Chigwell

Last updated

Chigwell
'The Olde Kings Head' inn - geograph.org.uk - 731636.jpg
The former Olde King's Head
Essex UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Chigwell
Location within Essex
Area15.68 km2 (6.05 sq mi)
Population12,449 (2001) [1]
12,987 (2011) [2]
•  Density 794/km2 (2,060/sq mi)
OS grid reference TQ435935
•  London 12 mi (19 km)  SW
Civil parish
  • Chigwell
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CHIGWELL
Postcode district IG7
Dialling code 020
Police Essex
Fire Essex
Ambulance East of England
UK Parliament
Website Chigwell Parish Council
List of places
UK
England
Essex

51°37′21″N0°04′20″E / 51.6225°N 0.07227°E / 51.6225; 0.07227

Contents

Chigwell

Chigwell is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, England. It is part of the urban and metropolitan area of London, and is adjacent to the northern boundary of Greater London. It is on the Central line of the London Underground. In 2011 the parish had a population of 12,987.

History

Toponymy

According to P. H. Reaney's Place-Names of Essex the name means 'Cicca's well', Cicca being an Anglo-Saxon personal name. In medieval sources the name appears with a variety of spellings including "Cinghe uuella" [3] and Chikewelle". [4] Folk etymology has sought to derive the name from a lost "king's well", supposed to have been to the south-east of the parish near the border of what is now the London Borough of Redbridge.[ citation needed ] There were several medicinal springs in Chigwell Row documented by Miller Christy in his book History of the mineral waters and medicinal springs of the county of Essex, published in 1910. The 18th-century historian Nathaniel Salmon stated that the "-well" element in the name derives from Anglo-Saxon weald (wood). [3]

The land registration map of Redbridge Council shows "Chig Well (site of)" as being located to the rear of the house located at 67 Brocket Way, Chigwell.

Economic development

Traditionally a rural farming community, but now largely suburban, Chigwell was mentioned in the Domesday Book . It is referred to by Charles Dickens in his novel Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty ; the Maypole Inn is based on the King's Head inn, though the name was taken from the Maypole public house in Chigwell Row. It is likely Dickens was aware of both hostelries, since he frequently visited Chigwell, which he described in a letter to John Forster as "the greatest place in the world ... Such a delicious old inn opposite the churchyard ... such beautiful forest scenery ... such an out of the way rural place..." .

Local government

The Chigwell civil parish was part of Epping Rural District from 1894 to 1933, with local government split between Chigwell Parish Council, Epping Rural District Council and Essex County Council. Following a county review order in 1933, Chigwell formed together with Buckhurst Hill and Loughton the Chigwell Urban District, [5] with the Chigwell Urban District Council replacing both the parish and rural district councils. When Greater London was created in 1965 a small, more densely populated section to the southeast was transferred to the London Borough of Redbridge; this area is now known as the Manford estate and continues to be within the Chigwell post town. The rest of Chigwell Urban District was incorporated into the Epping Forest District in 1974. Parish councils were re-established for Chigwell and Loughton, and for the first time in Buckhurst Hill, in 1996.

RAF Chigwell

From 1933 to 1958 there was an RAF presence [6] at Roding Valley Meadows (near what is now the David Lloyd Leisure Centre). It served first to provide barrage balloon protection during the Second World War and was involved in the rollout of Britain's coastal nuclear early warning system during the Cold War.[ citation needed ] In 1953 it briefly housed the RAF contingent taking part in the Coronation celebrations. Some of the RAF Chigwell site is now part of the Local Nature Reserve, Roding Valley Meadows LNR.

Governance

The local council of the civil parish is Chigwell Parish Council. The parish council originally existed from 1894 to 1933, and was created again in 1996. The parish council offices are located on Hainault Road. Councillors are elected from three wards: Grange Hill, Chigwell Row and Chigwell Village. [7] Local councillors are also elected to Epping Forest District Council and Essex County Council.

Geography

St Mary's Church, Chigwell. St. Mary's Church, Chigwell - geograph.org.uk - 93143.jpg
St Mary's Church, Chigwell.

The hamlet of Chigwell Row lies towards the east of Chigwell, near Lambourne; this part of the parish is well forested and mostly rural. Grange Hill is the area around the junction of Manor Road and Fencepiece Road/Hainault Road, extending as far as the boundary with Redbridge including the Limes Farm estate. Chigwell has a population of around 12,500 and is generally considered a wealthy area, [8] characterised by large suburban houses, notably in Manor Road, Hainault Road and Chigwell High Road, which featured in the popular English situation comedy Birds of a Feather (although many of the outside locations used in that programme were not in Chigwell).

