River Misbourne - Harewood Downs


River Misbourne
The Misbourne flows south eastwards

Post to the west Day's Wood
Post to the south Mill Lane

Amersham Road
This does not appear as a road until the post-medieval period, but it location and route makes it likely to have been a prehistoric path. It was a turnpike road
The Ivy House. Public House. The Ivy is a two-storey building of early 19th century date. This is shown on a map of 1794 and there may have been an earlier building here.  It was a coaching inn and until reasonably recently was called The Rose and Crown. There is said to be the ghost of a malefactor who escaped while being taken to London but was later hung after murdering someone in an attempt to escape.  There is also the ghost of a stable hand. The building is in flint rubble with painted flint dressings. There is a veranda on the front and a coach house in flint.
Milestone
Harewood Downs House. Harewood Downs had been a farm since 1696 and was sold in 1900 to property developer James Gurney. He sold it on to a Herbert Humby.


Bottom House Farm Lane
Lower Bottom House Farm. The house and farm buildings are 18th. Granary which is 18th timber stud granary on stone steddles. There are medieval field layouts to the south of the farm
Roman remains found south of the farm

Harewood Downs Golf Course.
This was part of the land of Harewood Downs Farm sold in 1900 to property developer James Gurney. Gurney was an agent in the setting up of the golf club.  The club’s origins were financed by Busick Pemberton a London Solicitor who with Archie Grove saw the golf course project as a business opportunity, following the extension of the Metropolitan line to Rickmansworth. Grove lived at Pollard’s Park and his family had owned Harewood Downs farm 1835 -1892 and repurchased in parcels for the course.  A company to launch it was set up in 1907 and the list of early members include two prime ministers and a huge selection of lords and like persons. It opened in 1908.

Pollards Wood
The name could indicate medieval wood pasture. The majority of the wood lies to the east of this square.

South Bucks Footpath
This runs parallel to the river on the opposite side of the valley to the main road and may be an earlier prehistoric route

Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Buckinghamshire County Council. Web site
Chalfont History. Web site
English Heritage. Web site
Harewood Downs Golf Course. Web site
The Ivy House. Web site

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