions of the M40 serve the town making travelling easy.
The ‘Project Eden’ is to be a new development which will include a bowling alley , restaurants, bars and an extensive shopping centre. The current Octagon shopping centre will be join to the Eden Centre. Housing is also to be included in the development.
Flats for rent are plentiful in an around the area with a studio flat at £450 a month. A one bed flat is £550 a month and a two bed flat is between £650 and £750 a month.
Desborough Road provides shops and a large amount of takeaway cafes which are heavily used by students after a night out. At night, this area has become a crime area with vandalism and drug pushers.
Rye Park is well used and attractive, there is an open air swimming pool and the River Wye winds through the open space.
There are many public houses and restaurants in the town giving lots of variety for nights out.
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