In the first half of the last century, the Lamer estate was owned by Apsley Cherry-Garrard  (1886 – 1959) who inherited it in 1907. He took part in Scott's expedition to the South Pole in 1910-1913 and wrote The Worst Journey in the World (published 1922). He is buried in the churchyard at St Helen's.

The Lamer Estate probably takes its name from the de la Mare family who owned the property in the early fourteenth century. The estate, some of which was landscaped by Humphrey Repton in the 1790s, was acquired in 1671 by Sir John Garrard and once covered some 20 square miles. However, most of what was left was sold to meet tax demands after the First World War. The park was farmed until the late 1980s. More recently a Japanese company tried to develop the park as a golf course; you will see the results of this all round you. The current owner is replanting many of the woodlands that were lost in the first half of the 20^th century, is creating two lakes, and is also developing a flock of rare breeds of sheep.

For a biography of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, see Cherry: a Life of Apsley Cherry-Garrard by Sara Wheeler (Jonathan Cape 2001)    ISBN 0-224-05004-4