Education

Chigwell School c. 1904 Chigwell School 1904.jpg
Chigwell School c. 1904

Schools in the area include Chigwell Primary Academy, Limes Farm Infants School & Nursery, Limes Farm Junior School, Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, West Hatch High School and Chigwell School, a private school, which was founded from a bequest by Samuel Harsnett, [9] Archbishop of York, in 1629, among whose past pupils are William Penn, who later went on to found Pennsylvania, and actor Sir Ian Holm. [8] The diarist John Aubrey recorded that it was at Chigwell School that Penn had a mystical vision, which influenced his later conversion to Quakerism.[ citation needed ] The original 17th-century schoolroom where Penn was taught still stands, and is now the school library.

Culture

Ye Olde King's Head and St Mary's Church, depicted in 1851 ECR(1851) p57b - Chigwell.jpg
Ye Olde King's Head and St Mary's Church, depicted in 1851

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club had its training facilities in the area until May 2012, [8] when it moved to a new facility in Enfield, northeast London. However, the club still runs training sessions for local youth on the Limes Farm estate through the summer months. Many past and present players and staff have homes in the area. Leyton Orient Football Club also have a training ground in Chigwell, adjacent to Chigwell School's fields. [8]

A David Lloyd Leisure Centre, situated off Roding Road by the M11 motorway, contains indoor and outdoor tennis courts, swimming pools and gymnasium. Also in the area are a Holmes Place Health Club, Topgolf playing Centre and Chigwell Golf Club. Chigwell Cricket Club is based at the Old Chigwellians Club in Roding Lane. Chigwell also plays host to the Old Loughtonians Hockey Club.

There are two pubs, the King William IV and the Two Brewers.

Ye Olde King's Head, which was operated as a pub until 2011, is said to be the Maypole Inn in Dickens' Barnaby Rudge . [8] The building was subsequently sold to local resident Lord Sugar's property company Amsprop which now leases the Grade I Listed building to the Sheesh Turkish restaurant.

Until their closure in 2002, Chigwell had night clubs, known collectively as the Epping Forest Country Club. There is a Local Nature Reserve at Roding Valley Meadows off Roding Lane which follows the River Roding up to Loughton.

The TV series Birds of a Feather was set in Chigwell. [10]

Transport

Chigwell Station, opened 1903 by the Great Eastern Railway Chigwell stn building.JPG
Chigwell Station, opened 1903 by the Great Eastern Railway

All bus services are Transport for London services, except the 804. Route 150 just penetrates into Chigwell Row. Routes 362 and 462 serve only Grange Hill. Route 275 just passes through Tomswood Road and the westernmost section of Manor Road. Chigwell is served by Chigwell station and Grange Hill station (further south bordering Hainault), both on the Central line of the London Underground. For a more frequent service to London there are also nearby Buckhurst Hill, Woodford, Loughton and Hainault stations as services between Grange Hill and Woodford are limited to three trains per hour in each direction, with an increased service during morning peak hours.

Notable people



Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Redbridge</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough established in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roding Valley tube station</span> London Underground station

Roding Valley is a London Underground station situated in Buckhurst Hill in the Epping Forest district of Essex, straddling the boundary between that council and Greater London. The station is on the Hainault loop of the Central line between Chigwell and Woodford stations. However, geographically it is midway between Woodford and Buckhurst Hill stations. It is located between Station Way and Cherry Tree Rise. Since 2 January 2007, the station has been in Travelcard Zone 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hainault, London</span> Area of Ilford, east London

Hainault is a large suburban area of Ilford in East London, England, in the London Borough of Redbridge, 12.5 miles (20.1 km) northeast of Charing Cross. Most of the housing in Hainault was built by the London County Council between 1947 and 1953. Originally spanning the parishes of Chigwell, Dagenham, and Ilford, in 1965 the estate was combined in a single London borough and became part of Greater London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loughton</span> Town in southwest Essex, England

Loughton is a suburban town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, within the metropolitan and urban area of London, England, 12 miles (19 km) north-east of Charing Cross. The town borders Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell, Chingford, and Buckhurst Hill.

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

Woodford Green is an area of Woodford in East London, England, within the London Borough of Redbridge. It adjoins Buckhurst Hill to the north, Woodford Bridge to the east, South Woodford to the south, and Chingford to the west. Epping Forest runs through Woodford Green in the west of the area, 9.4 miles (15.1 km) north-east of Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epping Forest District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Epping Forest District is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named after the ancient woodland of Epping Forest, a large part of which lies within the district. The district covers northeastern parts of the urban area of London, including the suburban towns of Epping, Loughton, Waltham Abbey, Chigwell, and Buckhurst Hill, as well as rural areas beyond it. The district is situated in the west of the county, bordering north-eastern Greater London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chigwell Urban District</span>

Chigwell was a local government district in south west Essex, England. It contained the settlements of Chigwell, Loughton and Buckhurst Hill; and formed part of the Metropolitan Police District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckhurst Hill</span> Town in Essex, England

Buckhurst Hill is an affluent suburban town in Epping Forest, Essex, within the Greater London Urban Area and adjacent to the northern boundary of the London Borough of Redbridge. The area developed following the opening of a railway line in 1856, originally part of the Eastern Counties Railway and now on the Central line of the London Underground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Roding</span> River in Essex and Greater London, England

The River Roding rises at Molehill Green, Essex, England, then flows south through Essex and London and forms Barking Creek as it reaches the River Thames.

