A decline in agriculture greatly reduced the size of the village and eventually led to the closure of the Methodist chapel, the school and the shop.

The majority of Moreton’s older buildings cluster at the east end of the hamlet surrounding the green and the two ponds.

The needlemakers of Long Crendon made use of this road twice a year to send their goods by stagecoach for sale in London.

Before that, it was used by the Roundheads, who would have passed through carrying the mortally wounded John Hampden from the Battle of Chalgrove Field to Thame in 1643.

He remembers his parents occasionally referring to hearing the ‘Old Man’s’ rat-tat on the door and heavy footsteps on the brick path outside.