The town of Thame derives its name, not surprisingly, from the fact that the north part of the city rests ride aside the gorgeous River Thame. The Thame has been a nourishing and life-giving part of some of England's finest cities and it was off of this noble body of water that some of England's earliest cities were born. Thame is just such a city and it finds its roots in the early days of the Anglo-Saxon era. In those days England as we know it was more or less made up of competing tribes and clans that were all doing their best to take control of the bountiful continent. By 1138 Thame had its own abbey and in those days that was the surest way for a location to take hold and become a full-fledged city. Unfortunately, the abbey was not in power for very long because the famous and controversial act known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries was right around the corner. The Abbey was destroyed and on its final resting place Thame Park began to be built.
Luckily, Thame Park and the house that is its centerpiece was itself an admirable and lovely location. By the early 1500s the park was expanded and the famous Abbot's House was constructed. This edifice is notable due to the fact that it is easily among the earliest incarnations of the then-new Italian Renaissance that had just begun to sweep through England. A visitor to Thame today can see this lovely relic and also notice a few other architectural eras that were seamlessly incorporated into the structure including an entire west wing built in the classic Georgian style in the 1700s.
Another great example of the impressive and eclectic architecture inherent in Thame is the famed Mary the Virgin Church. This beautiful parish church was built in the early decades of the 1200s and at the time it was crafted in the Early English style that was all the rage at the time. Throughout the years, though, Mary the Virgin was rebuilt and renovated to fit other styles that became more prominent. For a time the church took on the appearance of "Decorated Gothic" and even later it became altered to become by definition "Perpendicular Gothic". It still stands proudly to this day and a discerning fan of architecture can see traces of all the styles that this malleable church took on through the years. There are even bells in the church that were crafted in the late 1800s, furthering the church's tradition of incorporating architectural eras that span hundreds of years. Nearly all around the town you can see evidence of Thame reinventing itself and its architecture throughout the centuries. The famed High Street takes on the appearance of an 18th century street despite the fact that many of the buildings are far older. This is due to the fact that the town renovated a large amount of the buildings on the street during the 1700s. All of this converges to create a town that is both timeless and existent in every time. As such, Thame is far and away one of the most exciting towns for burgeoning architects and purveyors of the genre. Thame is a great town to visit for other people too, though, and one can be assured that there is truly something to love for everybody in this ever-changing city.
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