Chalfont St Giles

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Chalfont St Giles
C of E Parish Church Chalfont St Giles - geograph.org.uk - 38540.jpg
St Giles' parish church
Buckinghamshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Chalfont St Giles
Location within Buckinghamshire
Population5,925 (2011 Census) [1]
OS grid reference SU9893
Civil parish
  • Chalfont St Giles
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Chalfont St. Giles
Postcode district HP8
Dialling code 01494
Police Thames Valley
Fire Buckinghamshire
Ambulance South Central
UK Parliament
Website The Chalfont St Giles village website
List of places
UK
England
Buckinghamshire
51°38′N0°34′W / 51.63°N 0.57°W / 51.63; -0.57

Chalfont St Giles is a village and civil parish in southeast Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts, which also includes Chalfont St Peter and Little Chalfont.

Contents

It lies on the edge of the Chiltern Hills, 20.9 miles (33.6 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross, central London, and near Seer Green, Jordans, Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont and Amersham. [2]

The cockney rhyming slang term "chalfonts", meaning haemorrhoids (piles), is derived from the name of the village. [3] The village has a duck pond that is fed by the River Misbourne. The village sign was designed and painted by Doreen Wilcockson ARCA in 2001.[ citation needed ] Chalfont St Giles is famous for the poet Milton’s only surviving home. [4]

History

In the Domesday Book of 1086, Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter were listed as separate Manors with different owners, called 'Celfunte'. They were separate holdings before the Norman Conquest.

The Church of England parish church of Saint Giles is of Norman architecture and dates from the 12th century. [5] The church features a lychgate and wall paintings from the early 14th century. [6] During the English Civil War, some iron cannonballs were embedded in the stonework around the east window; they were believed to have been fired by Oliver Cromwell's troops when camped in the neighbouring field after the Battle of Aylesbury. [7] Three of these balls are now on display in John Milton's Cottage in the village. Bishop Francis Hare is buried in his family mausoleum in the churchyard.

Milton's Cottage, at 1 Deanway, Chalfont St Giles MiltonsCottage.jpg
Milton's Cottage, at 1 Deanway, Chalfont St Giles

During the Great Plague of London in 1665, John Milton retired to Chalfont St Giles where he completed his epic poem Paradise Lost . [8] Milton's Cottage still stands in the village, and is open to the public. The inspiration for Paradise Regained is said to have been found in this parish from a conversation with a former pupil, Thomas Ellwood. In 1887, after an attempt was made to relocate the house to America and rebuild it there, a movement was begun locally to purchase the house by local public subscription. Queen Victoria headed the list with a gift of £20, [9] a considerable amount at the time – approximately £2,360 as of 2016.

Like most other rural parishes, it managed its civil affairs through the vestry until the Local Government Act 1894 required all parishes of over 300 people to have a Parish council independent of the Church. The village was the birthplace of cricketer J. T. Hearne, one of the greatest bowlers of the 1890s and 1900s, who died there in 1944, and of the actress Alexandra Gilbreath.

Notable residents of the village have included Ozzy Osbourne, [10] Harry Golombek, Brian Connolly, Brian Cant, Chicane, [11] Armando Iannucci, Noel Gallagher, [12] and Nick Clegg who became the Liberal Democrats party leader in 2007 [13] and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015.

The village has given its name to Chalfont, Pennsylvania, which is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The Chiltern Open Air Museum, located immediately outside the parish boundary, rescues and re-erects historic buildings which face demolition, from medieval to modern. Its collection includes a cottage from around 1600, and a variety of 19th century buildings, within 45 acres of parkland. [14]

The Buckinghamshire Building Society was founded in 1907 as the Chalfont & District Permanent Building Society, and it continues to have its headquarters and sole branch in the village. [15]

Future

High Speed 2 will pass underneath the village in the Chiltern tunnel. A ventilation shaft will be constructed near the village, disguised as a barn. [16]

Amenities

The village is the closest to Hodgemoor Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. [17]

The village is twinned with Graft-De Rijp, Netherlands.

