Earliest known photograph of panoramic view of Wycombe

Whilst researching last week’s article about the professional photographers who came to High Wycombe to offer their services in the late 19th century, I came across what must be one of the earliest photographs showing a panoramic view of High Wycombe. This was taken by Henry Taunt and with the help of my partner on the SWOP project Harvey Coltman have identified some of the key buildings shown in the picture.

We don’t know the exact date that the photograph was taken, but from features shown in the photograph it must have been between 1866 and 1870. The Wesleyan Church which still stands in Priory Road is clearly visible; this was opened in 1866. The railway track which is a main feature in the photograph is broad gauge, as originally installed in 1856; it was not changed to standard gauge until August 1870.

Interestingly, that date range is a few years earlier than Taunt established a business presence in the town, so he probably travelled over to Wycombe from his base in Oxford to take the photograph. It was early in 1876 when he leased premises at No. 81 Easton Street. The business was probably in association with another professional photographer F J Findlow, although Taunt appointed his colleague Miss Fanny Miles as manager.

The features which are numbered in the photograph are;

1. The first Free Methodist Church. This was built in 1863, in Oxford Road on the corner with Temple Street. Eventually the congregation outgrew the church, so several adjacent cottages in Remington Terrace were bought by the movement. The church and these cottages were demolished, and a new church was built. This could seat 450 people and was opened for worship in 1911. It was a handsome brick and stone building fronting on Oxford Road. Behind was a large schoolroom and classrooms, which had been built in 1900 after the purchase and demolition of several cottages in Temple Street. The coming of the new road system in the town required the demolition of the church and schoolrooms in 1965 and the congregation moved to a new church on the heights near Downley.

2. Remington Terrace in the Oxford Road, tenements which were reached from the road via footbridges over the river Wye. All but two were demolished in 1965 to allow the construction of the new road system.

3. Van Place, which was behind the Van Inn, off Oxford Road, again demolished in 1965.

4. This is the entrance to what was called the Bellfield Tunnel under the railway, which was opened in 1856.

5. The railway built in the 1850s was Brunel Broad Gauge, converted to Standard Gauge in 1870.

6. The Frogmoor Saw Mills and timber yard were on the west side of Frogmoor, and were replaced in 1910 by a cinema and adjoining swimming baths.

7. A part of the roof of Frogmoor House can just be made out, which at this time was the home of Mayor Hayden.

8. The Wesleyan Methodist Church in Priory Road. This replaced the original Wesleyan chapel in St Mary’s Street and was built on land in Priory Road, at that time called Cemetery Road, purchased from Lord Carrington. It first opened for worship on July 12, 1866.

9. Watercress beds associated with the river Wye.

10. The lettering LU BRE can just be made out on the roof of this building, which was Lucas's Frogmoor Brewery. This fronted onto Priory Road but was connected to Frogmoor by an alleyway.

IMAGES

Top Pic

RHW15175 Looking SE from the Bellfields’ area, an early panoramic view over High Wycombe, late 1860s.

RHW01516 The original Palace Cinema and adjoining Swimming Baths on the west side of Frogmoor, c1910.

RHW12428 The front elevation of the Wesleyan Methodist church in Priory Rd, September 1926.

BFP03207 Front view of Frogmoor House on the east side of Frogmoor, December 1903.

BFP04522 View of both sides of Oxford Road, the river Wye, and the footbridges across to Remington Terrace on the southern side,1908.