The Rolling Pin – the mystery of the mound!

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Ever wondered what that mound surrounded by trees is?

The circular earth mound ringed by trees located in the Upper Park is known locally as the Rolling Pin. But what is it?
For many years it was thought to be a prehistoric bowl barrow and it was given a Scheduled Monument listing accordingly. It was also rumoured to be the location of Chesham’s long lost Windmill.

Others believed that the mound was the site of a seventeenth century smock mill. And yet more locals thought it may also have been used as a belvedere tower.

However, a 2012 investigation by the Chess Valley Archaeological & Historical Society (CVAHS) revealed that although it has a foundation of bricks, it was not strong enough to support a building so was maybe for a viewing platform. This then became a dumping ground for, amongst other things, 200 wine bottles C. 1800 so it is in fact a rubbish tip, albeit a rather old one!

Disappointing as this is, it’s a great place to visit. Children love to play on and around it and the view from this area of the Park extends out across Chesham town to the hills beyond and on to the Chilterns. There is a now an interpretation board nearby that tells you more about the town and surrounding area.

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Did Chesham have a Windmill?

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Lacey Green windmill is the oldest of its kind in the country. But do its origins lie here in Chesham?

Chesham windmill

Most references to the windmill at Lacey Green (picture above), near Princes Risborough, including the Chesham history books by Clive Birch and George Piggin, state categorically that it was built in 1650 at Chesham, and stood here for its first 170 years. Apparently it was dismantled and removed to Lacey Green in 1821 by order of the Duke of Buckingham. But where is the evidence for this removal?
In fact it seems that the details were first recorded in 1932 by Donald Smith in his book English Windmills – Volume 2. He also noted the numbered timbers in the tower, indicating that it was dismantled and reassembled. It is now widely recognised that all timber structures were prefabricated and often parts were numbered before their assembly.
The original site for the windmill is claimed to be the grounds of Chesham’s long-gone Bury Hill House, on a mound known locally as ‘the rolling pin’ (picture below).

The Rolling Pin

This is on the ridge at the top of Lowndes Park. The Chesham Town Picture, of c1760, shows a small structure on a mound at the top of the park (picture below). The painting uses much artistic licence, but it does look more like an architectural feature linked to the house.

A few years ago the Chess Valley Archaeological & Historical Society (CVAHS) carried out a survey of the mound as part of The Festival of British Archaeology Week. It is a scheduled monument, so only a geophysical survey using a resistivity meter (measuring moisture with electrical resistance) was allowed. CVAHS tells us that the survey results (picture below) show a circular structure 22 metres in diameter enclosed by a thin partially complete darker coloured ring. This is interpreted as a narrow ditch surrounding the mound. The mound itself is indistinctive except for an intriguing ‘D’ shaped feature on its crest. It does exhibit many of the characteristics of a bowl barrow dating from the Neolithic period to the early Bronze Age (2400 – 1500 BC). These barrows tend to be found on higher ground and it is known that many were reused for other functions, including foundations for windmills.

Why wind when we have water?

In the 19th century, Chesham had at least five watermills on the River Chess. Water power is more reliable than wind power, raising the question as to whether a windmill would have been necessary. It would also have been a major undertaking to cart the huge wooden and metal machinery over 10 miles from Chesham, but such removals certainly took place elsewhere in the country.

The windmill was dated to 1650 by leading authority Stanley Freese, based on the design features of the machinery within. This makes it the oldest surviving smock mill in England (the term derives from its resemblance to an old man wearing a smock). Freese (1902-1972) lived at South Heath, near Great Missenden, and cycled all over the UK sketching and photographing mills. Among the books that he wrote were In Search of English Windmills in 1931, and Windmills and Millwrighting in 1957.

From 1971 the windmill was restored from a state of almost total collapse by volunteers from The Chiltern Society. Michael Highfield, author of the Society’s guide to the windmill, refers to a 96-year-old lady who had lived in Lacey Green all her life and remembered being chased away from ‘Cheshums Mill’ as a child. The windmill was run by the Cheshire family from 1863 to 1915 and the Buckinghamshire dialect may have caused this confusion.