Education

Chalfont St Giles Village School educates children between the ages of 3 to 7 (at an infant school and nursery) and 7 to 11 (at the junior school). [18] [19]

Sport

The local football club is Chalfont Wasps, which was promoted to the Hellenic Football League Premier Division for the 2008–09 season. They play their home games at 'The Nest'. Chalfont St Giles has a tennis club, affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association. [20] The village is home to Oakland Park Golf Club, and nearby to Harewood Downs Golf Club.

The local cricket club is Chalfont St Giles CC, which plays in the Thames Valley Cricket League [21] and Morrant Chiltern League. [22] They play their home games at Bowstridge Lane in the heart of the village.

Film and television

Chalfont St Giles has been the location of several film and television programmes. It doubled as Walmington-on-Sea in the 1971 film version of Dad's Army . John Laurie, one of the main actors, lived in Chalfont St Peter. The Miller's Tale episode of the BBC Television drama The Canterbury Tales was filmed in and around Chalfont St Giles [23] as was an episode of the BBC Television sitcom As Time Goes By . It was the location for the filming of Episode 6 of Series 3 of Peep Show . [24] A series 2 episode of the Channel 5 series No Place Like Home was predominantly filmed in Chalfont St Giles, with Fern Britton, a former resident, touring viewers around the village. [25] The village hosted a 2015 episode of Storage Hunters UK. [26]


The village is also mentioned in the series 3 episode of Jeeves and Wooster entitled "Bertie Sets Sail", when Bertie Wooster likens Lord Wilmot Pershaw's demeanour to "a wet weekend in Chalfont St. Giles". Other films and TV shows filmed in Chalfont St Giles include Hammer House of Horror , [27] The Sweeney , [28] and The Big Job (1965), [29] starring Sid James and Dick Emery. The village is ideal for film production due to its close proximity to Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, and London.

The Chalfont St Giles Community Library has featured twice on BBC's The One Show; first in 2010 [30] and for a second time in 2012. [31] The segments highlighted the importance of the library to the community and how volunteers have helped keep it operational.

Chalfont St Giles (7311004032).jpg

Events

Chalfont St Giles Village Show

The Chalfont St Giles Village Show is an annual event that normally occurs on the first Saturday of September. The show hosts entertainment attractions, stalls from local people and businesses, and a horticultural and arts-and-craft competition for local residents to enter [32] (with a maximum prize of £3).

Other Events

Chalfont St Giles has hosted numerous Beer Festivals that take place on the village green, with the most notable being in 2014 when DJ Brandon Block hosted a set. [33]

In May 2023, Chalfont St Giles hosted a street party to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. The event hosted thousands of people, with live music, barbeques, pop-up bars, rides, and face painting. [34] The event was attended by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. [35]

Hamlets

Hamlets in Chalfont St Giles parish include:

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckinghamshire</span> County of England

Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the east, Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, and Oxfordshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Milton Keynes, and the county town is Aylesbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amersham</span> Town in Buckinghamshire, England

Amersham is a market town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, 27 miles (43 km) northwest of central London, 15 miles (24 km) south-east of Aylesbury and 9 miles (14 km) north-east of High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesham</span> Town in Buckinghamshire, England

Chesham is a market town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of the county town of Aylesbury, about 26 miles (42 km) north-west of central London, and part of the London commuter belt. It is in the Chess Valley, surrounded by farmland. The earliest records of Chesham as a settlement are from the second half of the 10th century, although there is archaeological evidence of people in this area from around 8000 BC. Henry III granted a royal charter for a weekly market in 1257.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chalfont St Peter</span> Village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England

Chalfont St Peter is a large village and civil parish in southeastern Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts which also includes Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont. The villages lie between High Wycombe and Rickmansworth. Chalfont St Peter is one of the largest villages, with nearly 13,000 residents. The urban population for Chalfont St Peter and Gerrards Cross is 19,622, the two places being considered a single area by the Office for National Statistics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Chalfont</span> Human settlement in England