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

Epping Forest is a constituency in Essex, created for the February 1974 general election from parts of the abolished Epping and Chigwell constituencies. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Neil Hudson of the Conservative Party.

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

Abridge is a village in Essex, England. It is on the River Roding, 16 miles (26 km) southwest of the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Epping Forest and in the parliamentary constituency of Brentwood and Ongar. It is part of the civil parish of Lambourne and is served by Lambourne Parish Council.

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

Woodford Bridge is part of the East London suburb of Woodford, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located on an old road between Chigwell and Leytonstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A104 road (England)</span> Trunk road in London

The A104 is an A road which runs from Islington Green in London to Epping in Essex, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 167</span> London bus route

London Buses route 167 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Essex, England. Running between Ilford and Loughton station, it is operated by Stagecoach London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodford, London</span> Area of East London, England

Woodford is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north-east of Charing Cross. Woodford historically formed an ancient parish in the county of Essex. It contained a string of agrarian villages and was part of Epping Forest. From about 1700 onwards, it became a place of residence for affluent people who had business in London; this wealth, together with its elevated position, has led to it being called the Geographical and social high point of East London. Woodford was suburban to London and after being combined with Wanstead in 1934 it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1937. It has formed part of Greater London since 1965 and comprises the neighbourhoods of Woodford Green, Woodford Bridge, Woodford Wells and South Woodford. The area is served by two stations on the Central line of the London Underground: Woodford and South Woodford.

Loughton is a town in the county of Essex in England. The first settlement can be traced back to 2,500 years ago, but the earliest records of the modern-day site of Loughton are from the Anglo-Saxon era of English history, when it was known as Lukintone. After the Norman conquest it became part of the estate of Waltham Abbey and is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Lochintuna. It was during the 17th century, however, when Loughton began to grow significantly as a coaching stop on the newly created main route to Cambridge and East Anglia. With good transport links and proximity to both London and also Epping Forest and the countryside, it became a popular location for aristocratic and wealthy Londoners to have a home.

Loughton in Essex, England, was an urban district from 1900 to 1933, when it became part of Chigwell Urban District until 1974, when Epping Forest District Council was created. Loughton Town Council was established in 1996. The Town Council consists of 22 Councillors representing seven wards, elected for a four-year term. The council adopted the designation Town Council just after its re-creation as a parish in 1996, and changed the title of its chairman to Town Mayor in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Epping Forest District Council election</span> 2011 UK local government election

The 2011 Epping Forest District Council election was held on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Epping Forest Council in England as part of the wider local elections in England and Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Forests Way</span> Footpath in Essex and Hertfordshire, England

The Three Forests Way is a long-distance footpath in Essex and Hertfordshire, England. The 59-mile (95 km) circular path passes through three forests in west Essex. It is waymarked, and named on Ordnance Survey mapping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Epping Forest District Council election</span> Local election in Epping Forest, England

The 2024 Epping Forest District Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections in the United Kingdom held on the same day. All 54 members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex were elected following boundary changes. The council remained under Conservative majority control.

References

  1. ↑ "Parish Profile: Chigwell". Epping Forest District Council. 2006. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  2. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Chigwell - British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  4. ↑ Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas. National Archives. CP 40/629; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H5/CP40no629/bCP40no629dorses/IMG_1346.htm; 5th entry; some of the defendants live in 'Chikewell'
  5. ↑ "Chigwell UD through time - Census tables with data for the Local Government District". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  6. ↑ Roding Valley Meadows – RAF Chigwell Archived 2 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Epping Forest District Council
  7. ↑ "Chigwell Parish Council | Chigwell Parish Council Website". Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Case, Hayden (September 2008). "What is it like to live in... Chigwell". Essex Life. Archant. p. 30. Retrieved 18 January 2009. (Registration required).
  9. ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Chigwell"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 133.
  10. ↑ BBC. "Birds of a Feather". www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. ↑ Harvey, Sir Eliab, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , J. K. Laughton
  12. ↑ "About". harrismix.com. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  13. ↑ "Kashket signs for Leyton Orient". The Jewish Chronicle. 25 February 2014.
  14. ↑ Catherine W. Reilly. Mid-Victorian Poetry: An Annotated Biobibliography. Londen: Mansell Publishing Limited, 2000, p. 257.
  15. ↑ Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd lived at Chigwell's Rolls Park during the First World War Epping Forest Guardian, 25 February 2010
  16. ↑ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (11 October 2013). "Lunch with the FT: Ronnie O'Sullivan" . Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  17. ↑ Parish church of St Mary the Virgin, British Listed Buildings, accessed 18 October 2017.
  18. ↑ "In the line of fire". The Times. London. 26 March 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2008.[ dead link ]
  19. ↑ Ashcroft, Michael (2007). Victoria Cross Heroes. London: Headline Publishing Group. ISBN   978-0-7553-1633-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.