The Amersham Arms

[Lunaticonthegrass]

On the latest Random 15, about 6 of us were together at New Cross (It was a twist round including Overground stations) and were waiting for a train back out. We spotted the pub The Amersham Arms outside the station and wondered why a pub with that name could be found here. It was speculated that it was because, once upon a time, New Cross was at one end of the Metropolitian Line, so it would have been possible to take a direct train between New Cross and Amersham.

However...

I've just looked at the Wikipedia page for the pub and it states that "A pub of that name has been present on the New Cross Road since at least the 1850s". So before the Metropolitian line existed and long before it was extended to either New Cross or Amersham. Still, it's a rather nice coincidence that direct travel between The Amersham Arms and its namesake town was once possible.

[greatkingrat]

Although technically on the same line, I doubt any direct trains ever ran from Amersham to New Cross, at least not regularly. Through trains from the ELL ran to Hammersmith (H&C) and South Kensington via Edgware Road at various times.

[RJSRdg]

It's possible that the pub may not be named directly after the place, but after a Duke, Earl or Lord who was named after the place.

For example, opposite my church there used to be a pub called the Granby, named after the Marquis of Granby,

[RJSRdg]

For example, opposite my church there used to be a pub called the Granby, named after the Marquis of Granby,

In fact, the Marquis of Granby is an interesting name for a pub.
Pubs bearing that name are named after John Manners, Marquis of Granby (1721-1770), a distinguished soldier who became Colonel of the King's Life Guards. When his best soldiers reached the point of retirement from the army, he gave each of them money to open a pub (so that the soldiers would have a retirement income). The only condition was that the pubs had to be named after him!