Chesham Bois

Prehistoric axehead found by a pupil at Chestnut Lane first schoolThe only prehistoric item found in Chesham Bois parish was a Mesolithic to Bronze Age flint axe-head, found at the first school on Chestnut Lane. The next oldest monument in the parish is St Leonard’s church, which was developed from  the former chapel of Bois Manor, built in the fourteenth century. Bois Manor had its own manor house, garden and parkland and was around where Bois House is now. A recent Time Team dig with the Chess Valley Archaeological and Historical Society found some of the remains of the previous manor houses, the current one being nineteenth century.

 

Mayhall Farm, which from the outside dates to the seventeenth to eighteenth century, but there were clues inside of a sixteenth century great hall and sixteenth to seventeenth century wall paintings survive. Other listed buildings in the parish date mainly to the eighteenth century, including Manor Farm Cottage and Rectory Cottage. Some of the barns are also listed and also date to the eighteenth century, such as barns at Mayhall Farm, and Manor Barn, converted to a house in 1928. Eighteenth century barns at Bois Farm are now part of Beacon School.