Little Chalfont is a village and civil parish in south-east Buckinghamshire, England. It is one of a group of villages known collectively as "The Chalfonts", which also comprises Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter. Little Chalfont is located around 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Amersham and 21.9 miles (35.2 km) northwest of Charing Cross, central London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Missenden</span> Village in Buckinghamshire, England

Great Missenden is a village and civil parish in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It adjoins the village of Little Kingshill, and is a mile from Little Missenden and the village of Prestwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latimer, Buckinghamshire</span> Village in Buckinghamshire, England

Latimer is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, on the border with Hertfordshire. It is within the civil parish of Latimer and Ley Hill, which also includes the village of Ley Hill and the hamlet of Tyler's Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seer Green</span> Human settlement in England

Seer Green is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) east-north-east of Beaconsfield and 1.8 miles (2.9 km) south-west of Chalfont St Giles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordans, Buckinghamshire</span> Village and Quaker centre, Buckinghamshire, England

Jordans is a village in Chalfont St Giles parish, Buckinghamshire, England, and the civil parish of Hedgerley. It is a centre for Quakerism, holds the burial place of William Penn, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, and so is a popular place with American visitors. It also contains the Mayflower Barn, made from ship timbers sometimes claimed to be from the Mayflower. Some 245 households and 700 residents are served by a nursery, primary school, youth hostel, village hall and community shop. Forty of the houses and cottages and 21 flats are owned by a non-profit society that manages the village and its amenities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoke Poges</span> Human settlement in England

Stoke Poges is a village and civil parish in south-east Buckinghamshire, England. It is centred 3 miles (4.8 km) north-north-east of Slough, its post town, and is 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of Farnham Common. In 2011 it had a population of 4752.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiltern District</span> Former non-metropolitan district in England

Chiltern District was a local government district of Buckinghamshire in south-central England from 1974 to 2020. It was named after the Chiltern Hills on which the region sits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesham and Amersham (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1974 onwards

Chesham and Amersham is a parliamentary constituency in Buckinghamshire, South East England, represented in the House of Commons by Sarah Green, a Liberal Democrat elected at a 2021 by-election.

Chiltern District Council in Buckinghamshire, England was elected every four years from 1973 until 2020. From the last boundary changes in 2003 until the council's abolition in 2020, 40 councillors were elected from 25 wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton's Cottage</span> Grade I listed historic house museum in Chiltern, United Kingdom

Milton's Cottage is a timber-framed 16th-century building in the Buckinghamshire village of Chalfont St Giles. It was the former home of writer John Milton, and is open to the public as a writer's house museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiltern Open Air Museum</span> Attraction in Buckinghamshire, England

Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM) is an independent open-air museum of vernacular buildings and a tourist attraction located near Chalfont St Peter and Chalfont St. Giles in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. Its collection consists mainly of historic buildings at risk of demolition that have been dismantled and reconstructed in the museum grounds in a process of structure relocation.

The Buckinghamshire Examiner more usually known as the Bucks Examiner was a weekly newspaper, published on Wednesdays and distributed in the towns of Amersham, Chesham, and the surrounding villages in the Chiltern area of Buckinghamshire, England. Its last owner and publisher was Trinity Mirror.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hodgemoor Wood</span> Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, England

Hodgemoor Wood is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire. It is in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and most of it is leased by Buckinghamshire County Council to the Forestry Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newland Park, Chalfont St Peter</span> Country house in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

Newland Park is a Grade II listed country house and estate near the village of Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire.

The Chiltern Tunnel is a high-speed railway tunnel currently under construction in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, England, and will upon completion carry the High Speed 2 (HS2) railway line under the Chiltern Hills. The twin-bore tunnels, which are 16.04 km long, will be the longest on the HS2 line. Each tunnel will also have additional 220 m (720 ft) entry and 135 m (443 ft) exit perforated concrete portals to reduce sudden changes in air pressure and subsequent noise.

