Discover the eventful lives of some of the chairmakers buried in High Wycombe Cemetery. Talk by local historian Sally Scagell, held at Wycombe Museum.

A map of the cemetery can be provided for anyone who would like to visit the discussed graves for themselves.

By the time High Wycombe Cemetery opened in 1855 a large proportion of the town’s inhabitants were involved in the chair trade. Whole families earned a living from the numerous aspects of making and selling chairs and the related activities of furniture production. Prosperity in the trade allowed many a canny chair manufacturer to become part of an upwardly mobile group who, at the end of their days, could afford to have a family burial plot with an elaborate headstone. The trade however was very competitive and not everyone was so lucky. Although some makers excelled themselves in high quality chairs, often upholstered and with ornate carvings, the majority of chairs were relatively basic to meet the increasing demand from London and elsewhere. This talk will tell the stories of both rich and poor, their marriages and family conflicts, their lavish homes or bankruptcy.

---

Ticket Pricing

This event is free to attend. Please consider making a donation if you are able to do so.

Suggested donation £5 per person.

Tickets are subject to the terms of Wycombe Museum’s Ticketing Policy.

---

Site Accessibility & Parking

Wycombe Museum’s buildings are fully wheelchair accessible, with a disabled-access lift and toilets. Our Stable Block, where this event is held, is all on the ground floor level and has step-free access from our car park.

Some parts of are garden have some steep slopes or uneven paved pathways that may be difficult to access for those with limited mobility. There is a wooded mound in our gardens that is stepped access only.

We have a small amount of free on-site parking, including disabled parking.

Metered road-side parking is available on The Greenway, Priory Avenue and Priory Road, which is all free on Sundays. Multi-storey parking is available at Easton Street Car Park, High Wycombe Train Station Car Park, and Castle Street Car Park, and are all within a five minute walk.

Our nearest public transport links are at High Wycombe Train Station, and Castle Street bus stops.

Wycombe Museum is just a short walk from High Wycombe Town Centre. We’re 5 minutes away from the High Street – you can find us by crossing over the footbridges on the railway line.

---

Chair Festival

This event is part of Wycombe Museum’s 2026 Chairs Festival, running through July in celebration of the unique chairmaking heritage of Wycombe and the local area. With a varied programme of events, you’ll learn how the industry grew from the local landscape into thriving furniture production which proudly continues today. The festival is also celebrating the grand opening of Wycombe Museum’s new chair store, the Chair Discovery Centre. Join us to celebrate the stories, the chairs and the surroundings which make up our history.

The Chair Festival is being organised by Wycombe Museum with funding support from Opportunity Bucks, Rotshchild Foundation, and We Make Wycombe.