Maps — The town of Denham in 1986 and today

The two maps show how the town of Denham has changed since 1986.

Overall, Denham has become markedly more residential: its farm, its large private gardens and the spare land along the main street have all been given over to housing, and its services have scaled up accordingly — while the church and the old cottages stand exactly as they did.

In 1986 the River ran along the northern edge of town and Stonehouse Street formed the main axis. West of the street lay Rose Farm and its land; to the south were large private gardens; and on the eastern side stood a row of cottages, a post office and, further south, the church. A few houses lined the street itself.

Today the pattern of ownership has changed completely. The farm has become a housing estate that keeps its old name, and the gardens have been replaced by retirement flats. Stonehouse Street has been extended, with additional houses along it, and the post office has grown into a supermarket to serve the larger population. A new footbridge crosses the river at the top of the town. Through all of this, the cottages and the church remain untouched — the fixed points around which Denham has rebuilt itself.