References

  1. ↑ Neighbourhood Statistics. "Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 Census". Neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "Villages and towns - Chiltern District Council". Archived from the original on 12 February 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Chalfonts". Oxford University Press . Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "'England hath need of thee': appeal to save Milton's Paradise Lost cottage | John Milton | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "'Parishes: Chalfont St. Giles', A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3 (1925), pp. 184–193". British History Online . Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  6. ↑ www.parishcouncil.net, Parish Websites Ltd. "History of the Parish | Chalfont St Giles Parish Council in Buckinghamshire". www.chalfontstgiles-pc.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  7. ↑ www.parishcouncil.net, Parish Websites Ltd. "History of the Parish | Chalfont St Giles Parish Council in Buckinghamshire". www.chalfontstgiles-pc.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "A piece of Paradise in Bucks!". BBC. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  9. ↑ www.parishcouncil.net, Parish Websites Ltd. "History of the Parish | Chalfont St Giles Parish Council in Buckinghamshire". www.chalfontstgiles-pc.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Ozzy Osbourne Buckinghamshire estate conversion foiled by bats". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "Chicane on switching to software and the state of trance". MusicRadar. Future plc. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "Buckinghamshire Examiner article regarding Noel Gallagher". Buckinghamshireexaminer.co.uk. 26 February 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  13. ↑ Family detective: Nick Clegg The Daily Telegraph (London) 22 December 2007
  14. ↑ www.parishcouncil.net, Parish Websites Ltd. "History of the Parish | Chalfont St Giles Parish Council in Buckinghamshire". www.chalfontstgiles-pc.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  15. ↑ Buckinghamshire Building Society About us
  16. ↑ "HS2 reveals Chilterns 'barn design' vent shaft for Chalfont St Giles". HS2 News and Information. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  17. ↑ Marcus Bicknell. "Hodgemoor Wood". Hodgemoor.org.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  18. ↑ "Chalfont St Giles Junior School". services.buckscc.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  19. ↑ "Chalfont St Giles Infant School and Nursery - GOV.UK". Get Information About Schools. UK Government. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "Chalfont St Giles Tennis Club". Csgtennisclub.tk. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  21. ↑ "Chalfont St Giles Cricket Club". Thames Valley Cricket League. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  22. ↑ "Chalfont St Giles Cricket Club". Morrant Cricket Club. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  23. ↑ IMDB listing
  24. ↑ IMDB listing
  25. ↑ Corbin, Tianna (1 April 2024). "Fern Britton father: Tony Britton relationship - No Place Like Home". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  26. ↑ "Storage Hunters, Buckinghamshire". Dave. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  27. ↑ "Films shot in Chalfont St Giles". www.chalfontstgiles.org.uk. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "Films shot in Chalfont St Giles". www.chalfontstgiles.org.uk. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  29. ↑ "Films shot in Chalfont St Giles". www.chalfontstgiles.org.uk. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  30. ↑ ChalfontStGilesBucks (2 June 2010). "Chalfont St Giles Community Library". YouTube. BBC's The One Show, originally aired on 24/05/2010. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  31. ↑ ChalfontStGilesBucks (25 September 2012). "Chalfont St Giles Community Library 2". YouTube. BBC's The One Show, originally aired on 22/05/2012. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  32. ↑ The Chalfont St. Giles Show. "Constitution November 2022" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  33. ↑ BAT4CSG (12 July 2014). "The final #music lineup for the #csgbeerfest on Sunday!". 𝕏. Retrieved 3 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  34. ↑ Chalfont St Giles Parish Council (May 2023). "Biggest Street Party Ever". Chalfont St Giles Parish Council. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  35. ↑ Rachel Russell (7 May 2023). "Street parties, big lunch and Coronation concert to take place on Sunday". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  36. ↑ BBC Countryfile (6 June 2018). "My Countryside interview: Fern Britton". Countryfile.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
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