High Wycombe is 29 miles (46Km) North West of London and just 20 miles (32Km) from Heathrow and with good rail and road links it is a popular and thriving town. Known for its furniture making in the 19th Century, making use of local resources in the wooded valley (or combe in old English) that gave rise to the town's name.
The centre was largely rebuilt in the 1960s when the River Wye was culverted and two shopping centres were built. The Octagon shopping centre spreads from the High Street to Newlands car park and will be connected to the Eden Shopping Centre in 2008. There is also the Chilterns Shopping Centre located in the Frogmoor area so shoppers are well served. The High Street has numerous 18th and 19th Century buildings including the Guildhall, the old Cornmarket and the Wycombe Swan Theatre and Town Hall, which hosts the Swan Dance season and several West End shows.
