Whether you’re looking for entertainment, community events, somewhere to grab a drink or bite to eat or great walking and cycling – Thame has a lot to offer. Here are just a sample of things to do in Thame.
This page will be regularly updated with new information so let us know if there’s something you think we should add.
Dog-friendly places in Thame
Thame is a great place to visit with your dog – there are lots of places to eat, drink and shop with your dog by your side.
If you know of somewhere that isn’t on our list then please let us know!
Visit Midsomer Murders filming locations
Thame is much filmed as Causton, the central town in TV’s Midsomer Murders series where DCI Barnaby has unravelled many a mystery and solved many murders. This well-loved TV series has been going strong since 1997 and has been sold to more than 200 countries around the world.
You can visit 23 filming locations throughout the town by following the trail (available online here or by collecting a map from the Thame Town Hall, Museum or in one of the cafes, pubs and shops around town). The trail includes 23 locations including Thame Town Hall (used in multiple episodes), The Black Horse, Thame Museum, The Prebendal (used as the gatehouse entrance in The Ghost of Causton Abbey), The 15th Century Swan Hotel and many more.
You can also join a Midsomer walking tour, bespoke tour, or attend a talk by booking through this website. You can also buy a book covering over 60 filming locations in Thame and surrounding villages.
Entertainment
Thame Players Theatre
Founded over 50 years ago, the theatre is located on Nelson Street in the centre of the town within easy walking distance of ample parking on Upper High Street. The theatre is host to both in-house Thame Players productions and shows by visiting companies and performers throughout the year and is a wheelchair-friendly venue. For more information about the theatre and upcoming productions, visit the Thame Players website.
Thame Cinema
Thame Players Theatre is also home to the Thame Cinema. The Thame Cinema is a not for profit organisation run by a team of local people with a passion for film. Visit the Thame Cinema website for more information.
First Thursday Music Club
As the name suggests, this music club runs on the first Thursday of every month. You may have seen Thame residents sporting a ‘First Thursday’ t-shirt around town. This popular open-mic format evening allows acts to share 3 songs (approx 15 minutes). The event ran for many years at the Stables (back of James Figg) but has since moved to the Snooker Club on Wellington Street. To see videos, find out how to enter or for any other information, visit the First Thursday Music Club website.
The Listening Room
Based in the intimate setting of the upstairs of The Cross Keys, the Listening Room attracts an audience of 50 at a time (33 seated, 17 standing). This ‘Theatre style’ approach to music means the focus is on the music and the audience are asked to listen to and focus on the artist. Tickets are available to purchase for each session – visit their website to see more details and upcoming performances (and how to apply if you’re interested in performing) www.listeningroom.uk.
Learn something about Thame and its history
Thame Museum
Open on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10am and 4pm, the Museum is free to enter. Come and find out about the history of the town, see their object of the month, attend a talk or take a look at other exhibitions and collections. Thame.net has a special connection to the object of the month for August 2021 – read more about that here. The museum also has a shop where you can buy gifts, art, books and cards, crafts, jewellery and more. The museum is located at 79 High Street and is wheelchair accessible. View the Thame Museum website to see what’s on, learn how to get involved with their volunteer team and anything else you might want to know.
Historic Town Trails
Thame offers three different historic town trails each taking 1-1.5 hours. There is also the Midsomer Murders trail, commemorative plaques trail. Many of these trails can be accessed in printed form from the Town Hall Information Centre and other shops/cafes around the town, or downloaded as pdfs or mobile-friendly guides from the Town Council website Town Trails webpage.
Enjoy some green space
Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve
The Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve is so-called because weaving its way through the centre of the reserve is a tributary of the River Thame named the ‘Cuttle Brook’. This approx. 30-acre site was designated as a Nature Reserve in 1995 and is managed by a team of local volunteers with an interest in conservation. You can explore a variety of habitats including meadows, a pond, wetland areas and a wooded area. Keep an eye out for wildlife as there have been known to be Grass Snakes, Herons, Little Egrets, Owls, lots of butterflies and lots more. You can also find four species of orchids! Find out more at the Cuttle Brook website.
Phoenix Trail (Thame to Princes Risborough)
This repurposed railway is a great location for cycling or walking and boasts beautiful views of the Chiltern Hills. The trail is 7.5 miles long and takes approximately 40 minutes to cycle and 2.5 hours to walk (not including time to stop for a picnic). Because the trail is flat and has a good surface, it can be enjoyed all year round. There are a set of 30 artworks dotted along the trail which have been inspired by the local environment and the railway-related history of the route. The route can be accessed at various points in and between the two connected towns but some access points are not as accessible as others. Find out more about the Phoenix Tail on the Sustrans website or download the map here.
Join the Angling Club
As one of the oldest clubs in Thame, established in 1947, Thame Angling Club welcomes members of all ages to fish and enjoy the River Thame. Find out more here.
Walking and cycling trails
As well as the Phoenix Trail, there are many other walking and cycling trails to enjoy. The Town Council have put together some great guides so we’ll point you there instead of reinventing the wheel. You’ll find walking guides that include walks ranging from 2-6 miles and a cycling guide that includes rides between 12 and 21 miles. You’ll also find the new Inner (4 miles) and Outer (20 miles) Circuit guides which have been created by the Thame Green Living Plan team. Download your free guides here.
markets
Thame Charter Market
Located in the Upper High Street Car Park every Tuesday, you’ll find a variety this market has been running every Tuesday since 1215. https://www.facebook.com/ThameCharterMarket/
Farmers Market
Second Tuesday of every month https://www.facebook.com/ThameFarmersMarket
Thame Farmers Auction Mart (cattle market)
Located at the Cattle Market, North Street, Thame, Oxfordshire, Southern, OX9 3FP. Click here for auction dates.
Events
We have great events throughout the year. See below for a selection of them but be sure to check out the Town Event Calendar on the Council Website. Town event calendar http://www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/events
Months may vary each year but we’ll try and keep the page up-to-date as new dates are announced.
May
Oxfordshire Arts Week – https://www.artweeks.org/
Music in the Park – https://www.musicinthepark.org.uk/
June
Taste of Thame – https://www.tasteofthame.com/
Thame Carnival – https://thamecarnival.co.uk/
Duck race
July
Thame Town Music Festival http://www.thametownmusicfestival.org/
County Fair
September
Thame Food Festival http://www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk/
Fun Fair
October
Art Crawl – https://www.thameartcrawl.com/
Thame Art and Literature Festival – https://talfestival.org/
December
Tractor Run visit the Facebook page.
Christmas light switch-on
Pubs
Thame has a great selection of pubs, many of which also serve food and are dog-friendly (see websites/Facebook pages for details).
Not many market towns can still boast enough pubs to play a round of 9-hole pub golf (although we recommend having a half or a soft drink at most holes as we don’t encourage excessive drinking and we still want you to enjoy the rest of the town)!
We’ll be adding more detailed information about these pubs in our next website update – watch this space! For now, you can click below to find out more information from their websites or Facebook pages.
The Swan (suggest a website or Facebook page to include)
More things to do are being added soon!
If you think we should add something to this page then let us know!
