Pictures of Cookham

About Cookham

This beautiful old village lies in the thickly wooded Cliveden Reach of the Thames, a fine stretch of water that begins at Cookham Lock. The area is widely known for the quaint ceremony of Swan Upping. This is when the Royal Swankeeper catches the new cygnets, and claims ownership on behalf of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, this is a colourful ceremony, it attracts visitors from all over and, taking place in late July means that children can attend.


Cookham is a popular haunt of Artists, it has links with Sir Stanley Spencer and was his home until his death in 1959. Look closely at any number of his paintings and you can see how well he used the fine countryside around Cookham as a backdrop for his many subjects. One of Sir Stanley's finest paintings is of the Swan Upping ceremony.

This is an area that is awash with attractive old properties, some of which date from the 14th-century. One of the oldest buildings is the church of The Holy Trinity, built in the 12th-century. In spite of restoration work from different periods the church remains largely Norman with a fine Perpendicular tower. The interior of the church is serene and beautiful, it contains many reminders of an ancient past and shows several interesting brasses and monuments.

Here in Cookham old and new blend harmoniously together, Cookham has modern shopping facilities and some handsome new developments. Fortunately though, it has lost none of its charm and continues as a favoured Thames riverside resort attracting visitors at every season of the year.

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by poe