Furthermore, the will of Peter Tyler of Loosley Row, dated March 1808, strongly suggests an earlier windmill on the Lacey Green site, although in theory this could have been destroyed and replaced.
James Venn, a retired lecturer and an old friend of Stanley Freese, points out that because mills were taxed there would have been a record of its existence in Chesham.

It would appear that sadly we may no longer be able to stake a claim to this historic landmark.

This article first appeared in Chesham Towntalk No 41 Autumn/Winter 2009.
It appears here with the kind permission of the author, Peter Hawkes, of
Hawkes Design & Publishing Ltd
59a The Broadway
High Street
Chesham
Bucks
HP5 1BX
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Wildlife and special trees

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Wildlife

The park is a great place to see a ;

What does the Council do and what does FOLP do?

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Who’s really in charge of the park and it’s future?

Lowndes Park is managed by Chesham Town Council. The management of the park is guided by a Management Plan written by the Council’s Policy and Projects Officer in consultation with the Town Clerk, Parks and Premises Manager and the Friends of Lowndes Park.

The Friends of Lowndes Park is a voluntary community group designed to protect and improve the park now, and for future generations. It raises money to improve the park, organises working parties and works a liaison between the people of Chesham and the Council.
The day-to-day implementation of the park plan is the responsibility of the Parks and Premises Manager and the majority of the work is undertaken by the Parks and Premises team, with additional work undertaken by contractors and volunteer groups, such as the Friends of Lowndes Park.

Administration is performed by the Council’s administrative officers, who are based at the Town Hall.

The management of the park is influenced by feedback from community groups, the general public and guidance from experts.
The Parks and Premises team members have undergone a broad range of training, including horticultural practice, health and safety, First Aid, IT, maintenance, equipment operation and customer care.

As a result, the work of the Parks and Premises department is a flexible combination of scheduled tasks (e.g. weekly bin emptying), seasonal tasks (like mowing) and reactive tasks (such as repairing play equipment). The Parks and Premises Department is based in the Depot in Lowndes Park which places them ideally to have a frequent and visible presence in the park. However, the department is responsible for a number of additional open spaces and the department’s man hours are spread across all sites. On average, the team spends 32 hours per week in Lowndes Park.
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Scottowes Pond needs a clean up

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Help! The pond is dying and needs your help!

Skottowes Pond was dug out in the early 18th Century and it’s in desperate need of cleaning up. The pond is approximately 120m long and 40m at its widest point, with concrete edging and a path running around its entire edge. Water is supplied by a borehole, licensed by the Environment Agency, which feeds the pond’s fountain. The pond water feeds into the the River Chess

The problem:

  • The run-off from the main road through Chesham, running adjacent to the pond, means the pond has been contaminated with what is now considered toxic waste. This silt could be removed, but the costs are stratospheric. We are looking into alternatives to cover the silt.
  • Water levels in the pond have lowered due to the silting and there is a lack of aquatic vegetation for wildlife.
  • The pond is overly dominated with domestic geese that have been abandoned in the park. In a recent survey of the park, over 60% of respondents said that the wildfowl populations were too high. In consultation with the Friends of Lowndes Park, park users referred to the fact that they didn’t eat lunch near the pond as they were harassed by the geese and some parents didn’t take their children there because of the proliferation of goose excrement.
  • The island has been eroded by overuse caused by the proliferation of mostly domestic fowl.
  • There is little or no aquatic planting to encourage wildlife.
  • The path around the pond is deteriorating and is in need of repair. The footpath along the western side of the pond is narrow and this can make it difficult for people to pass other path users.

Our Plans:

We are encouraging the Council to work with us to follow the masterplan and progress the renovation of Skottowes Pond. We will be applying for grants and raise donations for the work. There is also a policy for waterfowl management that has been drafted by the Council and will be developed in consultation with the public.

In addition we’d love to:

  • Improve access around the pond
  • Suppress the silt
  • Establish an area of aquatic planting to encourage greater biodiversity in the pond area
  • Stabilise the island, replant and create more foliage cover

If you can help, please donate or get involved.
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What’s going on with the Performance space steps?

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Well, first things first we should state that a dedicated bandstand or performance space was never properly designed in Lowndes Park. (Check out the history of the park to see how it was actually a private garden!)

In the 1920s, after Chesham District Council leased the lower park as a public recreation ground, a circular paved area with a rose arbour was ;