 The Chiltern market town of Chesham / <unk> / had historically been an important manufacturing centre . In 1853 the town held three flour mills , three sawmills , three breweries , two paper mills and a silk mill , while of the town 's 6 @,@ 000 inhabitants 30 were recognised as master manufacturers . However , the local economy suffered badly from a lack of connections to the new transport networks . In the 1840s coal cost almost three times more to buy in Chesham than to buy in Berkhamsted , and it took over 21 ⁄ 2 hours for passengers to travel by road from Chesham to the most convenient railway station at Watford . 
