| Thame (pronounced "Tame" with a silent | | | | Churchill in nearby Bladon. |
| "h") is a market town in Oxfordshire, | | | | The name Woodstock is Anglo Saxon in |
| England, on the River Thame between | | | | origin. At that time, English kings |
| Aylesbury and Oxford. It has a | | | | would log in the area of Woodstock whose |
| population of around 12,000. Situated | | | | name stands for a clearing in the woods. |
| just short of the county border, Thame | | | | The little river Glyme, in a steep and |
| lies close to the Buckinghamshire | | | | picturesque valley, divides the town |
| villages of Haddenham and Long Crendon. | | | | into New and Old Woodstock. |
| The town is 14 miles east of Oxford, 10 | | | | The Domesday Book describes Woodstock |
| miles south-west of Aylesbury and 47 | | | | (Wodestock, Wodestok, Wodestole) as a |
| miles from London. To the west of Thame | | | | royal forest; it is said that King |
| the A418 joins with the M40 motorway | | | | Alfred stayed at Woodstock in the year |
| linking London to Birmingham. | | | | 890. Another famous resident was |
| Founded in Anglo-Saxon times, Thame grew | | | | Ethelred the Unready, who is said to |
| up to service local agricultural | | | | have held a council there. Henry I may |
| activity and the nearby Cistercian | | | | have kept a menagerie in the park. |
| monastery at Thame Park, suppressed at | | | | Woodstock was the scene of King Henry |
| the Reformation. The church of St Mary | | | | II's courtship of Rosamund Clifford |
| the Virgin dates from about 1240. | | | | (Fair Rosamund). The market of the town |
| Thame railway station closed in 1963, | | | | was established when King Henry II gave |
| but the town is now served by Haddenham | | | | Woodstock a Royal charter in 1179. |
| and Thame Parkway railway station. On | | | | The town was altered greatly during the |
| the third Thursday of September the town | | | | 17th century, when the Duke of |
| stages the largest one day agricultural | | | | Marlborough became a permanent resident. |
| show in the United Kingdom. | | | | The local inn, the Bear, was capable of |
| W. Lucy & Co. has been based in the town | | | | accommodating vast numbers of visitors |
| since 2005. The town's two largest | | | | and horses. |
| employers are CPM and Travelodge, who | | | | The parish church (dedicated to St Mary |
| both have their Head Offices located on | | | | Magdalene) has a doorway of Norman |
| the periphery of town. | | | | origin. It features a musical clock |
| Famous citizens include courtier Lord | | | | which chimes every hour. The town hall |
| Williams of Thame, who founded Lord | | | | of Woodstock was built in 1766 after the |
| Williams's Grammar School in the town in | | | | designs of Sir William Chambers, and |
| 1559, and John Hampden. | | | | there are a number of 17th century |
| Thame is home to the very successful | | | | buildings in the centre. The almshouses |
| Chinnor Rugby Club who play in National | | | | were erected in 1798 by Caroline, |
| Division 3 South, they are the youngest | | | | duchess of Marlborough. Chaucer's House |
| club ever to play at this level. | | | | was once home to the poet Geoffrey |
| Trivia | | | | Chaucer. |
| According to J. R. R. Tolkien's story | | | | In the past the town prospered on |
| "Farmer Giles of Ham", Thame got its | | | | manufacturing gloves (since from the |
| name because of its resident tame | | | | 16th century). Today it is largely |
| dragon. | | | | dependent on tourists, many of whom |
| In 1940, a local truck driver called | | | | visit Bleinheim Palace. The Palace was |
| Willocks McKenzie whilst walking along | | | | designed by John Vanbrugh, in a heavy |
| the banks of the River Thame, discovered | | | | Italo-Corinthian style. It was |
| a hoard of gold coins and rings, thought | | | | designated to John Churchill, the first |
| to be at least four hundred years old. | | | | Duke of Marlborough. Most of the Palace |
| The Ashmolean Museum declared it to be | | | | was paid for by the nation. Churchill |
| 'Treasure Trove', and the collection can | | | | was given this palace in honour for his |
| still be found on display. One of the | | | | victories over the French and the |
| rings features a distinctive cross with | | | | Bavarians at Blenheim in 1704. |
| two horizontal sections. This has been | | | | The greater part of the art treasures |
| adopted as the official logo of the | | | | and curios were sold off in 1886, and |
| Thame Town Council. | | | | the great library collected by Charles |
| Thame is home to Robin Gibb of the Bee | | | | Spencer, earl of Sunderland, the |
| Gees. | | | | son-in-law of the first duke of |
| Woodstock is a small town in | | | | Marlborough, in 1881. The magnificent |
| Oxfordshire, England. It is located | | | | park contains Fair Rosamund's Well, near |
| about 12 kilometres north of Oxford, | | | | which stood her bower. On the summit of |
| 72.75 miles W.N.W. of London. | | | | a hill stands a column commemorating the |
| The Princess Elizabeth was famously kept | | | | duke. Blenheim Park forms a separate |
| a prisoner here, in the gatehouse of | | | | parish. |
| Woodstock Manor (the manor itself being | | | | The Oxfordshire Museum, the county |
| too dilapidated to house her). | | | | museum of Oxfordshire, is housed in a |
| The town is well known as the site of | | | | large historic house, Fletcher’s |
| Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill | | | | House, in the centre of Woodstock. |
| was born in 1874, and the grave of | | | | |